- A coronavirus patient named Gregg Garfield recently left a California hospital after spending more than two months battling the virus.
- Garfield’s symptoms were particularly severe as the virus attacked all of his vital organs.
- Work on a coronavirus vaccine is ongoing but there’s no telling when a vaccine will be available.
- Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.
With the coronavirus pandemic still raging, we’re constantly being bombarded by a seemingly endless stream of discouraging and heartbreaking news. People are dying, families and individuals are struggling to make ends meet, and there’s no telling when we’ll return to a sense of normalcy. And while scientists and researchers continue to work diligently on a vaccine or effective treatment, the number of coronavirus deaths in the United States is still rising and recently eclipsed 80,000.
In light of that, there are some coronavirus stories, however rare, that don’t center on disaster or heartbreak. Recently, 54-year-old Gregg Garfield was discharged from a California hospital after spending more than two months there with coronavirus symptoms. Originally brought to light by CBS Los Angeles, Garfield contracted the virus during a ski trip in Italy this past February and ultimately started exhibiting severe complications.
The coronavirus quickly started attacking every one of Garfield’s vital organs, leaving him on a ventilator for about a month straight. Though the coronavirus is typically associated with attacking the lungs, more recent studies have found that the virus can also wreak havoc on the heart, kidneys, and liver.
Ultimately, though, Garfield was able to walk out of the hospital on his own volition. Garfield’s recovery was so unexpected that some doctors and nurses started referring to him as “our miracle patient.”
The fact that Garfield spent as much time as he did on a ventilator makes his recovery all the more surprising.
“I believe there is a 70 percent or above mortality rate for COVID patients that go on a ventilator,” Dr. Daniel Dea told CBS. “So for him to survive with a near full recovery is amazing. He’s our miracle patient. It kind of reaffirms all the hard work that we do.”
An Instagram video of Garfield leaving the hospital to enthusiastic applause, with the help of his sister and girlfriend, has since gone viral.
