One week into virus quarantine, Turkish evacuees bullish

A week since Turkey flew out dozens of its citizens from Wuhan, China, morale is high, as none of the evacuees has shown any symptoms of the deadly coronavirus.

On Feb. 1 Turkey sent a cargo plane to evacuate 42 people, including 32 Turks, six Azerbaijanis, three Georgians, and one Albanian, as the virus spread both in and outside China's borders.

Right after the plane landed in the Turkish capital Ankara, the evacuees, along with medical staff, military personnel, and media who accompanied them, were taken to a hospital to be held in a two-week precautionary quarantine in separate rooms to allow healthcare officials to monitor their condition.

Now at the quarantine's midway point, a typical day starts with a traditional Turkish breakfast at 9 a.m. (0600GMT), then medical teams visit each room to measure the body temperature of each patient. According to the health staff, the evacuees’ body temperature has remained standard, with nothing abnormal observed.

Following midday lunch, doctors talk with the evacuees about their health and well-being, looking to determine if they have experienced any non-standard health condition.

Under Health Ministry rules, the evacuees have their temperatures taken three times a day, and are interviewed by doctors, usually after meals.

Blood samples are taken and tissue samples collected for lab testing. No negative results have emerged, according to Health Minister Fahrettin Koca.

- Counting down days to freedom

These reassurances have significantly boosted the morale of evacuees and medical staff at the hospital, which has no other patients. Doctors also said they stand ready to provide psychological support to anyone who wants it.

The evacuees are not allowed to have any physical contact with others but are allowed to communicate through telephones. The medical staff enter rooms with protective suits, masks, and glasses, and the patients are required to wear masks.

“All is well here. With test results not showing any problem, I’m just counting down the days as my family looks forward to getting me back,” said one evacuee who declined to give his name.

He said all evacuees were physically and mentally weary prior to being evacuated from Wuhan due to fears of infection, but quickly got better after the evacuation.

“Each passing day brings us one step closer to freedom, which I look forward to,” he said, adding that now he appreciates things like being able to just walk down the street.

Another evacuee said he was nervous in the early days at the hospital because he was concerned about the possibility of having caught the virus.

“Now that the top health officials confirmed that we're fine and pose no risk to our families and country, I feel much better. I even enjoy getting bored to death!” he joked.

“We now have a week until we're discharged, and this is an experience I won't forget till the end of my days,” he said. “On the other hand, I’ll most probably miss being taken care of like a baby by our doctors and healthcare personnel and I can’t help feeling like a spoiled kid.”

- No cases in Turkey to date

The ministry plans more tests to ensure no one at the hospital carries the virus. To date, no cases of coronavirus have been found in Turkey.

Airports are carefully monitoring passengers in a bid to prevent the virus from entering Turkish territory.

According to official figures from China, the death toll of the outbreak has topped 800, with more than 34,000 confirmed cases. The number of people under medical observation has topped 185,000.

Besides China, the virus has spread to more than 20 countries, including the U.S., U.K., Singapore, France, Russia, Spain, and India.

Many countries have evacuated their citizens from Wuhan – the epicenter of the virus – and other affected areas of China, placing them in isolated medical care.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak an international emergency.