Recovered doctor calls UAE second home after donating plasma for Covid-19 patients

Dr Omar Noori shared his sentiments with Sheikh Mohamed during the weekly televised Ramadan Majlis

Dr Omar Noori with his wife Zainab Al Rawi and daughters Israa Omar and Ayah Omar (L-R). Courtesy: Omar Noori

A frontline UAE doctor who recently recovered from the coronavirus is back in the emergency room, to treat patients with the same disease.

Dr Omar Noori, who contracted the virus while on duty and has now fully recovered after receiving the best treatment possible, said the UAE is his "second home".

The Australian citizen said the fight against the virus has united medics across the country, and expressed his gratitude by donating plasma to be used in the treatment of other Covid-19 patients.

The father of two contracted the virus in the first week of April but showed no symptoms apart from extreme fatigue that stopped him from doing his long hours at work.

He was later quarantined for 10 days in a hotel while awaiting the test results. From getting a positive to being admitted into a hospital took around an hour.

“I got the same disease I was fighting,” he said.

“When you live in a country that makes you feel safe and secure and you know that you will be taken care of when you are sick, then you give it the best you can.

"It is truly my second home," he told The National.

Dr Noori first shared his sentiments with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, during the weekly televised Ramadan Majlis.

The doctor’s two daughters, 19 and 25, are studying in Australia.

They found out about their father being infected with the virus when he appeared on television at the virtual Mohamed bin Zayed Ramadan Majlis.

“I didn’t want to scare them,” he said.

After a full recovery, Dr Noori is back to work and has donated plasma to be used in the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

“This illness showed me how we all stood together to fight this virus. We had anesthesiologists, surgeons and all the doctors come together to fight the virus. It showed me how united the health system is,” he said.

More than 200 doctors in Dubai have been granted a 10-year golden residency visa for their work to protect the emirate against Covid-19.

The order was made on May 13 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, in appreciation for the healthcare workers' "selfless dedication to caring for infected patients".

The 212 doctors selected to receive the golden visas have various special skills.

They were chosen because of their work with Covid-19 patients across hospitals in Dubai.