Coronavirus: Medical staff at Pune's Aundh Civil Hospital clapped for the woman as she left
A 65-year-old woman who recovered from COVID-19 in Pune couldn't hide her relief – she danced away as she walked out of a hospital where she had been getting treatment for the highly infectious novel coronavirus. Senior citizens are more at risk due to weakened immunity, doctors have said.
A video of the woman dancing at Pune's Aundh Civil Hospital has been widely shared on social media.
The woman is seen holding on to her walking stick as she walks out slowly from the hospital's corridors. A group of medical staff is seen clapping for her as she breaks into a dance.
"The woman is a diabetic and suffers from arthritis. She was admitted to the hospital a few days ago after she tested positive. Her condition was serious as she suffered from breathlessness and cough, and was shifted to the ICU (intensive care unit)," Dr Sharmila Gaikwad, one of the doctors who treated her, told news agency Press Trust of India.
She was shifted to a general ward after spending 12 days in the ICU when she showed signs of recovery. She subsequently tested negative for coronavirus.
"When we told her that she could now go home, she was ecstatic and she could not contain her happiness and danced while our medical staff cheered for her," Dr Gaikwad said.
A nurse at the hospital said the elderly woman was worried whether she would recover. "When she was admitted, she was worried whether she would ever be able to go back home," the nurse said.
Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness.
Eight out of 10 deaths reported in the US have been in adults 65 years old and older, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control or CDC.
With inputs from PTI