95-yr-old out of hosp & on his feet in 5 days

Vinamrata.Borwankar@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:  23.05.2020

On Wednesday night, residents of Kalyan Building in Charni Road broke into an applause as an ambulance pulled into their lane. Coming home was their 95-yearold neighbour Purshottam Shah, who had been discharged from Bhatia Hospital in just five days after he had tested positive for Covid-19. The hospital has conducted a repeat test and the report is awaited.

The nonagenarian and his 93-year-old wife Sushila, who have no children, have been living in the third-floor apartment for over five decades. Even during the lockdown, he continued to step out to buy essentials. “Since our building doesn’t have a lift, he would use the stairs. However, he hadn’t stepped out since May 1. Last week, he complained about stomach ache and fever so I asked our doctor who suggested we run some tests. The X-ray indicated he had developed pneumonia and would have to be hospitalised ,” said Mahesh Malhar, his neighbour.

Shah was admitted to the Tardeo hospital on the night on May 15. “The patient had fever and his oxygen levels were lower than normal. He tested positive for Covid-19. We soon began medication and gave him oxygen support. He showed significant improvement in just three days. The chest X-ray was better, the fever had gone and he was off the oxygen support on day five. While we would have liked him to stay for a bit longer, he insisted that he missed his home. Since he was feeling much better, was asymptomatic and could isolate himself at home, we discharged him on May 20,” said Dr Jeenam Shah, chest physician and interventional pulmonologist. While people over the age of 60 are considered as high risk, Dr Shah said a few things worked in the nonagenarian’s favour. “One’s immunity isn’t quantifiable, but he had no major comorbidities, kept fit with daily walks and climbing three floors twice a day and had great willpower. The first day I met him, he told me he was sure to recover. He was also brought to the hospital well in time, which is critical,” he added.

Back home, the Shahs are getting by with help from the neighbours. “Fortunately, his wife has no symptoms and hence most likely not infected. But we check on them every few hours,” said Malhar.

ON ROAD TO RECOVERY: Purshottam Shah with Dr Jeenam Shah at Bhatia Hospital