Elderly Man Recovers After Getting Critically Ill With COVID-19

Elderly Man Recovers After Getting Critically Ill With COVID-19
Patients are cared for by relatives and medical staff as they are seen on beds set up in the atrium area of a busy hospital in Shanghai, China, on Jan. 13, 2023. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
Justin Zhang
Olivia Li
Updated:
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An 83-year-old man was infected with COVID-19 around the New Year, with about 3/4 of his lungs turning white on a CT image. He had to rely on oxygen machines to stay alive. When his son was ready to accept the worst possible outcome, he made an unexpected and miraculous recovery.

The elderly Chinese man who lives in Jilin City, Jilin Province, collapsed at home in early January this year after contracting COVID-19, and was taken to a hospital for emergency treatment.

The hospital was packed with feverish patients, and the old man’s son watched fearfully and hopelessly as the patients around him died one after another.

“There were so many people dying that I was scared for the first few days, but then I became numb to the situation. These patients who showed fever symptoms were carried out with their heads covered by white cloths, and were taken out one after another,” he later said.

For security reasons, the names of the people involved have been omitted from this article.

A Phone Call That Saved a Life

It was at this time that an overseas volunteer reached the young man by phone.

As he was still in a mental shock when answering the phone, he spoke incoherently: “My father is dying. He fainted at home. Too many people have been infected recently.”

The volunteer realized what had happened and said: “I'll tell you how to save his life—the Three Withdrawals.”

The Three Withdrawals refer to resignation from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and two of the CCP’s affiliated organizations—the Communist Youth League and the Young Pioneers.

“What for?” the young man asked in confusion.

The volunteer explained that the Three Withdrawals can save one’s life. She is a volunteer for the Service Center of Quitting the CCP, an organization dedicated to helping mainland Chinese sever their ties with the CCP.

She then asked if the elderly was a member of the CCP, and the answer was yes.

“Then he must quit. When he joined the Chinese Communist Party, he swore that he would fight for it for the rest of his life, that is, he would devote his life to it. Isn’t it dangerous to take such an oath?” The volunteer further explained, ”Chinese people are so hard-working and talented, but they don’t have a good life, so annul this oath as soon as possible. Take control of your life.”

“But my father has long been retired,” the young man said. Apparently, he thought the CCP membership was no longer meaningful when one retired from a workplace.

“He doesn’t have to go to the work unit to announce his withdrawal. He only needs to make a personal decision,” the volunteer replied.

Finally, the old man’s son was persuaded and promised to tell his father about the Three Withdrawals.

A few days later, when the volunteer called again and learned that the old man had agreed to withdraw from the CCP, the volunteer asked to help him publish a statement online on the Chinese-language Epoch Times.

At the time, the old man’s condition was still very serious.

“His CT image taken on Jan. 6 showed that both lobes of the lungs had turned white and he was in a critical state,” the son said.

CT image of the 83-year-old patient taken on Jan. 6, 2023. (Courtesy of the patient's family)
CT image of the 83-year-old patient taken on Jan. 6, 2023. Courtesy of the patient's family

The condition known as “white lung syndrome” is characterized by the accumulation of exudative or inflammatory cells in the alveoli of the lungs. These cells block the passage of X-ray or CT scan rays, resulting in white areas on the scan image.

“He is in the middle of emergency treatment. I am uncertain,” the young man said with a long sigh.

He also revealed that the hospital was out of beds. “I had to find a personal connection for my father to get admitted to this hospital. However, initially there was no oxygen machine for him, as the hospital is full of patients. Again, I had to use my personal connection to get an oxygen machine for him. Many patients passed away. I personally witnessed the deaths in this hospital in these several days. There are more than 20 COVID deaths every day,” the son said.

Fortunately, on Feb. 7, the volunteer learned that the old man had recovered and was able to walk. This happened after his withdrawal statement was published online.

On March 8, during another phone call, the son told her that the father was in a good condition, both physically and mentally, with no lingering effects.

In early December of last year, a sudden COVID-19 surge swept across China and medical resources became overwhelmed. Countless individuals died as a result, with the elderly experiencing an exceptionally high mortality rate. Additionally, long COVID has proven to be equally devastating for some who initially seemed to have recovered from the disease.

In the three years of the epidemic, there are many true stories of Chinese people staying safe or having a full recovery from COVID-19 by quitting the CCP and its affiliated organizations.

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