The COVID-19 virus has proven to be a deadly menace, most particularly in Italy. Italy has the most number of deaths caused by Covid-19, and is continuing to increase exponentially. Most of the fatalities were older people, but surprisingly, a 101-year old man was able to recover completely. What is more surprising, is that he was born during one of the most deadly pandemics in history, the Spanish flu. This virus affected 500 million people from January 1918 to December 1920, and killed from 17-million to about 50 million people globally. Not to mention World War I was still raging until November of 1918.
The man was only identified as “Mr. P” by the hospital, and was admitted to Infirmi Hospital in Remini, Italy, a week ago, after testing positive. Given his age, he was not expected to survive, just like most of the elderly patients afflicted with the virus. But he surprised everyone when he made a full recovery. The Vice Mayor of Rimini, Gloria Risi, had this to say:
“Given the progress of the virus, it could not even be called a ’story like many’ if it were not for a detail that makes the life of the person returned to their loved ones truly extraordinary. A hope for the future finds itself in the body of a person over a century old, as the sad chronicles of these weeks mechanically tell every day of a virus that is raging especially on the elderly. Yet, Mr.P made it. The family brought him home yesterday evening, to teach us that even at 101-years old, the future has yet to be written.”
While it is true that the elderly are the most susceptible to the virus, the story of Mr. P and other seniors who have managed to recover brings hope to many. But the virus also targets the young, and is as dangerous. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the US, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said that the Trump administration was closely looking at cases of young people hospitalized or who lost their lives due to the virus. No one is really safe, and until the Coronavirus disappears suddenly, or a cure is found, more people will get affected. Hopefully the global deaths don’t match the deadly Spanish flu pandemic.Do your share to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.
