Mumbai breast cancer patient recovers from Covid-19, returns home after 34 days

A 62-year-old patient of breast cancer and obesity, who had contracted Covid-19, was able to combat the infection despite a host of comorbidities. She spent 34 days

A 62-year-old patient of breast cancer and obesity, who had contracted Covid-19, was able to combat the infection despite a host of comorbidities. She spent 34 days in hospital and says her recovery is a miracle.

Mahnaaz Lokhandwala, is a first-stage breast cancer patient who recovered from Covid-19. (HT Photo)

Bandra resident Mahnaaz Lokhandwala, who is a first-stage breast cancer patient, underwent a mandatory test for Covid-19 in end-August, before a scheduled surgery as part of her cancer treatment. On August 26, she tested positive for Covid-19. Initially, Lokhandwala was asymptomatic but had to be admitted to Bombay Hospital on August 28 when she developed breathlessness.

Her doctor, Dr Gautam Bhansali, consultant general physician at Bombay Hospital, said that in addition to being a cancer patient and weighing 172 kilograms, Lokhandwala’s comorbidities include asthma, diabetes, hypertension and severe sleep apnoea. “She had all the underlying health issues that make an individual most vulnerable to Covid-19. It was a really tricky case for us,” said Dr Bhansali. Lokhandwala’s oxygen saturation had also fallen below 70%. “Considering her health condition, we didn’t want to put her on a ventilator. Plus, due to her acute obesity, her neck was extremely short. So we kept her on non-invasive ventilation,” said Dr Bhansali. Other doctors in the team treating Lokhandwala were intensivist Dr Sanjay Wagle and chest physician Dr Sujit Rajan.

Dr Shashank Shah, bariatric surgeon with Hinduja Hospital said that a patient with obesity along with cancer has suppressed immunity which makes them the easy target of Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. “Obesity is a low grade inflammatory disorder. It also leads to respiratory disorders just like Covid-19. Often, they have other underlying health issues like diabetes and hypertension which make them more susceptible. Their health condition may worsen if they develop diseases like cancer,” he said. “But with timely inversion, they can be cured,” he added.

Lokhandwala tested negative for Covid-19 after 16 days, but due to her underlying health issues, her condition remained critical. On October 2, she was finally discharged from hospital. “I am still on one litre of oxygen support daily. It is a miracle that I survived. My movement is still restricted so I am undergoing physiotherapy,” said Lokhandwala. She said her message for the public was to be cautious but not scared of Covid-19. “If I can survive, you can survive too with timely intervention. Trust your doctors and take all required precautions,” she said.