When 56-year-old Hymavathi was brought to Chennai from Nellore, for COVID-19 treatment, neither the doctors nor her family doubted the possibility of her recovery.
They anticipated a short hospital stay.
The morbidly obese patient, who had no other co-morbidities, arrived at the hospital a week after contracting the infection. However, a repeat CT-Scan showed severe lung involvement.
“Such people usually succumb to the infection in three to five days. It was a little unprecedented, and so was the fact that the patient, in 20 days of treatment, did not need a ventilator,” said Balaji Ravilla Baskaran, director of Noble Hospital, where she was treated.
The doctor said that he was impressed with Ms. Hymavathi’s determination in battling the disease. “She maintained her breathing all through the hospitalisation and did not go on ventilator support. On Friday, she managed to walk, maintaining her oxygen levels for 15 minutes,” he said.
The hospital initiated her on a low dose of steroids and followed treatment protocols.
Her husband, a jeweller, was also diagnosed with the infection, but he recovered despite being morbidly obese, Dr. Balaji said. When she came to the hospital, her disease was progressing. But at the hospital, after 14 days of being infected, the disease started to plateau, he said.
The patient was put on a lean and liquid diet to keep her on oxygen mask. “She conserved all her energy to breathe,” Dr. Balaji said.
