Imphal: 23-year-old girl Shanthing from Kamjong district in Manipur is currently undergoing the 14-day quarantine at a community quarantine center at her village. She has been there with her mother ever since they recovered from the COVID-19 on May 29.
Originally from Khongjal, now Ramsophung village, Shanthing and her 64-year-old mother arrived in Manipur along with 19 others by bus via Mao Gate on May 18. They tested positive for COVID-19 on May 19.
The Delhi returnees are, however, happy to be back in their village, even though they are still in a quarantine centre.
Recalling their stay at the isolation ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), Shanthing said they tried their best to remain positive and constantly encouraged each other to not get distracted by the depressing news that trickled in from various sources.
“Since my mom and I were in the same room, we spent our two-week stay at the hospital isolation ward by praying together, singing hymns and supporting each other. This helped us remain mentally, physically and spiritually strong,” Shanthing said.
Shanthing and her mother were deeply touched when their neighbours waited for them at the village ground while maintaining social distancing as they arrived from the hospital. The mother-daughter duo are also grateful to the healthcare workers at JNIMS, who treated them successfully from the virus.
“We knew that we were not alone in this fight against the virus. Our friends, family and well-wishers were constantly praying for us and asked of our well-being through phone calls and messages,” she said.
Shanthing used to work at a Delhi restaurant before the pandemic. Her mother was visiting when the nationwide lockdown was imposed.
“My mother had come to visit me in Delhi and had recently undergone a cataract surgery at the AIIMS Hospital on March 18,” Shanthing said.
The duo are still struggling to understand how and where they may have contracted the virus. “My nephew and my best friends, with whom I also shared the seat in the bus, have all tested negative,” she said.
