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Virus survivor shares painful treatment he received after recovery

Virus survivor shares painful treatment he received after recovery
It’s painful being labelled, stereotyped, discriminated against. Surviving the coronavirus disease doesn't just mean enduring a physical battle, but often a psychological and emotional one.
These were the painful words of Salvador Agina, a survivor of the novel coronavirus who has come out boldly to share the trying period he had to endure after his recovery.
Agina tested positive for the virus and was taken into isolation where he received treatment before being discharged.
He said the loneliness he experienced during the isolation forced him to turn to social media to at least do away with the boredom.
However, he later discovered that the idea was not a good one because according to him, what he saw on social media was not suitable for a patient.
Agina said that some of the information on social media was scary and stressful to him, which caused unnecessary panic to his family members.
He also said that some of the patients who were under treatment vowed not to access social media since it only worsened their condition.
“Some of the patients had even stopped checking the social media sites because they were giving us a lot of negative information that you hear and you just feel that your sickness is increasing,” Agina said.
At the same time, he said his family was as well affected by the negativity from the public after he tested positive.
He said it reached to an extent where his kids were not allowed to mingle with others, stigmatized for being the children to the infected father.
The stigmatisation came even after his kids and children tested negative for the disease.
Agina pleaded with the members of the public to heed to government directive issued in order to prevent more people from being infected.
“I was washing my hands and doing everything that the ministry had advised. Unfortunately, I was infected,” Agina said.
According to him, Kenyans have the habit of taking the government’s directives as a mere PR exercise when it is meant to save their lives.
The Covid-19 survivor has also said it is unfortunate that some people classified some communities, homes and even roads as 'corona areas' once word went around of a positive case.
“People should not label a house as a corona house because I was hearing people saying that road has corona. We should avoid classifying some estates, lanes some communities as having corona,” Agina said.
On Wednesday, Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi urged the public to accept and receive virus survivors friendly when they return home after treatment.
The Health Ministry said it will partner with patients who have recovered from Covid-19 to create awareness about the virus in the country. 
Mwangangi said it was unfortunate that despite the constant appeal and massive education, people are still being stigmatised.
Bullying and stigmatisation are what most of those with the virus have to endure.
She urged Kenyans to welcome people once they are discharged from the hospital.
Earlier this month, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe blasted Kenyans On Twitter for mocking the first two patients who recovered from the pandemic disease.
Brenda Ivy Cherotich and Brian Orinda were the first patients to recover, giving hope to the country that the disease can be managed.
After Brenda shared the story of her journey to recovery, Kenyans on Twitter trolled her and Brian, with some saying the government was using the two for public relations.

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