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.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Company%20profile
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Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Sri Lanka World Cup squad
Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Isuru Udana, Milinda Siriwardana, Avishka Fernando, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal.
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TEAMS
EUROPE:
Justin Rose, Francesco Molinari, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Alex Noren, Thorbjorn Olesen, Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson
USA:
Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Webb Simpson, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau ( 1 TBC)
Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
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The Byblos iftar in numbers
29 or 30 days – the number of iftar services held during the holy month
50 staff members required to prepare an iftar
200 to 350 the number of people served iftar nightly
160 litres of the traditional Ramadan drink, jalab, is served in total
500 litres of soup is served during the holy month
200 kilograms of meat is used for various dishes
350 kilograms of onion is used in dishes
5 minutes – the average time that staff have to eat
Red Joan
Director: Trevor Nunn
Starring: Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson, Tereza Srbova
Rating: 3/5 stars
Company%C2%A0profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
