Thomas, 93, and his wife Mariamma, 86, return home after treatment for 23 days

In what is being dubbed by the medical community as a miracle cure, 93-year-old Thomas, the oldest patient to recover from the disease in the State, and his 86-year-old wife Mariamma returned home to Ranni, Pathanamthitta, on Friday after undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kottayam, for 23 days.

Bringing a ray of hope to the State’s fight against COVID-19, a health worker who contracted the virus while taking care of the couple at the hospital too was discharged along with them, bringing down the number of COVID-19 positive cases in the district to zero.

“It was extremely challenging for us to take care of the elderly couple as they were suffering from cardiac, diabetes, and hypertension along with age-related disorders. We strived hard to keep them active at times, even though they insisted on clinging to their home routine. We, however, managed to overcome all those challenges through a team approach,” R.P. Renjin, Resident Medical Officer, told The Hindu.

Attributed

He attributed the recovery of the couple to the hospital staff and the medical establishment, besides the State government.

Dr. Renjin said Thomas was treated with antiviral and antibiotic medication and monitored in intensive care as he had been suffering from heart failure and pneumonia.

The RMO also hailed the support extended by Health Minister K.K.Shylaja, who kept a close watch on the treatment of the couple. “The Minister would call us everyday and ask us to stay positive and be unmindful of all external factors, including the cost of their treatment,” he added.

Treatment protocols

The duo, who suffered from symptoms of the infection, including fever and cough, were first admitted to the pay ward while their treatment protocols were finalised based on a primary medical examination. They were later shifted to the Medical ICU and then to the Transplant ICU to enable them see each other.

The condition of Thomas, who suffered a heart attack, worsened later with the oxygen level in blood plummeting, following which he was put on ventilator. Both of them also developed urinary infection during the period.

Although discharged, the couple will be in home quarantine for 14 days and monitored by various departments at the hospital.

Parents of COVID-19 patients who had returned from Italy, Thomas and Mariamma were admitted to the MCH on March 9 after being referred from the Pathanamthitta General Hospital. Though they tested negative for a second time two days ago, the hospital decided to keep them under observation for a couple of days more and psychologically prepare them for the discharge.

Meanwhile, Reshma Mohandas, the staff nurse at the hospital who tested positive for the virus on March 23, too returned home on Friday. Following the discharge, Reshma expressed her willingness to join duty after serving home quarantine for two weeks. Reshma is a native of Thiruvankulam in Ernakulam.