In obedience to public health advisory, families stay inside their homes until the lockdown is eased. Because of panic, no consideration nor exemption is given to families with members who have contagious diseases other than COVID 19 or mental disorders. So it happens that families are forced to stay together inside small one-room houses with poor ventilation 24 hours a day for months.
An otherwise healthy boy, after 3 months of lockdown, came down with a fever but because medical check up has become more expensive with the added cost of COVID screening, personal protective equipment and disinfection, his family chose to just keep him at home and give him herbal tea.
After 4 weeks, he developed headache and started having altered mental state. Mission volunteers who happened to come to the village to distribute sacramentals and remind people about prayers, are invited to see the bedridden patient.
The family had no money because their livelihood was badly affected by the pandemic. The mission brought the child to the hospital where he was seen by a doctor and diagnosed as having bacterial meningitis. Diagnostic tests show tuberculosis.
Locking people down on a poorly ventilated and congested community is not healthy. Can this situation be changed?
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