*In its fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, China has put the people and their health above all else. A number of Chinese centenarians, including 108-year-old patients, have been discharged from hospital after recovering from COVID-19, thanks to the all-out efforts of medics.
* As the country optimizes and adjusts its epidemic prevention and control measures, China is striving to achieve the goal of "protecting health and preventing severe cases" by strengthening vaccination for the elderly and improving the ability to treat acute and critical cases, among other moves.
* "It is like a medical miracle to successfully rescue and cure my mother, who is a centenarian with a severe case of COVID-19. We feel so grateful to all the medical workers and our government," said the daughter of a 100-year-old woman who recently recovered from COVID-19 in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.
BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- In its fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, China has put the people and their health above all else. When it comes to severe cases, the elderly are considered a high-risk group. However, nationwide, a number of centenarians have been discharged from hospital after recovering from the virus, thanks to the all-out efforts of medics.
As the country optimizes and adjusts its epidemic prevention and control measures, China is striving to achieve the goal of "protecting health and preventing severe cases" by strengthening vaccination for the elderly and improving the ability to treat acute and critical cases, among other moves. The following stories of nine Chinese centenarians that have been cured exemplify the efforts in this regard.
"I DIDN'T EXPECT TO BE DISCHARGED SO SOON"
Sitting in her wheelchair, a 101-year-old COVID-19 patient surnamed Li expressed her thanks to the medical staff who had cared for her over the previous five days.
"Thank you so much. I didn't expect to be discharged so soon," said Li, a resident in Haizhu District of Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, which has seen a resurgence of COVID-19 infections in the past few weeks.
Medical workers help a 101-year-old COVID-19 patient surnamed Li as she leaves the Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Nov. 26, 2022. (Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital/Handout via Xinhua)
On Nov. 21, the centenarian developed a high fever, cough, shortness of breath and other symptoms, with a positive nucleic acid test result. Due to her advanced age and underlying conditions, she was rushed to the ICU at the Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital.
With careful treatment, Li recovered gradually and left the ward after only five days in hospital.
"Because most of the elderly COVID-19 patients suffer from underlying conditions, it is relatively difficult to treat them. It is remarkable that Li was able to prevail over the virus and recover. We sincerely wish her good health," said Lao Yu, deputy chief physician of the hospital's cardiovascular medicine department.
"If you put your heart into it, you will be able to cure more patients," said Xing Rui, director of the hospital's critical care medicine department, adding that the hospital has reserved about 200 ICU beds for treating critically ill patients.
NARROW ESCAPE
Another patient, a 100-year-old woman surnamed Liu, also recovered from COVID-19 recently and was discharged from hospital after 11 days of medical treatment at the Chongqing Public Health Medical Center, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.
Liu is the eldest COVID-19 patient so far to have received treatment and recovered at the hospital.
She had been bedridden for a long time and could not take care of herself due to various underlying diseases. On Nov. 19, Liu was in a critical condition when she was transferred to the Chongqing Public Health Medical Center, according to Li Peibo, head of the center's medical affairs department.
During her hospitalization, Liu suffered two cardiac arrests due to chronic malignant arrhythmia and heart failure, but the hospital managed to bring her back. Liu recovered gradually thanks to precise medical treatment, careful nursing and tailored food preparations at the center, said Li.
It was also arranged for Liu to stay in the same inpatient ward with her daughter and nanny. The three were all released from the hospital on the same day.
"It is like a medical miracle to successfully rescue and cure my mother, who is a centenarian with a severe case of COVID-19. We feel so grateful to all the medical workers and our government," said Liu's daughter.
GOOD APPETITE RETURNS
It has been more than three months since 108-year-old Huang Yafen, the eldest COVID-19 patient in south China's Hainan Province, was cured of COVID-19 infection and left the hospital.
On Aug. 14, Huang, a member of the Li ethnic group who lives in the coastal city of Sanya, developed a cough, fever and muscle soreness, and she returned a positive result for a COVID-19 nucleic acid test. Confirmed as a mild case, she was transferred to the Haikou People's Hospital.
"We didn't expect that the elderly would be infected with COVID-19, and we were very worried," said Chen Guiying, Huang's granddaughter-in-law, adding that after Huang became infected, her family did not tell her the situation, fearing that she would be afraid.
The hospital's expert team carefully worked out the diagnosis and treatment plan for Huang. Chen stayed with her to help her communicate with the medical staff, and the centenarian actively cooperated with the treatment.
Ten days later, Huang recovered. When she was discharged from hospital, Huang gave a thumbs up to the medical staff to show her gratitude.
Chen said that Huang's health and life have not been affected, and she still has a good appetite like before. In September, her family celebrated the 108th birthday with her.
GETTING OVER THE HUMP
The other day, Li Ti's 101-year-old mother told her that she was totally back on her feet. Li felt so glad. About one month ago, however, she worried whether or not her mother who was infected with COVID-19 could get over the hump.
