Coronavirus: Recovered Aussie dad in Dubai says isolation helped him realise 'family is priority'

An Australian transit passenger in Dubai who has recovered from coronavirus said his ordeal proved to be a "life-changing" experience.

Angus Thorton, 57, was found to have contracted the virus from his wife Wendy, 55, after both arrived together from the UK on March 12.

They were transiting via Dubai to their hometown of Alice Springs, Australia.

While going through customs at Dubai airport, a thermal scanner caught Ms Thorton’s high temperature and the couple were immediately sent to the nearest hospital.

After spending 10 days in the isolation ward at Prime Hospital, receiving care from doctors and now virus-free, Mr Thorton has spoken to The National about his experience.

"My wife was symptomatic and had a fever. She was diagnosed before me. I wasn't showing many symptoms when she was sick," Mr Thorton told The National from his room at Dubai's Somewhere Hotel Apartments, where he is spending his mandatory 14-day quarantine after leaving the hospital.

“A few days later, my symptoms started to show and I had a fever, cough and generally felt unwell. Then, my test results came positive on March 20.”

The pair had traveled overseas for the first time in 10 years. They left in October to travel around the world after their two sons, who are 22 and 25, moved out from their family home in the outback to Melbourne.

After holidaying in Eastern Europe, Jordan, Turkey, Italy and Spain until December, they left to the UK for six weeks as their final stop.

“When the test result came in and I was told I’d have to go into the hospital I was scared,” said Mr Thorton, who has no pre-existing conditions.

“Though, the time I got really scared was three days into my stay at the hospital because my symptoms got worse. I had a really bad fever one night.

“It was more that I didn’t want to die in isolation, without my wife and kids near me.”

While in the hospital, Mr Thorton and his wife were receiving hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat or prevent malaria, Tamiflu and probiotics.

He said he used his time in isolation to self-reflect and thought about his priorities in life.

“This has been life-changing. Wendy and I have spoken about what this means in terms of prioritising,” said Mr Thorton, who works as a project manager for a non-governmental organisation.

“It’s fairly common when you go through something as significant as this and you’re cut off from home and your loved ones – you stop and think what’s important to you.

“Now we’ve decided when we go back, we are going to want to move back much closer to our kids.”

“It’s when you’re separated from family that you realise just how incredibly important they are. We love our springs and it’s a nice place to be, but it’s very important to be closer to our kids.”

The couple remain in contact with their sons and speak on the phone several times a day, however, they have not seen them in six months.

Mr and Ms Thorton are in separate rooms of the hotel, completing their mandatory 14-day quarantine period.

He said the UAE is taking the “right steps forward” in terms of precautionary measures and also thanked the team of medical professionals at the Prime Hospital, who helped him and his wife recover.

Dr Adil Mohamad Yasin Al Sisi, chief medical officer at the hospital, said their team is also ensuring the patients are given emotional and psychological care.

“We are giving support in this areas too because there is a lot of panic around this topic,” he said.

“There are many people who are constantly on technology reading about what’s happening.

“We are educating them on the virus so they are more informed.”