India's oldest COVID-19 survivor, wife discharged from Kerala hospital

A 93-year old man, India's oldest COVID-19 survivor, and his wife were discharged from the government Medical College Hospital here on Friday, days after they fully recovered, in what is being dubbed by the medical community as a "miracle cure", officials said. Thomas Abraham and 88-year old Mariyamma have recovered after days of life-and-death battle against the deadly coronavirus since their admission to the hospital on March 9, state Health Department officials said.

A nurse, who contracted coronavirus while taking care of the elderly couple at the hospital, has also recovered and was discharged on Friday, they said. State Health Minister K K Shailaja congratulated the doctors, nurses and other staff of the Medical College Hospital for saving the elderly couple.

Along with the seven-member team of doctors who led the treatment, 40 medical staff including 25 nurses actively took part in various stages of treatment of the two. The couple's condition was "very critical" at one stage and proper care given by doctors and nurses helped them recover, a health department official said.

"They are fine now. The decision to discharge them was taken after their latest sample test also turned negative for coronavirus," the official said. The couple hailing from Ranni village in Pathanamthitta district had contracted the virus from their son, daughter-in-law and grandson who returned from Italy last month.

Thomas, a small-time tapioca and rubber grower, and his wife were having age-related ailments besides being diabetic and suffering from hypertension. The man had complained of chest pain during treatment. "So they were considered in the high-risk category. They were treated at the separate rooms in the Medical ICU of the hospital. They were very critical at one stage but the proper care given by the doctors and nurses at the hospital helped them to recover fully from the deadly disease," the Health official said.

Thomas became very critical in between and he was put on ventilator support. As the two were restless after being kept in separate rooms in the Medical ICU, officials shifted them to another place where they can see each other.

Mariyamma also went through a difficult phase due to urinary tract and bacterial infection. The couple has three children, seven grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.

Earlier, their son, daughter-in-law and grandson were discharged from a hospital in Pathanamthitta after they too recovered and tested negative for the virus. According to grandson Rijo Moncy, Thomas is a teetotaller and non-smoker and even without going to the gym, he had a six-pack body.

"It's a miracle that they survived the pandemic and the doctors and the health officials have put in their all efforts to save them," Rijo, who works in Italy in the radiology field, had told PTI. Thomas insisted on eating Pazhankanji, Kerala's own superfood made of rice gruel, and tapioca or jackfruit while confined in the isolation and these were provided to him, he had said.