More than Covid-19, it was the fake news circulated on social media that hurt us, informs the mother of a 10-month-old baby from Sajipanadu in Bantwal.
The baby had tested positive for Covid-19 and was discharged from the hospital.
Recalling the incident, she said, “The child had developed ill health at night on March 22 and we visited the hospital. After emergency treatment, the child recovered the next day. When we were getting ready for discharge, the hospital authorities informed us that the child is recovering and Covid-19 test results were awaited.”
The sample of the child tested positive for Covid-19 on March 25. After the child tested positive, we (the child’s mother and grandmother) were isolated. The child was healthy with me. After that, both the child and myself were not given any major treatment, she said.
Later, the throat swab samples of the child tested negative and our samples too tested negative. But the news that we were in ICU and fake photographs in circulation had left us disheartened, she added.
Many had even contacted us to check the veracity of the news. "I was forced to make a video call to my relatives and show how my child was healthy," she said with tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Why are people spreading false news. What mistake have we committed?" she asked repeatedly.
The hospital authorities took care of us with love. I spent sleepless nights due to the fake news rather than the health of my child. We had not been to Kerala nor have any travel history. Nobody could trace from where the child was infected with Covid-19, said the mother of the child.