"My mother was in a bad mental state and had a poor appetite. Nurses could only feed her some milk, apple puree and banana puree. However, her mind was clear, knowing that she had got COVID-19, and she felt that there would not be much hope of cure," said the daughter.
On Nov. 9, the mother, surnamed He, was admitted to the Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Considering the high risks involved in treating elderly COVID-19 patients, Lu Chen, head of Xinjiang's COVID-19 treatment expert team, assembled medical experts from two hospitals to customize a treatment plan for He.
Ten days later, when doctors informed Li that the elderly was cured, she felt incredible. "I didn't expect my mother to really get over the hump." He was discharged from the designated COVID-19 hospital and spent several days under medical observation in another hospital before returning home.
"COME TO MY HOME FOR A GOOD MEAL"
Every morning, a 100-year-old woman surnamed Wang does breathing exercises that she was taught by a nurse when she received COVID-19 treatment in the hospital.
Wang, a resident of the city of Jilin, northeast China's Jilin Province, was diagnosed with COVID-19 during the city's epidemic resurgence in the spring. With the help of the medical team, she overcame the disease in 10 days and is now recovering well.
Wang suffers from underlying diseases including coronary heart disease, and was diagnosed as a severe case by the national medical experts team sent to Jilin.
Wang Yuhong, director of the respiratory department at Jilin Municipal Central Hospital, said the medical team adopted tailored measures to treat the elderly patients. Initially, she was depressed and didn't like to eat and talk. It was the medics who cheered her up and helped her mental and physical condition gradually improve.
"I remember the names you wrote on the medical protection suits, so please come to my home for a good meal someday," Wang told the medical staff when she was discharged from the hospital.
GOOD CONDITION AFTER RECOVERY
Huang Huiqin, 108, is in good health after she recovered from COVID-19 in Shanghai.
In a recent return visit by phone, doctors with the Ruijin Hospital Luwan Branch, where Huang was treated in May, determined that her underlying issues remain stable, with no sequelae caused by the virus found. They gave the centenarian blessings and health guidance.
After testing positive for the virus on May 16, Huang was transferred to the hospital for treatment.
Medics who traveled from Hunan and Shanxi provinces to assist the city's fight against the epidemic and the hospital staff established a special medical team to implement personalized therapeutic solutions for Huang.
On the morning of May 21, Huang was discharged from hospital and returned home.
READY TO GET VACCINATED
Since recovering from COVID-19 in April, a 106-year-old woman surnamed Li at a nursing home has been keeping an eye on the development of the epidemic and is no longer afraid of COVID-19.
Li, a resident of Changchun, the capital of Jilin Province, was diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to the First Hospital of Jilin University in mid-April. She was initially anxious and depressed.
After 16 days of meticulous treatment from medics, Li's physical and mental states improved, and she was discharged from the hospital on April 30.
Medical staff prepared dumplings to see her off, and she said she was grateful to the medics and hoped them to be happy every day.
Recently, the nursing home is offering vaccination service for the elderly, and Li said she would like to get vaccinated. The nursing home will vaccinate the elderly after seeking permission from their families.
THANK YOU, MEDICS
Receiving a call from central China's Hunan Province, the son of another centenarian COVID-19 patient in Shanghai answered it at once and expressed thanks to the medics from Hunan.
The call was dialed from Changsha, capital of Hunan, from where a team of medical workers came all the way to support Shanghai's race against time and help treat local severe cases amid the city's virus resurgence earlier this year.
His mother, surnamed Chen and aged 101, recovers pretty well after being discharged from hospital in May. She is the second centenarian COVID-19 patient cured by the Hunan medical team sent to Shanghai.
With hypertension, diabetes and other underlying conditions, the elder patient was in critical condition. But a week's hospitalization and careful medical treatment helped her back to sound health conditions.
"My mother now can watch television shows and has a good appetite," the son said.
WE SHALL WIN
Puencog Zhoema, a 100-year-old resident in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, recovered from COVID-19 and was discharged from hospital on Thursday, after 25 days of medical treatment.
The centenarian tested positive for the virus on Nov. 6 after being infected with the novel coronavirus spread by her grandchildren.
Puencog Zhoema, accompanied by her son-in-law, was admitted to the Third People's Hospital of Tibet later.
Sonam Qoezhoen, Puencog Zhoema's doctor, said that the senior was diagnosed as a moderate case and showed symptoms of coughing with phlegm and shortness of breath. Meanwhile, the patient also suffers from several underlying diseases.
Doctors then optimized the treatment plans for Puencog Zhoema and provided her with nursing services around the clock.
"The recovery of the elderly truly encouraged us. We believe that we can cure more patients through our joint efforts. We shall win," Sonam Qoezhoen said.
A total of 113 COVID-19 patients over 80 years old have been treated and discharged from the hospital. ■
