BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - CHI St. Alexius Health staff pushed Gery and Betty DeGreef out through the hospital doors in wheelchairs on a recent Monday afternoon, marking their official release following a 32-day stay battling the new coronavirus.
“I’m just happy I’m still alive,” said Betty, whose condition improved after she received a plasma transfusion nine days earlier as part of a new clinical trial.
Dozens of other hospital staff cheered and watched from a distance as the husband and wife, both wearing face masks and shirts that read “I survived COVID-19,” recounted the past few weeks to reporters.
“There were quite a few times we felt we weren’t going to leave here,” Gery said.
As part of their treatment, the Mandan residents both received convalescent plasma, a component of blood that came from recovered coronavirus patients in New York, The Bismarck Tribune reported. Along with one other CHI St. Alexius patient, the husband and wife are the first people in western North Dakota to receive plasma under a nationwide clinical trial led by the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to test its effectiveness in fighting COVID-19, the disease caused by the new virus.
The DeGreefs tried to get tested for the virus well over a month ago, but they couldn’t because testing supplies were in short supply.
Gery, 58, said he had experienced body aches and a fever, and that the couple stayed at home, self-quarantining “for probably longer than we should have.”
“It was something I’d never felt before,” he said. “If there were tests available, we probably would have been in and out a lot sooner.”
After their worsening symptoms forced them to be hospitalized, both were placed on ventilators during the course of their care.
“They were touch and go for a long period of time,” said Kristen Renner, clinical supervisor of the intensive care unit.
Gery had already shown some signs of improvement by the time of the plasma transfusions. But Betty, 64, was still in poor condition. She spent three weeks total intubated with a ventilator helping her breathe.
“I only remember about five days being in there,” Betty said.
The plasma they received contains antibodies to COVID-19 that potentially can help coronavirus patients fight the disease.
Within 24 hours of receiving the plasma, “both of these patients took a turn for the better,” Renner said.
Dr. Jan Levora, an intensivist at the hospital, said it made sense to give Gery the plasma as well despite his speedier recovery because “in some patients, there is another bout of the disease.”
He added that the other patient who received plasma remained hospitalized but was showing signs of recovery.
It’s too soon yet to know for sure what impact plasma has in treating the virus, Levora said.
“We need to wait on the results of the study,” he said. “From three patients, it is too small a number to derive conclusions.”
It’s also unclear whether the DeGreefs will experience any lasting health problems because of the virus, which can impact the function of a patient’s lungs even after they leave the hospital, he said.
Gery, already, noted one obvious change.
“I’m 30 pounds lighter than when I went in there,” he said.
The couple thanked the hospital staff for saving their lives, as well as their loved ones for their prayers. They look forward to spending time with their children and grandchildren.
Gery said he advises anyone who thinks they might have the virus to find out for sure as soon as they can.
“Get tested,” he said. “Time is of the essence.”
Sanford Health, which has a hospital in Bismarck, also is part of Mayo Clinic trial. Sanford’s first patient receiving the therapy is in Fargo.
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