An Arizona lady has returned house for the primary time since she was hospitalized with COVID in July 2021. Claudia Patterson's sickness was so extreme that her coronary heart stopped 4 occasions and her lungs misplaced nearly all performance.

The 55-year-old grandmother was unvaccinated when she turned unwell, and is now encouraging others to get vaccinated in opposition to COVID.

"If you happen to're questioning whether or not you must get the COVID shot, my opinion is that you must as a result of I did not. I'd simply say do no matter it takes for you and your loved ones to be protected," mentioned Patterson.

She was admitted to St. Joseph's Hospital in Glendale, Arizona, on Thursday, July 8. Shortly after her arrival she was positioned on a ventilator to assist her breathe. Nonetheless, her situation continued to deteriorate, a lot in order that her lung performance dropped to only 15 %, 12 Information experiences.

At that time her respiratory needed to be outsourced to an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, which is basically a man-made lung. It oxygenates the blood externally, giving the affected person's lungs time to heal. Patterson's life relied on it for 4 months.

The medics who have been treating her feared that she would require a lung transplant so as to survive. She suffered 4 cardiac arrests and has been fitted with a pacemaker in consequence.

"You are sitting there in a single place. I had a trach collar on that needed to be lined up for me to breathe," mentioned Patterson. "It was loads, and I did not suppose I might make it at occasions. There have been occasions the place I simply mentioned 'God simply take me.'"

On Thursday, January 20, she was deemed to be wholesome sufficient to be discharged from hospital and proceed her restoration at house. Nonetheless, as a result of harm suffered by her lungs, Patterson nonetheless requires remedy for her respiratory.

"I used to be within the hospital for seven lengthy months—not weeks, however months. So, to be out of the hospital is... I can not even describe the sensation," she mentioned.

63.4 % of people who find themselves eligible for a COVID vaccination within the U.S. are absolutely vaccinated, in line with figures revealed by the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention on Monday, January 24.

In the meantime, 75.6 % of people who find themselves eligible for the vaccine within the U.S. have had a minimum of one dose.

The CDC has additionally revealed that in December, 16 occasions extra unvaccinated adults have been hospitalized by COVID than vaccinated adults.

A woman on a ventilator in hospital
A girl is pictured on a ventilator in hospital. Claudia Patterson's coronary heart stopped 4 occasions and she or he needed to spend 4 months counting on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine to breathe after being admitted to hospital with COVID in July.Wavebreakmedia/iStock