March 1, 2020 seared into memory: Delhi's first COVID-19 patient

It's a day most Delhiites would like to erase from their memories but March 1, 2020, the day the city reported its first COVID-19 case, is seared into Rohit Datta's memory.

There's no erase button for the businessman, Delhi's first patient.

From facing stigma after the diagnosis to becoming "Googleable" and popular on quizzing platforms, Datta says life has come a full circle.

"As I was the first case, initially there was a lot of fear and guilt too," Datta said.

"I would consider myself as the carrier of the virus as I had just returned from Italy after a work-related visit and found myself positioned in a scenario where the unpredictability of this new virus fueled more fear and apprehensions among people," he said.

February 28, 2020, was his son's 12th birthday, and Datta hosted a small get-together at a luxury hotel in south Delhi. That night, he got a fever again.

By February-end last year, the novel coronavirus had already wreaked havoc in China, where it was reported first globally in the city of Wuhan, and Italy too had been ravaged by it.

"My test report had come positive on March 1, but I was told about it by doctors the next day, March 2," Datta said.

"Initially, the plan was to keep me in isolation there for 28 days, but then it was revised to 14 days at the isolation facility and then 14 days of home isolation, where I fully recovered," he said.

"After my case, Delhi saw a raging pandemic throughout the year, and mostly people would like to forget this period altogether, but these dates are seared into my memory now, forever, and in the minds of my family members," Datta added.

Delhi saw three major waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the worst being the third one in November.

Always fascinated by leap years, Datta said, "February 29, 2020, is another unforgettable date for me."

"My sample was taken on this date, and its anniversary will come after every four years now. It's quite amusing. Sometimes I feel I was chosen by fate to be in this position," Datta said, with a smile, adding that he has become "more religious" after his treatment.

Datta reiterated his appeal to the masses to "not lower guard" even when the vaccination drive is underway and urged people to observe all COVID-19 safety norms.

Asserting his faith in the doctors and the scientists of the country, Datta, who turned 46 on July 5 last year, said that he would wait for his turn to get the vaccine shot.

Datta said, "Quarantine is my favorite new word that is now a household term, like self-isolation and sanitization."

Meanwhile, Delhi recorded 175 new COVID-19 cases on Monday (March 1), taking the city's infection tally to over 6.39 lakh, even as the positivity rate rose to 0.44 percent, according to the Health Department data. The death toll in the city stands at 10,911.