The woman, recorded as Case 92, first became ill on Mar 24, Dr Chalermpong explained at a meeting at Provincial Hall yesterday afternoon (Apr 28) attended by Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana and Phuket Public Health Office Chief Thanit Sermkaew.
During the 14 days before she became ill, the woman had a history of physical contact with Thai and foreign tourists, he said.
“The majority of customers at the restaurant were Chinese, and as the owner she was responsible for collecting money from customers,” he said.
The woman usually did not wear a mask, did not wash her hands often and some days she went to the Kathu market. She lived with two other family members – her husband (Case 122) and her niece (Case 114) – both of whom worked at the restaurant and both of whom were later confirmed as infected, Dr Chalermpong noted.
The woman presented herself at a private clinic for fever and dizziness on Mar 24. Her condition did not improve and she returned to the clinic on Mar 26 and Mar 30, Dr Chalermpong explained.
On Apr 1, the woman was admitted at Patong Hospital. She suffered dizziness and increased difficulty in breathing. The doctor who attended to her considered her condition to be quite severe and had her provided with a ventilator immediately to assist her breathing, he added.
That same day, her ability to breathe deteriorated to extreme wheezing and she was transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town, where she recorded a fever of 39.8°C. X-rays showed that both her lungs had been infected, and she tested positive for COVID-19.
The woman was administered medication for viral and bacterial diseases in accordance with Department of Disease Control criteria, but the woman’s blood pressure dropped, indicating the onset of infection in the bloodstream, he said.
“Her lungs became worse and worse,” he added.
On Apr 2, the woman suffered renal failure and was administered hemodialysis.
On Apr 7, her white blood cell count began to rise and her blood pressure started to fall, prompting doctors to administer a course of antibiotics. A second test for COVID-19 confirmed she had contracted the virus, he added.
On Apr 14, the woman’s pulse had slowed and doctors began to administer a course of antiretroviral drugs that lasted 12 days.
On April 17, doctors added one more drug to her treatment, and on Apr 18 yet another medication was added to her regimen, Dr Chalermpong said.
From the 13 days from April 16-26, the woman was suffering laboured breathing and on a respirator, and undergoing continual dialysis, he noted.
On April 27, the woman’s condition deteriorated even further, and she passed away at 9:50am, Dr Chalermpong noted.
“The woman was treated in hospital for 27 days. My condolences to her family,” he said.
Dr Chalermpong noted that none of the staff at the restaurant developed any signs of infection.
The woman’s husband, 57, who became ill on Apr 3 and confirmed as infected on Apr 5, received treatment at Bangkok Hospital Siriroj, while the woman’s niece, 23, who became ill on Mar 29 and confirmed as infected on Apr 4, received treatment at Patong Hospital, he added.
“Both of them have fully recovered and been discharged from hospital care,” Dr Chalermpong said.