“I was not afraid when I got the symptoms, but rather I was alert. Since my parents were more vulnerable, I strictly followed the instructions which helped in surviving the infection,” the 20-year-old medical student from Thrissur in Kerala who was India’s first coronavirus patient to have tested positive on January 30 and discharged on February 20 told the New Indian Express in an exclusive interview.

“We had filled a form there noting our whereabouts and the form had instructed us to report our arrival to the respective health officials in our region. Being medical students, we were strict about following the guidelines,” she added.

The woman had also urged her pregnant sister-in-law to move out of the house before her arrival as a precautionary measure. When she arrived in India on January 25, she reported herself to the district health officials who followed up with her.

“I used to get a cold or fever every time I came back from China. My relatives advised me to try inhaling steam or take general medicines to get rid of the sore throat, but I insisted on approaching the doctor. I just wanted to know whether it was Coronavirus or not. I was more concerned about my parents and relatives and didn’t want to remain at home without knowing what exactly I had,” she told the newspaper.

When she went to the hospital, there were four other people who were in isolation there. For tests, blood samples, throat swabs, nasal swab, urine and stool samples were taken. The woman had to undergo isolation for over 20 days. Every day, the trained staff took her dresses and burned it to prevent the spread of infection. Since she didn’t have other medical issues, the doctors allowed her to have the food of her choice.