103-year-old man with diabetes beats Covid-19

A symptomatic 103-year-old man with serious comorbidities has become one of the oldest persons in the city to catch Covid-19 and survive it.

The centenarian, Krishna (name changed), was discharged from Victoria Hospital on Friday, following a nine-day hospital stay. Krishna had likely caught the infection around December 9 and was admitted to the hospital on December 16. 

His niece, Saraswathi (name changed) (43), a resident of Magadi Road, told DH that three people in the household were infected with the disease, including herself, her husband, and her uncle.

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“We don’t know the source of the infection. But we all developed symptoms, including fever and cough. Because of my uncle’s advanced age, it was eventually decided to get him admitted into a hospital,” Saraswathi said.

Dr Smitha Segu, nodal officer, Covid-19 at the Bengaluru Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) said that at the time of admission, Krishna had a mild fever, a weak cough and slight breathlessness. His oxygen saturation level was 85%.

“He was moved to an ICU where he was given 15 litres of oxygen. He was doing well and did not require anything more than the usual range of medications,” Dr Smitha added.

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The patient’s medical history showed that he also has Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and hypertension. Saraswathi added that in general terms, her uncle suffered from high blood pressure but had his sugar levels under control. “He was robust and active, and his mind was sharp. He would normally spend his time watching television,” she said. Dr Smitha said Krishna was initially taken out of the ICU within a few days because of his quick recovery but added that he was placed back in intensive care after loss of appetite.

The medications used included Remdesivir and Clexane. Dr Anoop Amarnath, a member of the state’s Critical Care Support Unit and an expert in geriatric medicine, who reviewed the patient’s medical record, described the recovery as “good”.