10-year-old boy in Rajkot fights Covid, multiple organ failure too

Rajkot: A 10-year-old boy in Rajkot staged one of the most miraculous recoveries from the novel coronavirus infection by not just fighting off the deadly virus but also multiple organ failure.
After battling for life for 33 days, Sanjay Vaghela recovered in the state-run KD Children Hospital on Wednesday, much to the joy and relief of doctors who said this was the first such case of Covid-induced extreme complexities being handled successfully.
Sanjay, who lives with his parents in Jamdadar village of Jamkandorna taluka of Rajkot, was admitted to the civil hospital on May 29 after he tested positive for Covid-19. His parents are agriculture labourers.
Talking to TOI, Dr Pankaj Buch of the hospital said “When the child was admitted, he was suffering from kidney, lungs and heart problem, something that is rare in children Covid patients. His lungs were affected by pneumonia, he had septicaemia and was vomiting blood. His heart beats were irregular and there was pus accumulation in the left hip joint.”
Adding to his condition, the boy had only one kidney since birth which had also stopped functioning and there was blockage in the bronchial tubes in the lungs caused by the coronavirus infection.
Dr Buch added, “It was very complicated and a unique case for us, so we also took advice from more experts through tele-medicine system set up by the state government. The boy was put on BiPAP machine for eight days to improve his breathing and 18 days on oxygen.”
He was also administered heparin, a blood thinner, to clear the bronchial airways blockages as well as block in the pulmonary artery.
According to doctors, it was a case of multiple organ failure because Covid-19 had badly affected his kidney, lungs, heart and caused blood circulation problems.
Sanjay got cured on June 20 from Covid and some other complications too, but is required to be under observation for pus in the hip, something which still remains.
He will require a six-week medicine course and is responding well. He will be discharged after course is over.
The boy’s mother Madhu Vaghela, “We had lost all hopes after knowing about his critical condition last month. I am happy that his life has been saved and these doctors are nothing less than God for us.”