“Be positive, this too shall pass." This is what Maharashtra’s first Covid-19 positive patient told himself and his wife. Their ordeal, which lasted 17 days, ends today. Both have recovered fully and are ready to go home.

The Pune couple, their daughter, one of their co-travellers in a group of 40 on a Dubai trip, and the cab driver who drove the family from Mumbai to Pune on March 1 upon their return were the first five confirmed cases in Pune.

“When we returned I had a mild flu and cough. After getting treatment from our doctor I felt better for five days but then the fever returned. My wife and I went to Pune Municipal Corporation’s Dr Naidu hospital for a Covid-19 test. We waited for almost a day for the report and when the doctor called us he said: ‘Bad luck,’” said the 51-year-old patient, speaking to BusinessLine on Wednesday. He added: “We were completely shocked when the doctor told us that our report for coronavirus was positive. My wife almost collapsed and I was not ready to believe it. It took time for me to admit the fact. We were told we were the first Covid-19 patients. We received some calls that were disturbing. Also, ministers and officials called us asking about our health”

The couple was shifted to an isolation ward and put under treatment. Friends and family panicked and the couple had a video call with some to reassure them. Their 23-year-old daughter and 19-year-old son were quarantined in the same hospital.

“We were treated for fever, cold and cough. The team of doctors was keeping a close watch on us. We followed what doctors said and kept telling ourselves that we would recover,” he said, adding that it was the only way to keep morale high.

After 17 days, the couple is ready to shift back home and their son and daughter are normal. The co-traveller and cab driver are also recovering.

“Today is Gudi Padva (the Marathi new year). This is a new beginning for us. But I have a request for people. Please follow the government’s order of social distancing. Don’t step out of the house and go to doctors immediately if you have symptoms. We came to doctors on our own. We should not create a threat to others’ lives. We don’t know from whom we got infected but you can avoid it by staying at home,” he said.

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