WITH WORST OVER, GURDEEP AWAITS FLIGHT BACK TO ITALY
JALANDHAR : Gurdeep Singh, 44, who worked in a fruit packaging unit in Italy since 2008, rushed back to his native village in Hoshiarpur district as the Covid-19 wave swept the European nation in March.
On landing at the Amritsar airport with his wife and 14-year-old on March 4, Gurdeep was found running fever and his samples were sent for testing. He was admitted to the isolation ward of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Amritsar, and became Punjab’s Patient Zero.
He was discharged on March 26.
“Now I’m waiting for international flights to resume so that I can get back to work in Italy. Ultimately, I have to find out what I will do there as I have nothing much to do in India,” says Gurdeep, who has been following selfquarantine “to avoid any complication”.
“I didn’t even go to the village gurdwara after being cured,” he says, adding he stays away from friends and relatives but is in touch with them over social media.
KEEPING DISTANCE
On his routine after his treatment, Gurdeep says, “I eat healthy to keep my immune system strong. At 8am daily, I drive to the fields with breakfast for my brother, Ashok Kumar, and labourers who are readying the land for sowing paddy. I keep a distance and don’t touch the food that is placed on the backseat of the car by another family member.”
He says he helps out by cutting grass but does not interact with the others. He returns home at 2pm and takes rest in his room. “In the evening, I browse the internet to learn more about precautions on how to save oneself from coronavirus. My friends share updates from Italy,” he says.
‘DEFEAT DISEASE WITH POSITIVITY’
Asked about the social stigma after testing positive, he says, “It’s a disease that can infect anyone. We should defeat it with positivity and good food. On a personal note, I didn’t face any problem in the village. Villagers greet me well when I go or return from the fields. My friends acknowledge with a smile and a wave.”
Gurdeep admits it was tougher in Italy, where the pandemic was far worse.
“I’m shocked to see on TV the rush of people in our markets. People should understand the gravity of the situation. We have to follow social distancing and take precautions,” he adds.