While there is a surge of cases across the world, with the elderly being more at risk, this news seems like a ray of hope.
As the world is grappling with the health crisis, there is a sense of alarm rising across the globe. Yet, everyday courageous individuals, healthcare workers, and experts are risking their lives to help those in need. As stressful as it is for all of us, keeping our spirits high and staying interconnected as a community is important. Here is a story of a strong woman who fought against the odds at 103, giving us a ray of hope amidst all the chaos.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) puts those who are 60 and above in the high-risk category along with people who have chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart ailments, and lung diseases. However, an elderly woman from Iran, one of the worst-affected countries, has recovered from the coronavirus infection, according to their state media, said AFP news agency. Being a little over a century old, she fought against all the odds with the help of a team of talented doctors and medical experts.
The unnamed woman had been hospitalized in the central city of Semnan for about a week, AFP said. She was "discharged after making a complete recovery" after a week-long hospitalization, said Navid Danayi, head of the Semnan University of Medical Sciences. She became the second elderly patient in the country to recover from the disease. Previously, a 91-year-old man from Kerman, in the southeast of Iran, had recovered from the disease, AFP quoted Iran's state media as saying. The unnamed man had been sick for three days before recovering even though he had pre-existing medical conditions including high blood pressure and asthma, which adds to the risk.
It was not reported how the duo was treated.
103 year old Iranian 'super granny' Khavar Ahmedi has fully recovered from COVID-19, discharged from hospital and back home with her family. She displays a paper that reads — "Thank God, I defeated corona."
— Shabbir Hassanally (شبير حسنعلي) (@purewilayah) March 18, 2020
She will turn 104 soon. Love and prayers for her ❤🤲🏼💪🏼#Iran pic.twitter.com/50lsp7RSEx
Meanwhile, the country has been under immense pressure as around 17,361 people in Iran are currently tested as positive with the coronavirus and 1,135 people have died, according to their state media, IRNA. Kianoush Jahanpour, head of public relations and information center of the Health Ministry, said that COVID-19 infects 50 Iranians every hour and kills one Iranian every ten minutes, in another report. People have been advised to stay indoors and prevent the spread of the virus.
Older adults & persons with severe chronic conditions: Talk to your doctor about getting extra necessary medications or consider using mail order for medications in case there is a #COVID19 outbreak in your community. https://t.co/SlDrVXXfCz pic.twitter.com/XjlVrE72uq
— CDC (@CDCgov) March 18, 2020
A state television journalist, who is also a medical doctor, told the people of the nation that millions could die in the country if they don't stop traveling and keep ignoring health advisories, as per Al Jazeera. While Iran tries to warn its citizens, people in the US have also been told to stay indoors and many public spaces continue to remain shut.
Disclaimer: Information about COVID-19 is swiftly changing, and Women Working is committed to providing the most recent and verified updates in our articles and reportage. However, considering the frequency in developments, some of the information/data in this article may have changed since the time of publication. Therefore, we encourage you to also regularly check online resources from local public health departments, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization.
References:
https://www.france24.com/en/20200318-103-year-old-iran-woman-survives-coronavirus-report
https://en.irna.ir/news/83720751/WHO-hails-Iran-s-national-campaign-against-coronavirus
https://en.irna.ir/news/83720729/COVID-19-infects-50-Iranians-every-hour
https://www.naccho.org/membership/lhd-directory
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019