SHILLONG: At a time when the COVID-19 cases in state are getting grim, the recovery of a 65-year-old COVID-19-infected woman, who was suffering from multiple co-morbid conditions, is being seen as a silver lining in the fight against the virus.
The woman, who had been suffering from fever, pneumonia and severe respiratory distress for a week, was admitted to Nazareth Hospital on August 13 and was tested positive for the virus on admission.
At the hospital, she was diagnosed as having diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroidism and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
During the course of her treatment for COVID-19 pneumonia, her lungs were found to be infected and she had to be treated with a combination of medicines and up to 70 litres per minute of oxygen.
From Day 3 onwards, she showed signs of marginal improvement and by Day 6, her respiratory parameters improved significantly and the oxygen requirement came down to less than 20 litres. By the second week of treatment, her condition saw a significant improvement and she only had minimal symptoms on exertion.
The woman was tested negative on RT-PCR test on Thursday, 22 days after she was admitted to the hospital.
Sr. Noreen, Administrator of Nazareth Hospital, while lauding the spirit of the elderly woman in defeating COVID, cautioned citizens in the high-risk group, above 60 years of age, to take extra initiative, especially if they have co-morbid conditions.
Asserting that patients with severe cases of COVID-19 pneumonia can be cured, she said, “People need to be cautious and be safe but they should not harbour paranoia about COVID-19.”
