Healthy living helps to put Dubai bus driver on the road to recovery
Abdul Raheem Salam, 70, plans to return to India after spending 35 days in ICU with Covid-19
Indian resident Abdul Raheem Salam says he believes his healthy lifestyle helped him beat Covid-19 after he spent more than a month in intensive care.
Mr Salam, 70, contracted the virus on April 24 and he developed pneumonia in both lungs, causing severe breathlessness.
Mr Salam, who works as a school bus driver, moved to the UAE in 1986.
He was due to retire and return to his home country this year, but that plan was delayed because of his illness and travel restrictions imposed after the outbreak.
On Thursday, doctors informed Mr Salam was free from infection, but he must continue to use an oxygen tank because of the damage the virus caused to his lungs.
“I’ve always tried to keep healthy,” Mr Salam told The
National on he was informed of his recovery.
“I moved out of my house in India when I was 23 and I had very little money, so I ate very little.
“When I moved here, I was trying to be as healthy as possible by eating nutritious meals and keeping fit.”
Mr Salam was in hospital for 35 days, but did not have any underlying conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension .
Studies have show that coronavirus patients are at greater risk of complications if they already have health problems.
More than two million tests have been carried out across the UAE since the outbreak started as authorities combat the spread of infections.
Dr Dirar Abdallah, head of the intensive care unit at Prime Hospital in Dubai, said Mr Salam was placed on a ventilator for the first five days after he was admitted, with medics convinced he had the virus.
“He had come in very sick and with pneumonia in both of his lungs, so we immediately suspected that he had Covid-19 because these illnesses are special features of the virus,” Dr Abdallah said.
“We gave him oxygen and put him on the ventilator, but the virus had consumed 50 per cent of his lungs. We gave him antiviral medication.”
Dr Abdallah said Mr Salam’s health gradually started to improve in the hospital, but he continues to depend on a small dose of oxygen as a result of his illness.
Mr Salam also developed clots in the blood vessels in his lungs and has to take blood thinners for the next few months.
“He is ready to go home now but has to continue taking the oxygen,” Dr Abdallah said.
“What helped him was that he didn’t have any pre-existing conditions, apart from elderly age.”
Mr Salam said his wife and two daughters lived in India and he shared accommodation in Dubai with other residents who work as drivers.
He will return to his home country once he is well enough to fly and is able to book a seat on a repatriation flight.
Dr Abdallah said Mr Salam was the oldest critical coronavirus patient admitted to Prime Hospital since the outbreak started.
The majority of ICU patients suffering from the virus are in their late 30s or 40s, Dr Abdallah said.
“We also received many people in their 20s who had mild to moderate symptoms,” he said.
He came in very sick with pneumonia in both of his lungs, so we immediately suspected that he had Covid-19 DR DIRAR ABDALLAH Head of the ICU at Prime Hospital