Obesity is a major co-morbidity condition that is resulting into deaths among Covid-19 positive patients around the world. A large percentage of over-weight people in India who contracted coronavirus, died due to resulting complexities!

A team of experts at Medicover Hospitals, one of the fastest growing healthcare providers in the country, has saved the life of a 34-year-old ‘obese’ man weighing 125 kgs, who was suffering from dangerously low oxygen saturation levels (of just 52%), after contracting the deadly virus. With lungs of the person getting affected with coronavirus, the condition of the patient was extremely critical when he was rushed to the hospital.

Commenting on the complexity involved in treating the patient, Dr. Ganshyam M Jagathkar, Director & Sr. Consultant Critical Care, Medicover Hospitals said, “The patient was initially, put on non-invasive ventilation; but with the condition deteriorating rapidly, he was shifted to intensive care unit and put on complete ventilation. Considering the condition, prone ventilation (ventilation in inverted position) had to be done and performing the same to an overweight person was a huge challenge. Not once, the patient required prone ventilation multiple times over two weeks, and each session lasted for 18-20 hours when monitoring his vitals was crucial.”

The patient remained in hospital for close to 50 days, before being sent on continued oxygen support at home, which lasted for about 5-6 weeks before he is declared normal! And this was possible because of the commitment, hard work and uncluttered belief of the team of Intensivists, pulmonologists, ICU nurses, physiotherapy, and nutrition teams. The efforts put in by a large team of doctors and nursing staff for weeks together saw the patient recover and to be able to walk without mechanized oxygen supply.