Marvelous Medical Staff—A Cameroonian student shares his experience of recovering from novel coronavirus in China

By Zhong Fei

As the first African to contract the novel coronavirus in China, Kem Senou Pavel Daryl, a 20-year-old Cameroonian student living in Jingzhou, central China’s Hubei Province, had an unforgettable experience in China. He was hospitalized on January 30. After 12 days of treatment in a local hospital, he recovered and left the hospital on February 10.

“So long as we make joint efforts, the Chinese and foreigners, we can defeat any disease in the world,” he toldPeople’s Daily.

Daryl speaks fluent Chinese and has a Chinese name, Dong Qichen. He is now a student in the College of Agriculture of Yangtze University in Jingzhou. He went to Wuhan with his friends in January and was infected with the novel coronavirus.

“I got a fever of about 38 degrees Celsius,” he noted. “My teacher was worried about me and phoned me every two hours to know about my condition. I was deeply moved.”

After he was confirmed to have been infected with the virus, Daryl actively cooperated with the medical workers during the treatment. “The treatment process was orderly and full of care,” recalled Daryl. “Doctors and nurses were professional and diligent. They disinfected the wards, took our temperatures and did medical checks on us regularly. We were offered three meals a day and could watch TV.

“My doctor told me that I responded quite well to the treatment. My teachers and classmates phoned me every day, asking about my progress. I could feel I was getting better day by day.”

After he was tested negative on February 10, Daryl was discharged from the hospital. “Only when I stayed in the hospital did I realize how hard the doctors and nurses worked every day,” he said. “They were working under great pressure. I know their friends and relatives are also worried about their safety, but they are brave, determined and strong. I must give them a thumbs up.

“You know what? When the people in Cameroon knew that I recovered from the disease, I became the focus of all the media in my home country. The Cameroonian Embassy in China made an announcement about me. I became a ‘celebrity.’”There are nearly 3,000 African students currently living in Hubei, 70 of whom are from Cameroon.

“At the beginning, my friends and family members were worried about me very much,” said Daryl. “I had to explain to them that the disease could be controlled and cured. In the past, I also experienced malaria and typhoid fever in Cameroon, which were more painful. Confidence and smile is the best cure.”

Daryl has to stay in his dormitory in isolation for a period of time after leaving the hospital, but he is totally relaxed, “I have confidence in the Chinese government. So long as we remain patient and optimistic, we can eventually beat the disease with our joint efforts.”

(Source: chinafrica.cn. Translation: Ni Yanshuo)

Daryl reading on campus帕维勒在校园里看书

来自喀麦隆的留学生帕维勒是非洲首例在华确诊的新冠肺炎患者。从1月30日确诊到2月10日治愈出院，12 天的难忘经历，让帕维勒感受最深的是——“不论是中国人，还是外国人，只要我们一起全力配合疫情防控工作，世界上所有的疫魔都不可怕。”

今年20 岁的帕维勒说着一口流利的汉语，中文名字叫董其琛。他在喀麦隆的孔子学院以及温州大学学习了两年中文后，现就读于湖北省荆州市的长江大学农学院。1月份，他与朋友结伴到武汉游玩时，不幸感染上新冠肺炎。“回学校不久，我出现了发烧症状，体温38℃左右。老师非常担心，每隔一两个小时就打电话询问病情。我非常感动。”

在荆州市胸科医院确诊后，帕维勒积极配合医护人员接受治疗。“整个过程很有秩序，富有温情。医护人员专业、敬业，定时消毒、测体温、做检查；隔离病房干净整洁，供应一日三餐，有电视可以看。医生告诉我，我恢复得很快，不用担心。老师、同学们每天打电话嘘寒问暖，我自己也能感受到病情日渐好转。”

经核酸检测转阴后，2月10日，帕维勒拿到了出院记录，上面密密麻麻地写着病情信息、诊断、医嘱。“当我躺在病床时，我才了解到中国医护人员的工作量有多大、承受的压力有多重。他们的亲友都在担心他们的安危。但是，他们都很勇敢、坚强、团结。中国医护人员，真的了不起！”帕维勒对中国医护人员充满感谢和敬佩。

“你知道吗？我治愈的消息传到了喀麦隆国内，成了热点新闻。喀麦隆驻华使馆还发了公告，我成了‘名人’。”在湖北，来自非洲的留学生有近3000 人，其中喀麦隆留学生近70 人。亲友们都十分牵挂帕维勒。“远在非洲的亲友们最初也很担心。我向他们反复解释，新冠肺炎可控可治。其实，这次患病我没有感受到太多痛苦。以前在非洲得过的疟疾、伤寒更难熬一些。要相信，最好的医生是自己，最好的良药是笑容。”

出院后还在学校公寓里自我隔离的帕维勒，悬着的心早已放了下来。“我们都非常爱中国，一直坚信中国政府。大家一定要保持耐心和乐观，齐心协力应对，疫情终将被打败！”