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,…