'Keeping Him Alive': Video of COVID-19 patient goes viral

A recent video about saving a COVID-19 patient named Keeping Him Alive, which was taken by a nurse in the east branch of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, went viral online.

The video was recorded by Xiong Furong, head nurse of the intensive care department of the hospital branch. In the video, the 35-year-old patient Xiaowei (pseudonym) was inhaling oxygen through a nasal catheter.

He is gradually recovering after 25 days of using the ECMO, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and 50 days of using a ventilator.

"I appreciate all of the medical staff and everyone who has cared about me, I will try my best to live," he said in the video.

Xiaowei had a sudden high fever of 39 C on Jan 26, and became seriously ill with a high fever and developed breathing difficulties on Feb 1. Five days later, he was confirmed with an infection of the novel coronavirus and admitted to the east branch of Renmin Hospital.

As his condition progressively worsened, the doctor used the invasive ventilator for him on Feb 12. However, his condition kept deteriorating one day later with his blood oxygen saturation at only 67 percent. Then the doctor decided to offer him ECMO support and an emergency operation.

Through careful treatment and attentive care from the members of the Liaoning province and Henan province medical teams, Xiaowei's vital signs have improved. On March 9, the doctor removed his ECMO, which had supported him for 25 days.

On March 25, the Liaoning and Henan medical teams needed to withdraw from Wuhan. Before leaving, they transferred Xiaowei to Renmin Hospital's intensive care unit team and requested the team to keep him alive.

The patient was completely taken off the ventilator on April 3. Five days later, the doctor successful removed his tracheostomy tubes, which were used to support his breathing.

By April 7, 21 medical teams from other provinces and cities had evacuated the east branch of Renmin Hospital. There are still about 70 patients being treated there.