WGH reports successful trial treatment on Covid patient

Last week, Wilbarger General Hospital reported that one long-term patient has made a full recovery. Salvador Perez left the hospital after 45 days of being hospitalized with a serious case of COVID-19.

Dr. Travis Lehman, WGH Chief of Medical Staff, obtained FDA approval from the FDA and Mayo Clinic to administer the convalescent plasma treatment through during the trial phase. Jennifer Edwards, WGH Nurse Manager of the Med/Surge Inpatient Unit and Emergency Department reported: “the hope is the convalescent plasma boosts the ability to fight off the virus by transfusing antibodies from a recovered COVID patient. We believe it gave him the strength to keep fighting. There were many times it was touch and go.”

“We tried different treatment plans and other therapies as well. It’s hard to credit only the plasma for his recovery, but we were fortunate to get approval from the FDA for the investigational trial here at Wilbarger General,” Edwards added.

Perez was thankful and grateful for his care team.

“I want to thank Dr. Lehman and his staff. I love everybody. I am leaving happy; you guys are all heart. I feel very good because the team here is very professional. They all are warriors and champions and those are the kind of people we need to save lives,” he said.

WGH staff lined the hallways and cheered as Perez was taken out of the hospital by his nursing team. His care team said: “He is a fighter. We are so happy to see him healthy enough to go home after all he has been through. It has been our honor to care for him.”

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. The vast majority of people recover.