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A Massachusetts man has recovered from the coronavirus despite severe, pre-existing lung injuries. Health care workers now call him a “miracle man.”
George Thomann of Waltham went to the hospital on Jan. 11 due to a collapsed lung. While recovering at the Spaulding Nursing and Therapy Center in Brighton, he experienced a second lung collapse.
Lung collapse, or pneumothorax, occurs when air builds up in the pleural space, places pressure on the lungs and stops the lungs from fully expanding, according to the American Lung Association. There are many causes for a lung collapse, including trauma and ruptured air sacs.
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The man was taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital as his lungs leaked air, thereby swelling his face and upper body, according to news outlet WCVB 5 ABC.
To worsen matters, Thomann then contracted COVID-19 while rehabbing his injuries at the Spaulding Hospital for Continuing Care in Cambridge. He was quarantined for 19 days.
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According to Thomann, no other staff or patient had the virus, and he is unsure how he contracted it. He credits his granddaughters for easing him through the road to recovery. Health care workers played “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey as he exited Spaulding in Cambridge.
“I couldn’t ask for a better exit,” Thomann told WCVB 5 ABC. “I was completely at a loss for words. I broke down and cried.”
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The “miracle man” said he thanked all the health care workers.
“You folks deserve all the credit, you’re on the front line, you’re putting your life in jeopardy, for myself and everyone else there who has this virus, and I give you a lot of credit for that,” he told the news outlet.