COVID-19 positive patient with varied complications recovers after 116 days: Case Report

Maharashtra: In a case study, published in the Journal of the Association of Physicians of India, an Indian researcher described the case of a 35-year-old male patient who was COVID-19 positive and took 116 days of in-hospital stay to recover from illness in spite of having all possible complications.

In patients who are moderate to severely affected by COVID-19, the disease causes respiratory infection and distress. In such patients, there is acute lung injury followed by ARDS. Cytokine storm causes severe hypoxemia with tachypnea, tachycardia, body ache, fever, and multi-organ involvement in such patients. To support respiration in these patients, very high oxygen support is required and some need invasive ventilation. Ventilated patients have an extremely high mortality rate. Survivors may develop complications like secondary infections with bacteria as well as fungus, pulmonary embolism, pneumothorax, and lung fibrosis. These add to the days of recovery and increased mortality. 

The patient described in the case report was presented with moderate COVID-19 computerized tomography (CTv) score of 18 on admission which progressed to severe illness and later developed all respiratory complications over the course of illness. The chances of survival with so many complications with such a long duration are very bleak. But this patient sustained all these adversities and survived.

"In spite of all dreaded complications like pulmonary embolism, cytokine storm, B/L pneumothorax with three ICDs, prolonged ventilation with hospital-acquired serious bacterial and fungal infections, depression, and multiple weaning failures, we continued our relentless efforts for patient's survival," Nirmal B Taparia, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Ashwini Rural Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Solapur, Maharashtra, India, wrote in his study. 

"Finally, we could successfully treat him through all these and discharge him in good condition after a marathon 116 days of his hospital stay. Overall a holistic approach and support system is needed."

Reference:

Taparia NB. 116 not out: A Case of long COVID Syndrome. J Assoc Physicians India 2022;70(6):83–84.