His love and respect for his dear ones grew deeper

Visakhapatnam: Starting life afresh, Chinthalapati Srinivas Raju says that his love and respect for his dear ones has grown deeper. "Life becomes all the more meaningful and people around, all the more precious," says the Covid warrior.

Having seen death from close quarters, Srinivas says that there is nothing to fear in his life as he emerged stronger post his recovery from coronavirus.

Initially, when Srinivas was tested positive for Covid-19, he had to wage a battle against the lurking fear rather than the infection itself. "It is hard to put in words to explain how I felt when I came to know that I was infected. But yes, it took me quite a while to accept and move ahead. When I was feeling low, I contacted my 'pinni' (mother's sister), who is more than a friend to me, and told her that may be these were my last days," shares the 31-year-old entrepreneur.

After listening to him, his pinni J Sudha Varma rushed to his rescue and admitted Srinivas to Indus Hospital for Covid-19 treatment. "My condition was pretty serious then. I was kept in the ICU for the initial 14 days of hospitalisation. Given my condition, my parents too thought that it was difficult for me to recoup. But my pinni stood by me, giving me strength and pushing me to fight against the virus," explains Srinivas.

When Srinivas was a bit dull in the hospital, the doctors used to encourage him to stay active and keep himself constructively occupied.

In 2020, Srinivas agreed that he was a little careless in following safety norms. "I moved in groups, met my friends and did not even bother to wear a mask then. However, this year, I was quite cautious and followed Covid protocols meticulously. Despite that, I contracted the virus. People should never take things for granted because the onus to contain the spread of Covid-19 lies on each individual and sticking to safety norms is the least contribution we can make at individual level," he asserts.

After his recovery from the virus, Srinivas says that he has emerged as a much more confident person. "When virus attacks you, give it a tough fight. Never lose confidence while battling against the infection," emphasises Srinivas.