Chitwan, April 6 -- Five years ago, the world was gripped by the coronavirus pandemic. The sudden outbreak of the disease had a profound impact on many sectors, claiming countless lives. In an attempt to protect themselves, people adopted various measures. There was constant fear - of contracting the virus and of what might happen next for those already infected.

Amid this chaos, the story of an elderly farmer from Chitwan who was hospitalised with Covid-19 stood out.

For Chandra Kant Sapkota, the virus brought about an unexpected transformation. The 64-year-old, who had been growing vegetables for nearly four decades, is now widely known as the "jujube farmer" (bayer kisan).

A resident of Bharatpur Metropolitan City-25 in western Chit...