Bangladeshi new dad infected with Covid-19 now out of ICU
The Bangladeshi man who became a father while warded in hospital after being infected with Covid-19 is finally out of the woods.
Known as Case 42, the 39-year-old is now out of the intensive care unit (ICU), has been taken off the ventilator and is no longer sedated, the Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC) said in an update on Facebook yesterday night.
Now in a general ward, he is able to breathe on his own and will require speech therapy as part of his recovery process, MWC said.
The man had been in the ICU for more than two months after he fell sick on Feb 1 and was warded in Changi General Hospital before being transferred to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
The story of Case 42, the sole breadwinner of his family, went viral after the Bangladesh High Commission said he was in a very critical state and that he was already suffering from kidney and respiratory problems and pneumonia before he fell sick.
His heavily pregnant wife later spoke to the media and said the couple's first child, a boy, was due in a few weeks.
The last time she saw her husband was sometime last year when he returned home between March and June.
DONATIONS
Migrant worker support group ItsRainingRaincoats subsequently received an outpouring of donations of baby clothes, toys, bottles and milk powder for the man's family.
MWC also coordinated an immediate assistance package of $10,000 for the man's family.
The baby boy was born on March 30, and around that time, the man was transferred out of the NCID ICU after being cleared of the virus, but he was still in a critical condition due to complications and had to remain in an ICU in another hospital.
"In particular, we are inspired by Case 42's fighting spirit throughout this lengthy ordeal and thank him for prevailing and getting better," said MWC.
It added that the man's family and his employer, Yi-Ke Innovations, were overjoyed at the news and would like to thank all well-wishers.
The man, who has been working in Singapore for close to a decade, was the first of five Bangladeshi work pass holders linked to a cluster in a Seletar worksite, and had stayed in The Leo dormitory in Kaki Bukit.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now