How 17 members of a Delhi-based family survived coronavirus
Story highlights
From a three-month-old child to Mukul's 90-year-old bedridden grandfather, 11 people in the Garg family got infected with COVID-19 in a matter of days
The name of coronavirus is dreadful enough to shake an entire family.
Mukul Garg's family who lives in New Delhi, however, had a far bigger challenge.
"We knew we would all be positive," the 33-year-old said as 17 people in his family contracted the deadly disease, reports The Washington Post.
"We were quite sure that someone would be sacrificed."
From a three-month-old child to Mukul's 90-year-old bedridden grandfather, 11 people in the Garg family got infected with COVID-19 in a matter of days.
His 62-year-old father, who is diabetic and high-BP patient and 87-year-old grandmother were also not spared.
Soon, a quarantine note was stuck outside the house as their family became a cluster of coronavirus infections, which made them disconnect with the outside world.
Several people living under same roof could add insult to the injury, but the Garg's being well-off meant that each brother had a separate floor for himself, where they can maintain distance with themselves.
The family took extra precautions to contain the spread and only person at a time was allowed to buy the essentials.
"We were confident that because we had been extremely careful, coronavirus could not happen to us," Mukul's mother, Meena Devi, said.
"But then, one by one, everyone came down with a fever."
Mukul's aunt Anita also got infected with the virus and was admitted to a hospital after her health deteriorated.
"That is when the panic struck hard," Anita's son, Abhishek, said.
Mukul, who is also a trained doctor, along with his younger kin, helped the family members with the treatment, providing them with vitamin supplements, cough syrup, and acetaminophen.
Things started to change when Anita returned home after spending 10 days at the hospital. Neighbours clapped and rang bells to cheer Anita as she entered into the house.
In early June, the family met over dinner after all the infected members tested negative.
"It is not a simple disease to conquer," Mukul added.
"We were just plain lucky."