Hours after Recovery, Man Returns to Fight Virus on Khartoum Streets

Hours after recovering from the coronavirus and leaving quarantine, healthcare activist Mujahid Abdallah Ahmad, known as “Mujahid Qadeem”, says he was certain he would get infected.

“As healthcare volunteers, my colleagues and I were certain that at some point we will catch the coronavirus. However, we knew that we could not stop working despite the risks,” he tells Asharq Al-Awsat.

Mujahid Qadeem is an activist in the Shareh al-Hawadeth initiative that provides medicine to poor children who cannot afford it. It takes its name after the street facing Khartoum Teaching Hospital’s Emergency Department and the Children’s Hospital.

Members of both sexes are spread across the street to catch the tears of a mother unable to afford her sick child’s medication or a father who has been nearly killed by the frustration caused by his child’s illness.

The initiative later started to provide medicine and healthcare to the poor, establishing a hospital that was made possible by popular effort.

After Qadeem and his comrades, Ahmed Idris and Youssef Handousa became infected with COVID-19, all three recovered and returned more determined than ever.

Qadeem tells Asharq Al-Awsat, “As a result of social mixing, our colleague Dr. Nuhad and others caught the virus. Since we worked together and were in contact with them, we were tested on April 28”.

Qadeem says that he suffered from severe symptoms but "I resisted them, and I isolated myself away from home until the results came back”.

He and his comrades received the positive test result with laughter. He says, “We knew that we were going to get infected at some point”.

He continues, “I was afraid at the beginning of the quarantine but the presence of friends and the social support we were provided with, helped raise our morale to fight the illness”.

With a high spirit, Qadeem says, “I left my experience with coronavirus believing that us Sudanese youth are capable of defeating any enemy.”

“I would like to tell my parents that the illness is not something to be ashamed of and should not be stigmatized".

Qadeem considers his experience with the coronavirus and his recovery to have revealed to him both his strength and endurance.

He emphasized the importance of staying at home to protect loved ones. He tells Asharq Al-Awsat, “If I had a choice, I would have stayed at home to protect my loved ones from the illness. However, I have no choice but to help patients.”

“Stay at home and protect the souls of those around you; this illness kills both the beloved and the opponent”.