Take covid seriously: How this 38-year-old with severe complications beat covid in 44 days

New Delhi, July 26: A 38-year-old, who had developed severe complications due to COVID, recovered after 44 days from a private tertiary care hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.

Engineer by profession, the patient was brought back to life by employing Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)-a procedure that oxygenates a patient's blood outside the body-for 44 days at the KIMS hospital.

The patient was in home quarantine after turning Covid positive and later admitted to the hospital after his oxygen saturation dropped suddenly.

As soon as he admitted, he was put on oxygen support and admitted to ICU. He was then put on the ventilator as his condition worsened after he developed pneumonia and his lungs function dropped.

However, through the continuous use of the machine its oxygenator loses efficacy after 21 days and has to be replaced. "The challenge was to replace the oxygenator in a matter of 24 seconds, which was done successfully. There is also the chance of blood clotting as a result of the continuous flow of blood into the ECMO machine from the patient," vascular surgery senior consultant of Dr Palangandan told Indian Express.