A 48-year-old Covid-19 positive patient sets herself on fire in Benoni, Ekurhuleni over Facebook and WhatsApp comments.
Benoni based school principal opens up on how his COVID-19 positive wife attempted to commit suicide. An experience which has prompted the husband to embark on a community education on the novel coronavirus campaign.
The Benoni based educationist narrates how he and his 17-year-old child put out engulfing flames on his wife.
When my wife tested positive for the virus after a school meeting at a school in Daveyton where she teaches on 26 May 2020.
We placed her in self-isolation according to health and government protocols and offered her all necessary support and medication.
The incident happened on 6 June 2020 which was her 11th day in self-isolation despite all the support, my dear wife was losing it and we didn’t realized it.
The principal said his wife woke up early in the morning and sneak to the kitchen while everyone was still asleep. Accompanied by their son, they went to check on the patient who seemed fine and went back to bed.
“After a while we realised there was something burning. I ran to her isolation room. It was locked. I broke the door open and found her engulfed in flames.
“I immediately took a blanket and tried to put out the fire until my brave eight-year-old child ran to fetch a bucket of water which she emptied on her mom in an attempt to rescue her.”
While waiting for paramedics, I comforted my wife who was visibly shocked that she nearly took her life.
Social media nearly killed my wife
He revealed his wife’ health did not deteriorate while in isolation.
We concentrated on getting her fully recovered but we never realized that she was also battling a stigmatization battle. She received depressing messages on social media, even from educated workmates. The community gossip traumatized her to the extent of attempting on her own life.
The wife recovered from COVID-19 and tested negative for the virus on Monday.
The family also conducted tests twice and all tested negative>chaosafrica
