Manaus hospital uses non-invasive treatment for virus patients

A field hospital in Manaus on Monday said it was seeing successful results from treating COVID-19 patients with a non-invasive ventilation technique. The municipal field hospital Gilberto Novaes, a partnership between the city of Manaus and private healthcare group SAMEL, is using what it calls the "Vanessa capsule".

The device, named after a patient sickened by the new coronavirus, has shown to prevent the need to intubate of several patients, according to hospital coordinator Ricardo Nicolau.

At the same time, the capsule, a sort of transparent plastic box that covers the patients' upper body, protects the environment and hospital workers from virus particles. The field hospital was set up in an empty school just before its inauguration and currently has 143 beds including 39 ICU spots.It is currently operating near full capacity and is equipping new areas of the school to increase the number of patients that it can treat.

According to the state of Amazonas authorities, 79% of the ICU beds available are occupied.

Also on Monday Brazil's Health Ministry said the country recorded nearly 17,000 deaths from COVID-19 and over 255,000 infections of the new virus placing it ahead of the United Kingdom in third position in the global ranking.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.

But for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and lead to death.

Most of the patients hospitalized at the Manaus field hospital ranged from 40 to 90 years old. That's why at the young age of 21, Lucas Oliveira stood out. He previously suffered from asthma and despite all the precautions taken, when the pandemic reached his town Oliveira also fell ill.

Luckily, he was able to get a CT-scan on May 14 and receive early, non-invasive treatment. His doctors say he is on the right track to recovery.

Patients coming into the Gilberto Novaes hospital are mainly from the virus stricken capital of Manaus, but it is also receiving patients from far-flung towns in the Amazon that lack intensive care units capable of treating COVID-19 patients in serious conditions.

One of them was Edvaldo Feitosa, a 59-year-old native of Codajás. His transfer to the capital took 8 hours and included a stop in Manacapuru.

On Monday, after 20 days in the hospital, Feitosa was finally cured from COVID-19 and left the walking under a round of applause from the medical staff.