A North Carolina man Sam Thompson has made what doctors described as a "miracle" recovery after spending 85 days at a hospital where he was treated for Coronavirus infection.
Thompson, who works as a truck driver, thought that he got the COVID-19 while on the road. He was admitted to the Duke University Hospital after testing positive for the Coronavirus caused disease.
He was airlifted to the hospital on August 4 after initially being at a local hospital, Forsyth Medical Center. Thompson's wife, Leigh Thompson, said that her husband spent 64 days in the intensive care unit. At some point during his treatment, he was also placed on a ventilator and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation machine—a form of life support system--that is like a third lung.
Chances of Survival Is Less
When Thompson was lying on an ICU bed, doctors told his wife that her husband had a one-in-five chances of living. "It does take the breath out of you when you hear your spouse is not doing so well and might not make it," she said.
She was unable to see Thompson in-person until August 11 due to COVID-19 related visitation restrictions in the hospital. According to Thompson's wife, "it was really difficult and he went 58 days without speaking."
But Thompson recovered from the Coronavirus infection after spending three months in the hospital. He said that his doctors who were surprised to see such recovery told him that he is a "walking miracle."
Finally, on October 14 when Thompson was leaving the hospital in a wheelchair, his medical team clapped and cheered him. Even though in many COVID-19 cases, recovered patients continue to complain about the long-term effects and sufferings caused by the disease, Thompson's doctors are hopeful that his remaining lung, as well as nerve damage, would not be permanent.
As per Thompson, "I think there's a message of hope here. Be courageous, don't give up, I get stronger every day."
In North Carolina, over 255,000 Coronavirus cases were reported as of Saturday, October 24. All over the US, more than 8,493,000 infection cases and 223,900 deaths were reported as of now.
