A young man named Lino Abel, who had returned from Qatar to visit his ailing father in Kerala could not see him for one last time after he was isolated him over suspected coronavirus infection. He was admitted at the Kottayam Medical College - the same hospital where his father was being treated.

Lino's father was admitted to the hospital with internal bleeding after falling from the bed the previous night. Lino rushed to Kerala the very night. After landing in Kerala on the morning of March 8, Lino experienced some irritation in his throat and voluntarily decided to get admitted to the isolation ward at the Kottayam Medical College, before he had any direct contact with his relatives or his father, who was in a critical condition.

Lino took to his social media handle to narrate the heart-wrenching incident. "On March 7, I saw a message from my brother asking me to contact them immediately. When I called him, I came to know that my father fell from bed while sleeping. As the injury was serious in nature he was shifted to Alappuzha medical college. Later, when I called them, I was told that he had internal bleeding. On informing my office, they booked me on a flight to Kerala. Since I was noticing the coronavirus news in Kerala, I was a little concerned about whether I would make it home, but I left for Kochi on that night itself," Lino wrote.

Lino was allowed to proceed to his hometown as he did not show any symptoms of the virus infection upon being screened at the airports. However, he reportedly did not have any direct contact with his relatives or his father, who was in a critical condition. "As I walked out of the hospital, I started coughing and felt itching in my throat. Initially, though I didn't take it seriously, however, considering the safety of the rest I consulted with the doctors in coronavirus cells in the Kottayam medical college. The doctors there told me that Covid-19 was rapidly spreading in many parts of Qatar and I was immediately shifted to the isolation ward," Lino further added.

At 10.30 pm on March 9, Lino's father breathed his last after suffering a stroke and when the boy was informed of it, all he could do was cry as he was not allowed to meet his father despite being in the same hospital due to isolation protocols. He was unable to attend the funeral either and only watched the body being brought in an ambulance from his isolation ward window.

Lino said, "When his body was brought home, I saw my dad, one last time, through a video call. Had I not volunteered at the coronavirus cell, I would have managed to see my father. However, I missed that opportunity because I was determined that I shouldn't spread this virus to my family and people in my region."

Lino urges symptomatic people to report themselves to the nearest medical office, in an attempt to curb the spread. "If you keep aside a few days for this, you can live happily with your family afterward. Isolation ward is not a concentration camp," he wrote. In anticipation of his test result, he ended his note saying that he would be sadder if the result turns out to be negative.