Ewe, a panelist on a forum called “Sembang Covid-19” said the stigma that former patients could infect others after recovering needs to change as it added to the stress and feelings of isolation.

The architect said that despite recovering and undergoing 22 days of home quarantine, his neighbours still looked at him funny and stayed away.

“People are afraid of us when they find out we had been infected before. Some even make faces when we greet them.

“I don’t blame them, it is human nature,” he said at the forum organised by Perbadanan Pembangunan Belia Pulau Pinang.

Ewe said awareness campaigns which now focused only on preventing the spread of the virus need to be expanded to educate the public on interacting with those who have been infected.

However, another former patient, Amirul Izzulis, said he had a different experience. He has become closer to his friends and family after testing positive, with many wishing him well.

Previously, he said, he would usually catch up with his parents and siblings on the weekend but after he tested positive, his family members would call him every day.

He also shared his experience in seeing someone with Covid-19 pass away, saying the virus was “real” and a “silent killer”.

The death was that of an old man, Amirul, who he had befriended while receiving treatment at Hospital Selayang.

“The evening before he passed, we were chatting as usual. Suddenly he coughed non-stop and required respiratory assistance. After several hours, when doctors carried out further checks, his heart had stopped beating.”

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