[PHOTOS] From deathbed, to grave: the tragic journey of a Covid-19 patient

KUALA LUMPUR – The feeling a person gets when they find out that a family member has been infected with Covid-19 is unimaginable.

Once an individual is confirmed positive, they will be taken to a Covid-19 quarantine and low-risk treatment centre, which usually houses Categories 1, 2 and 3.

However, should their condition worsen, they will be brought to a hospital – all this without being accompanied by any family member or friend.

Neither husband nor wife may go with them; even children will have to go by themselves. As for the elderly, they will be looked after by only health workers, not their next of kin.

What is even more heartbreaking is that on their deathbed, no familiar face will appear. And when they finally succumb to the virus, they will have to do so alone.

However, the Amal Valley organisation helps shoulder the burden of a Covid-19 patient by providing assistance free of charge.

Amal Valley personnel have been handling the remains of Muslims who died due to the coronavirus since a year ago and lending a hand to those in need regardless of time.

Sometimes, they need to manage up to four corpses in a day – bathing them, wrapping them and burying them.

Although it is sad, they perform their duties with much perseverance.

Covid-19 deaths today breached three figures for the first time, with 126 fatalities bringing the toll to 2,993.

The Vibes photographer SAIRIEN NAFIS follows the Amal Valley team to find out how it manages Covid-19 corpses in a day. – The Vibes, June 2, 2021