NEW DELHI: Pushpa Sharma is the new talk of the town in Delhi’s Shahdara area where her neighbours are amazed by the grit of the woman, who has recovered from Covid-19 at the age of 96 years.
Her family members, who too were down with the deadly coronavirus, credit her “willpower” and the “positive atmosphere” at their home for her recovery at a time when the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has hit the country hard.
Sharma, who lives with her son Arun Kumar (67) and daughter-in-law Meena (64) in Naveen Shahdara, tested positive for the infection on April 18, but was under treatment at home, and doctors confirmed her recovery on May 9 following tests, her grandson Kunal (35) said. He said it was almost a fortnight of challenging times for the whole family but Chaai ji as Sharma is fondly addressed by everyone in the family and neighbourhood has finally recovered from the severe infection and looks good. “The second wave was already there and the condition in Delhi hospitals did not look good either.
The scarcity of resources was known to everyone. So, we decided to keep her at home only and consulted doctors,” Kunal said. However, the family’s challenges were amplified as Sharma’s son, a businessman, and her daughter-in-law, a retired government official, were also down with the infection. The wheelchair-bound nonagenarian’s grandson Kunal, a pilot with a commercial airline, and his wife were also indisposed because of virus.
“She (Sharma) was not much aware of the severity of her condition but would moan because of pain, fever and weakness. But my father made sure that we had a positive ambiance at home along with medicines. He did this notwithstanding the fact that he and my mother, too were down with the infection,” he added.
Her CRP (C-reactive protein) test report showed the level of infection at a high of 82 on April 27 and a normal of four on May 9 after which she was declared Covid-free by doctors, who also reviewed her other reports pertaining to treatment of the infection, Kunal said. CRP is a type of protein produced by the liver that serves as an early marker of infection and inflammation.