IIT Delhi's COVID-positive students share video from isolation centre
At the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, COVID-positive students, who are staying in isolation centre, have shared a video message and asked the student community to “be brave and be strong and not panic about the COVID situation”. Students who have been living in the isolation centre for the past few days have recorded a video on life in IIT Delhi's isolation and the facilities provided to them. Via video message, students have also urged the viewers to seek help if they think they have caught the virus.
IIT Delhi has set up a COVID-19 care facility for students and staff on its campus.
Currently, there are five students at the centre, all COVID-positive but recovering, a student said in the video.
Rahul Jaiswal, a PhD student at IIT Delhi, described the process he went through and shared how he came to be at the isolation centre. “After getting corona symptoms, I went to the IIT Delhi hospital and there the doctor asked to get an RT-PCR test done. As per the doctor's suggestion, I got quarantined in the Gulmohar hostel. The report came two days later and I got shifted to the isolation centre,” Mr Jaiswal said.
Another COVID-positive student living in isolation, Venkatesh, showed the quarantine facilities and the isolation centre's kitchen which has steam inhalers, electric kettle and tea bags, sugar, milk powder for students. “We are provided with three steam inhalers and one water heater. Meals are delivered through a window and there's soap to clean up dishes,” Mr Venkatesh said.
We are provided with oximeters and sanitisers. We have to check our oxygen level at regular intervals of time. The doctor calls us twice a day to keep a check on us, Mr Venkatesh added.
The students live in a large hall and they have been provided with carrom and chess boards and a television for entertainment purposes.
IIT Delhi staff and the Gulmohar mess manager thanked the doctors and said: “Don't panic about the COVID situation. If you have any symptoms, go to the IIT hospital and they are taking good care of us. Be brave and be strong."
The IIT Delhi director, Ramgopal Rao, took to various social media platforms and shared the video. “A positive message from IIT Delhi COVID isolation facility. Thank you, team members. Get well soon, students. Institute will do everything possible to make it easier for you,” Mr Rao said.