HYDERABAD: Papushetty Uday Kiran Gupta, a grocer from Shadnagar, has become the first COVID-19 survivor to have donated plasma thrice in a month. He was Shadnagar's first COVID-19 patient.
"After I tested positive, I got a new identity as the first patient. This continued even after I recovered and returned home. But only after I started donating plasma, people have chan2ged their attitude towards me. Given the opportunity, I am ready to donate blood plasma as many times as possible and help people," he said.
Speaking to Express on how he had contracted the virus from his close friend, when he took the latter to a hospital for treatment, Uday Kiran said that his friend fell ill after visiting Jiyaguda market, but he tested negative. Unfortunately, Uday tested positive a week later.
"When I was at Gandhi Hospital, people were calling me continuously. There were so many messages blaming me for spreading the virus in the town and my family members faced humiliation. Unable to answer all calls, I would switch off my phone the entire day and used it only once to talk to my family," he said. "As my phone was switched off, people started spreading messages, saying I had died. But somehow due to my willpower and strong support from doctors, I recovered and returned home," he added.
However, the actual trouble started at that time. "I understood that people’s insensitivity towards COVID patients is much more than their fear of the deadly virus. We were ostracised in our locality," he said.
Meanwhile, he started receiving calls from the family members of Covid-19 patients who were in need of plasma therapy. Uday Kiran recollects that he used to receive at least seven calls per day, but was reluctant initially. But after repeated requests from people, he went to a corporate hospital where he agreed, after clarifying all his doubts, to donate plasma for the first time in June.
"Later, I saw a video message of the police appealing to donate plasma and I approached Shadnagar Inspector. The Inspector encouraged me and got me registered, after which I donated on July 15. I donated for the third time on July 30," he added.
Uday Kiran said that the very same people who used to spread misleading messages about him and his family are now recognising his service. "I am now known as the first COVID-19 patient in the area. Not only that but also as a plasma donor. I feel happy when people ask me about it now," he added.