KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 — A Chinese national warded in Malaysia for novel coronavirus said he persevered despite getting mentally distraught after he was put in isolation.
In an interview with Chinese daily Shin Min Daily News Singapore, the Wuhan resident, who only went by the name Jing, said he had to be strong and not get swayed by his emotions, especially panic.
“It is an unfortunate thing to be infected with the new virus, but we cannot mentally defeat ourselves (sic),” he said in a translation of the interview shared by Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah yesterday.
“We must believe in the government, believe in the capabilities of medical institutions, and actively cooperate with treatment, adjust our emotions, and cannot be negatively affected.
“Even if infected, most people are mild, curable, and don’t need to be overly panic (sic). ‘’
Jing, 63, had on-and-off fever earlier this month and sought medical treatment at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) on February 2. He was diagnosed with Covid-19 on February 4, and was quarantined.
During this time, Jing said the medical staff who attended to him were very friendly, and encouraged him to have the courage to face the illness head-on and fight the virus.
After three negative tests for the coronavirus, Jing was discharged on February 9.
“I am very grateful to the doctors and nurses in Malaysia. Thank you, we will never forget this extraordinary journey,” he said.
An infectious diseases physician at HKL who treated Jing was also quoted in Dr Noor Hisham’s post as saying that confidence and courage are needed for recovery.
The global death toll for the Wuhan coronavirus was 1,107 as of this morning, with one death each in Hong Kong and the Philippines. The remaining deaths occured in mainland China, the centre of the outbreak.
The number of cases, meanwhile, is at least 44,138, with 33,366 cases in China. Eighteen of these cases were recorded in Malaysia, of which three have recovered and been discharged, including Jing.
