Deaf Covid-19 patient shares struggles trying to seek help via phone

For Mr Low, a 42-year-old who is deaf, what added to the distress of battling Covid-19 was the inability to seek help or speak to the authorities or the doctor over the phone.

Mr Low, who declined to reveal his full name, said: "My mum is my ear. Without her, I cannot imagine how I could have asked for help."

The bachelor and his parents, who are both in their 60s, caught the coronavirus last month.

Only his grandmother, who lives with them, remains virus-free. All family members are fully vaccinated.

Mr Low, who works as a deaf facilitator at a social enterprise, and his mother went to an isolation facility where they were housed in the same room.

His father recovered at home.

Mr Low had a fever, runny nose and sore throat, which he recovered from within a week.

But he is still struggling with the loss of smell and insomnia, among other medical woes.

His mother helped him consult a doctor via a video call. She also helped him communicate with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other officials.

Mr Low said: "My mum was there to support me. But I want to tell MOH not to forget about us - the deaf (community) and other persons with disabilities."

MOH gave him a telephone number to call and the Government's Covid-19 website for more information, he said.

Mr Low said that although he could e-mail MOH, he did not do so as he did not know when they would reply, and the wait would add to his anxiety.

He suggested that MOH set up a message helpline so deaf people and other Covid-19 patients can use it to communicate with the authorities.

He said: "My experience with Covid-19 can be summed up in one word: haunted.

"Imagine not being able to smell and taste for days. And not being able to ask MOH for some form of help on my own as a deaf person."