Back from the brink after 58 days

As COVID quickly swamped his lungs, this Chennai resident slipped into unconsciousness, before fighting back

When Nagarajan tested positive for COVID-19 on October 31 last year, he was not worried. On his wife’s advice, the 54-year-old Chitlapakkam resident got hospitalised at a facility in OMR in Chennai. However, four days after admission, his oxygen levels fell below 90. A CT scan revealed lung damage. A couple of days later when the second scan revealed severe damage he was shifted to a private hospital in Nungambakkam. Mr. Nagarajan said he has been mildly hypertensive and on pills to control BP for over a decade. Within four days over 75% of his lung was damaged as the infection spread. He needed oxygen support and soon he became unconscious. He was put on ventilator and transferred to the intensive care unit.