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A coronavirus patient who was encouraged from intensive care just a few months ago after surviving a 60-day battle with the disease has died.
Aerospace engineer Roehl Ribaya, 47, was the last Covid-19 patient to leave the ICU at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in July after spending nearly two months on a mechanical ventilator.
The father of one was transferred to a general ward for rehabilitation after curing the infection and was finally discharged on August 14.
But he suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Lytham, Lancashire, on October 13 and died in hospital two days later. His widow, nurse Stella Ricio-Ribaya, said she “never recovered” from the long-term effects of the virus.
The family believes that Ribaya’s death was related to ‘Long Covid’, a series of complications that persist after the original disease has disappeared.
But no autopsy has been performed and the family does not know if an investigation will take place. The government guide released in May casts doubt on whether there will be a full investigation, as it says: “Covid-19 is not a reason alone to refer a death to a coroner.”
Inflammation of vital organs, such as the heart, liver, kidneys and brain, can result from a flare-up of the disease, studies have shown. Survivors can also experience shortness of breath, exhaustion, and weakness.
The British Heart Foundation says that an inflamed heart muscle can trigger cardiac arrest, when the organ’s electrical activity becomes so chaotic that it stops pumping.
Roehl Ribaya was the last Covid-19 patient at Blackpool Victoria Hospital from the first wave of the pandemic. He spent 60 days in intensive care and was cheered to leave the hospital. He died last week after suffering cardiac arrest, but his wife believes it was ‘long Covid’
Staff said they had grown very fond of Roehl during his time in the room. After his death last week, his widow Stella Ricio-Ribaya revealed that he ‘was never the same again’ after he was diagnosed with Covid-19, revealing that he was taken back to the hospital on numerous occasions.
Mr Ribaya’s friends say they are ‘devastated’ after his death last week, while the confidence of the hospitals that cared for him added that they were ‘extremely sad’
Last month, the NHS announced that it will officially recognize Long Covid and develop guidelines for physicians on how to treat the debilitating condition.
But doctors have struggled to help people with the disease, which is so varied that it has been difficult to study and diagnose.
Up to 60,000 people in the UK are believed to suffer from the long-lasting effects of the disease.
Ms. Ricio-Ribaya fears that her husband may be the first of many Long Covid tragedies.
She said: ‘He was never the same. I was so out of breath the whole time. Follow the government’s advice so we can stop this virus. He was caught too early. We don’t want anyone else to die. ‘
A close friend, Mark Delabajan, said the family was “devastated.” He said that the cause of Ribaya’s death was cardiac arrest and that the secondary cause was post-Covid pulmonary fibrosis.
Mark added: ‘It was a lot of Covid. His breathing was never the same and he couldn’t go up the stairs. They took him back to the hospital several times.
He revealed how his friend was “the life and life of the party … a lot of fun and always joking.”
“The staff at Victoria Hospital Blackpool were very fond of him,” he added.
Mr. Ribaya arrived at Blackpool Hospital on May 29 and spent 48 days in intensive care on a ventilator.
When he was taken out of the intensive care unit in July, the lead consultant, Dr. Jason Cupitt, said it was a sign that they had “survived the first wave of this silent killer.”
Cupitt said at the time: ‘It’s amazing to be able to say goodbye to our latest Covid patient.
“While we have grown very fond of Roehl, the staff are very happy to say goodbye as he sends the message that we have survived the first wave of this silent killer.”
Cupitt admitted that the 2020 pandemic is the biggest ’emotional roller coaster’ in his 19 years as a consultant.
He added: ‘One of the hardest things was having to talk on the phone with families who couldn’t be with their loved ones.
“There are patients that I will certainly remember for the rest of my life, as they were part of the scariest and most exciting time of my career.”
Today Kevin McGee, CEO of the Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said his staff was devastated by death.
Mr. McGee added: “We were very saddened to hear about Roehl’s death and our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this sad time.”
It comes after a study on Monday found that nearly two-thirds of hospital patients with coronavirus continue to suffer organ damage months after being discharged.
Experts from the University of Oxford found that 60 percent of the patients had scars or inflammation in the lungs three months after beating the virus.
MRIs showed 30 percent had lasting damage to the kidneys, 26 percent to the heart, and 10 percent to the liver. Covid survivors also showed signs of tissue changes in parts of their brain and performed worse on cognitive and physical tests.
Two-thirds suffered from persistent dyspnea and 55 percent showed signs of mental and physical fatigue.
The study of 58 Covid-19 survivors adds to the growing concern for the health and well-being of people who manage to beat an outbreak of the disease.
Most people who contract Covid-19 recover within fifteen days, suffer from fever, cough, and lose their sense of smell or taste for several days.
The small number of those who are hospitalized are often elderly or have underlying health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and asthma.
For this reason, the Oxford team said it is “difficult to know” exactly how much of the observed damage to patients’ organs was “pre-existing and how much has been caused by Covid-19.”
