Reportedly on january 20, the city of wuhan went into total lock-down as news of the novel coronavirus triggered panic waves across the world. As the Chinese state announced that all public transport would be suspended in the city which is the epicentre of the virus, a group of medical students from kerala who were studying in wuhan, hurriedly caught trains out of the city to fly to their home country. Among them was Shahnaz*, a third year medical student from wuhan, who landed up in kochi from Kunming. 

Shahnaz was screened at the airport but did not exhibit symptoms then. However, when she developed a cold and cough, she reported it at the health centre. A week after her arrival in kochi, Shahnaz was admitted to the isolation ward of the thrissur Medical college Hospital, as she became the first positive coronavirus case reported in India. Today, the 20 year old is back home and fully recovered from the disease which has so far killed over 2,600 people globally. On february 22, Shahnaz was discharged from the hospital and dropped back to her house in thrissur, after her 11th and 12th blood samples tested negative for the virus. And if there is one thing that made her recovery easier, it is the advanced public health system in kerala and all its stakeholders, she tells at the fag end of the 25-days in isolation, there was reason for Shahnaz and everyone else around her to smile. 

Moreover the 20 year old’s 10th and 11th blood sample tested negative for the virus, confirming that she has finally, fully recovered from the disease.  On saturday, Shahnaz was dropped back to her house in thrissur where she is in home isolation until march 1. With this, all three patients in kerala who tested positive for coronavirus in india, have full recovered.  Shahnaz and her Malayali classmates also plan to return to wuhan to complete their course, once the outbreak dies down and the city’s lock-down is eased. However, the 20-year-old is determined to become a doctor and come back to serve her home state.