Not even Covid-19 and the rigorous protocols in place to curb its spread can keep two people in love apart.
That, at least, was the case for one particular couple in Shillong recently.
The wife was hospitalised with Covid symptoms but ran away to meet her man, who had himself been in a quarantine centre after testing positive for the virus as well.
The two slipped out of their respective institutions, having coordinated over the phone, and met at Laitumkhrah market. It seems that at this difficult time, all they really wanted was to be together, even if that put others at risk.
With the timely intervention of the local dorbar, police and the local MLA the duo were located and then convinced that they need to go back into quarantine and isolation, although this time they have been housed together.
There was even a third wheel in this tale of love, with their friend giving the run around to the authorities after he escaped from an ambulance and legged it around town. The man was being taken for a coronavirus test at the time.
“The woman was the man’s wife and the third person was their friend. This man was rescued only after a wild goose chase,” the opposition MLA, Ampareen Lyngdoh said.
While the husband only had mild symptoms (category B), his wife was a little more serious (category C).
“They were apparently not wearing masks and were coughing in public. The man was running and I had to call the cops,” Lyngdoh added. “It started around 6 and continued for over four hours. They just wanted to be together. After playing cat and mouse we were able to rescue the man. Later, we managed to get the woman too.”
While perhaps assuring romantics out there that love is still very much alive, the risk of the husband-wife duo spreading the coronavirus around to unsuspecting people in the street is a real concern, a point made by the legislator.
Isolation from loved ones, colleagues and the lack of person-to-person contacts has been another worrying aspect of the pandemic. While necessary to stop the disease’s spread, it is also having an impact on people’s mental health.
“Covid requires so many aspects of treatment – it’s not just treating the virus in the person. Mental health is also important. So many of the public are calling me and they are very disturbed, mentally, and frightened,” Lyngdoh said.
Reacting to this, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsoing was a little less sympathetic.
“…Maybe they must be having some psychological problem, otherwise as a human being we need to understand the ground reality, the situation that we face. Anybody, once tested positive, has to spend a minimum of at least 10 days in hospital or home isolation,” he said. “If you come out within five or six days, the virus is still alive and you will be spreading it to others. Treating the illness is different to mental health, but that is also important. Our doctors have to look after both.”
