Bhubaneswar: A 18-year-old boy, Shiva, hailing from Kothanandikonda in Telangana’s Nalagonda district, who was tested COVID-19 positive, decided to build a makeshift Covid ‘ward’ atop a tree to isolate himself.

As Shiva’s family lives in a small place and also the interior village lacks a government isolation centre, the young boy built a bed made of bamboo sticks fastened to the branches of a tree in the compound of his home.

Shiva was tested COVID positive on May 4 and it been 11 days he is living atop the tree isolating himself from others. He was pursuing a graduate course in Hyderabad and had returned to his village about a month ago when cases in the city surged.

Shiva says that he decided to isolate himself on the tree as he has a family of four and cannot let anyone get affected because of him.

When atop the tree, Shiva spends much of this time on his phone, which he keeps in a tiny basket tied to the tree. He has installed a pulley system using rope and a bucket. His daily meals and other requirements are sent to him using this pulley system.