A British charity worker who survived coronavirus, dengue fever and malaria was recovering from a potentially fatal snakebite in Rajasthan. Ian Jones was bitten by a cobra in the desert state of Jodhpur district and admitted to hospital in Jodhpur City, about 350 kilometers (220 miles) from the capital Jaipur. “Jones came to see us last week after a snake bite in a village in the area. Initially it was suspected that he was also positive for Covid-19 (for the second time), but he tested negative for this, “Dr Abhishek Tater, who treated him at the local Medipulse hospital, told AFP on Saturday.
“While he was with us, he was conscious and had symptoms of a snakebite, including blurred vision and difficulty walking, but these are usually transient symptoms,” Tater added. Jones was released earlier in the week. “We believe there will be no long-term effects. If he hasn’t already improved, he will in the next few days,” added the doctor. He said snakebites were not uncommon in rural areas of the region. “Dad is a fighter, during his stay in India he had already suffered from malaria and dengue fever before Covid-19,” his son, Seb Jones, said in a statement on a GoFundMe page set up to help him pay his medical bills and return to the Isle of Wight, in the south of England. “He had not been able to return home due to the pandemic and, as a family, we understood his desire to continue supporting the many people who relied on him,” he added. Jones works with traditional artisans in Rajasthan and, through his charity-backed social enterprise, Sabirian, helps them import their products to Britain to help lift them out of poverty.