Elderly couple 'brought back from the dead' after contracting Coronavirus: Kerala Minister

An elderly couple, aged 88 and 93, admitted after testing positive for Coronavirus, have been cured and discharged. The couple had been undergoing critical care treatment since their admission on March 9 in Kottayam, Kerala. 

The couple had contracted COVID-19 when their children and grandson returned from Italy, dodged the screening at the Kochi airport, and then visited their parents in Ranni. Right after testing positive for the virus, the elderly couple was initially admitted at the Pathanamthitta General Hospital and then shifted to the Kottayam Medical College. 

About the elderly couple

The respiratory issues that kicked in due to corona coupled with age-related ailment made the treatment extremely complicated. The 93-year old man suffered from a heart attack and his respiratory problems increased, bringing down oxygen levels to a dangerous low. He had been on a ventilator ever since. The 88-year-old woman had developed severe bacterial infections and also suffered from urinary tract infection while on treatment for COVID. 

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A nurse at the Kottayam Medical College who was treating the couple also tested positive for Corona and is undergoing treatment. Other members of the family who had returned from Italy and tested positive have also been cleared after a negative test. A special team of doctors at the Kottayam Medical College has been entrusted with the responsibility of treating the elderly couple. A team of seven doctors including a cardiologist and pulmonologist along with 25 nursing staff ensured that this recovery, being dubbed as a miracle, happened. 

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Staff gives hearty send-off

On their discharge from the hospital, the staff gave the couple a hearty send-off, with staff from the Kottayam Medical College lining up to applaud the grit of the elderly couple. The state health minister KK Shailaja has also lauded the doctors and the medical staff for ensuring that this extreme risk couple recover. 

A couple and their 24-year old son who returned from Italy were picked up from the airport by two members of their family. They visited their parents later on in Ayathala in Ranni in Pathanamthitta district. All members of the family later tested positive for Coronavirus and have now recovered.

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