Peterborough Regional Health Centre says its first patient admitted with the novel coronavirus has been released.
In videos posted on Facebook and Twitter on Friday morning, the hospital said a woman named Darlene was the first patient admitted to the hospital after testing positive for the novel coronavirus.
The hospital stated she was released on May 8. Her surname was not provided.
Peterborough Public Health said that on March 24, a woman in her 60s was the first admitted case to the Peterborough hospital and the region’s ninth confirmed case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. The patient had travelled to the U.S. and a week prior to her admission was showing symptoms of COVID-19.
The hospital says the woman spent 25 days in the hospital’s intensive care unit on a ventilator followed by three weeks in an inpatient unit.
After testing negative for the virus, she was discharged and sent home.
“Everybody was determined I was going live, and I did,” she said in the video. “So I am your No. 1 admission for COVID and I am going home.
“The fight and determination from the ICU and from Jen (the patient’s friend), you guys are just fabulous, just fabulous.”
In a tweet, Peterborough Public Health extended congratulations to all involved.
“We would like to extend our congratulations to both PRHC and Darlene on the wonderful news of her recovery and discharge,” the health unit said.
Global News has reached out to the hospital for more details.
More to come.