Durban - The coronavirus is keeping a newly married couple apart.
The couple, who asked not to be named, married in February. They travelled the US on honeymoon, visiting Florida, Miami and New York.
They returned home during the first week of March and went about their daily routines. It included interacting with family and friends.
The man, a chartered accountant, said he was generally an energetic person but started to feel tired. He also experienced flu-like symptoms.
“It was more of a mind-over-matter decision. I wasn’t feeling sick enough to go to the doctor, but to be safe, I wanted us to get tested,” he said.
His wife did not experience the symptoms associated with the virus. Symptoms include fever, a dry cough, body aches and shortness of breath. The accountant said he called his GP, who assisted the couple through the process of getting tested.
“I was positive and my wife was negative. It was strange because we shared the most contact.”
He said her tests were repeated, and once again, they came back negative. The accountant said he immediately self-quarantined at his family home in Westville, which had multiple levels.
“I am keeping to the top floor, which is a separate part of the house. I am able to see my family (there are six others in the house), but I have no contact with them.”
He said it seemed the virus was incubating in his body for 14 days. “I’m not sure if I got it here or in America.”
The 14-day quarantine will finish at the end of this week. He will then be required to undergo a second test.
“If the tests come back negative, I will have to wait 48 hours and undergo another test for the virus. I would need to test a double negative in order to be allowed to have contact with others once more.”
The husband said he managed to cope during isolation.
“Yes, it is weird, but we have only been married for two months and have not had time to really adapt to being around the other person. I think if we were married longer, it would have been harder.”
He said he kept busy with work to keep himself occupied.
“I have my laptop and I’m happy. I also video-chat or use WhatsApp to chat to my family and my wife. This could have been much worse than it is. A two-week quarantine to keep my family safe is a small sacrifice.”
His advice to the public was to be cautious about the virus and to listen to your body.
“If you suspect you could be infected, try to get tested. The worry is that you may not show any of the symptoms, like me, and still be positive.”
His family and his wife’s family were all tested. None of them were found to have the virus.
The accountant’s father said: “We were lucky that we escaped it.
“Hopefully others didn’t get it. We have tried to contact everyone he could have been in contact with to get tested.”
He said his son was doing well and was back to his energetic self.
“We are treating him with ayurvedic therapy, like ginger milk and soup, as well as lots of prayer. He is definitely getting stronger.”