Eldest COVID patient recovers in Shanghai

After a 32-day treatment, Ye Ming, 108, recovered from COVID-19 and was discharged from Shanghai Pudong Hospital on Saturday, setting a record for the oldest patient in a severe condition to have recovered from the disease in China.

According to a report from People's Daily, Ye, with a history of cerebral infarction, coronary heart disease and some other medical conditions, was weak when he was hospitalized at the beginning.

To better treat the elderly, the hospital organized experts and nursing teams, including those on cardiology, geriatrics, respiratory medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, to focus more on him, and transferred him to the intensive care unit in a timely manner due to his critical condition and several underlying diseases, it said.

Thanks to the meticulous care and comprehensive treatment, Ye tested negative in two consecutive nucleic acid tests at least 24 hours apart on Saturday, which meant he could be released from the hospital, according to the report.

Just about two weeks ago, Wang Manru, a 93-year-old woman, also recovered from COVID-19 infection and was discharged from a makeshift hospital in Lingang Area of Shanghai.

Coincidentally, Ye and Wang, who worked at the Shanghai No 3 People's Hospital, both participated in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53).

At a recent ceremony held by the makeshift hospital to celebrate Wang's recovery, the retired nurse showed an old photo of the three, including herself and Ye, to medics. She said that she was impressed a lot by Ye, who was a technician.

"After all, there was only three people in the first batch of medical workers from the Shanghai No 3 People's Hospital to assist in the war," she recalled, who dedicated her life to pediatric care until retirement after returning from the war.

People's Daily reported that Ye also contributed to the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), adding that the anesthesiologist helped collect medical equipment and medicines for the soldiers at that time.

At a news conference on Sunday, Zhao Dandan, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, also expressed his wishes for the recovery of the two patients, with respect to their heroic efforts for the country.

Since the city was hit by the epidemic in March, providing comprehensive medical treatment and paying extra attention to elderly COVID-19 patients, especially those with severe infections, to alleviate their underlying conditions while treating them with antiviral therapies has always been put as a key issue.

Medical teams have been required to strengthen monitoring of such patients in the early stages, and intervene as soon as possible to prevent a mild case from developing into a severe one, said Wu Qianyu, an official from the commission.