Turkey: Chronic lung patient recovers from coronavirus

By Omer Faruk Salman

KAHRAMANMARAS, Turkey (AA) - A 55-year-old chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patient was released from a hospital in southeastern Turkey after overcoming the novel coronavirus on Thursday.

Suleyman Ipbuken was taken to the hospital on March 23 due to a high fever. His first COVID-19 test came negative, but he was kept under close watch as a possible case. His second test came positive.

Leaving the hospital, Ipbuken thanked all the medical staff who helped him recover.

Respiratory problems including COPD can prove lethal for COVID-19 patients.

"I also have diabetes," said Ipbuken, who will continue to stay at home under quarantine, adding that he would like to be a convalescent plasma donor if possible.

Turkey on Tuesday announced that patients who recovered from the coronavirus could help heal others through blood plasma donations 14 days after their recovery.

Kerem Kinik, the head of the Turkish Red Crescent, said donors could help COVID-19-immune patients donate their plasma three times a week.

Donations will be taken from former patients capable of donating blood that have healthy body weights and no diseases such as hepatitis and HIV.

Turkey has so far reported 38,226 COVID-19 cases and the death toll stands at 812.

Since the virus emerged last December in the Chinese city of Wuhan, it has spread to at least 184 countries and regions.

There are more than 1.48 million confirmed infections worldwide and more than 88,500 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins. Nearly 331,000 have recovered.