Singapore’s First Covid-19 Patient Did Not Expect 28-Day Hospital Stay On His Maiden Overseas Trip
For first-time travellers, an overseas trip is often an enjoyable and eye-opening experience. For Singapore’s first Covid-19 patient, Mr Wang, his first time away from home went horribly wrong.
His intended stay extended to 4 weeks when he was declared as Singapore’s first Covid-19 patient.
Despite spending Chinese New Year nestled in the National Centre Of Infectious Disease (NCID), Mr. Wang counts his blessings.
Covid-19 patient showed symptoms on the second day of his visit
On 20 Jan, the 66-year-old Chinese national arrived in Singapore from Guangzhou with his family members.
In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, Mr. Wang revealed that it was his first-time spending the CNY holiday away from home. It is also his first ever travel experience.
Coming with the intention to spend the CNY break meaningfully with his family, the trip, however, took a turn when he started establishing fever symptoms on 21 Jan.
When it did not subside by the next day, Mr. Wang’s son encouraged him to visit a hospital instead of a clinic, to see the best option available.
He was admitted to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and subsequently stayed in NCID under the care of local medical staff.
Didn’t want Singapore citizens to suffer because of him
Considering the possibility of being infected, Mr. Wang revealed his initial worries for Singapore citizens.
Furthermore, he had no intention of bringing the virus and the fear attached to it over to Singapore.
As such, he headed down to a hospital ASAP to get himself checked.
Praises the responsible system Singapore has established
Though his health was in good shape by the fourth day of quarantine, it was mandatory for him to stay a few weeks longer.
Mr. Wang sang praise for our system, as it allows healthcare personnel to monitor his health closely and fully confirm his recovery.
While he stayed in the hospital for 28 days under the care of NCID staff, a typical Chinese patient is only quarantined for 8-9 days, according to Mr. Wang.
Hence, he believed that this trip gone wrong could have been a blessing in disguise, reported by Lianhe Zaobao.
After all, he received a more attentive treatment and for that, he expressed his gratitude towards Singapore.
Thankful for the staff who made Singapore feel like home
To be apart from family and friends on a special day like the first day of CNY could not have been easy, especially for Mr. Wang who was stuck in a hospital in a foreign land.
He thanked the medical staff for the dumplings on New Year’s Day, the tangyuan on yuanxiao night and the words of comfort they provided when he was sick.
Even with language barriers, Mr. Wang felt the warmth radiating from the hospital staff.
Their professionalism assured him that he was in good hands and he considers himself lucky that he was able to get treatment in Singapore.
Discharged from NCID on 19 Feb
Mr. Wang has fully recovered from the virus and was discharged on 19 Feb after a long four weeks.
His cooperation with our medical staff and his sense of social responsibility allowed us to deal with the virus more efficiently.
Kudos to the medical staff that made his first trip out of home a heartwarming one. We are sure that his stay in Singapore will remain an unforgettable memory.
Featured image adapted from Lianhe Zaobao.
