05:14Turkey's longest COVID patient has been testing positive for 14 months
56-year-old Muzaffer Kayasan, seen at his house in Istanbul on Thursday, is Turkey's longest COVID patient. He has been testing positive for COVID uninterruptedly for at least 14 months.
During that period, he has taken 78 tests.
Kaysan has been quarantining all this time and spends his days cooking, checking his phone and taking care of the garden.
"About 15 months ago, I had complaints such as shortness of breath, nausea, fever, I was admitted to the hospital, they did tests, blood tests, etc. The diagnosis was that it was advanced COVID. That's why they put me in the hospital. After my first hospitalisation, I was in the hospital for nine months. Meanwhile, of course, the tests were ongoing, and all the test results came back positive. I mean, they were all positive without a break," he said.
According to him, the reason for his inability to overcome the virus is because his immune system has been suppressed as he simultaneously battling leukaemia.
"I had leukaemia four years ago, I transferred bone marrow three years ago. I'm being treated now, and the hospital has had a very successful bone marrow transfer. But the doctor says I can't get this virus out of the body because my immune system is so low. And because the leukaemia drugs I'm taking suppress the immune system, I can't get this COVID virus out of the system," he explained.
Kayasan has appealed to Turkish authorities to help him find a solution to his situation.
05:1456-year-old Muzaffer Kayasan, seen at his house in Istanbul on Thursday, is Turkey's longest COVID patient. He has been testing positive for COVID uninterruptedly for at least 14 months.
During that period, he has taken 78 tests.
Kaysan has been quarantining all this time and spends his days cooking, checking his phone and taking care of the garden.
"About 15 months ago, I had complaints such as shortness of breath, nausea, fever, I was admitted to the hospital, they did tests, blood tests, etc. The diagnosis was that it was advanced COVID. That's why they put me in the hospital. After my first hospitalisation, I was in the hospital for nine months. Meanwhile, of course, the tests were ongoing, and all the test results came back positive. I mean, they were all positive without a break," he said.
According to him, the reason for his inability to overcome the virus is because his immune system has been suppressed as he simultaneously battling leukaemia.
"I had leukaemia four years ago, I transferred bone marrow three years ago. I'm being treated now, and the hospital has had a very successful bone marrow transfer. But the doctor says I can't get this virus out of the body because my immune system is so low. And because the leukaemia drugs I'm taking suppress the immune system, I can't get this COVID virus out of the system," he explained.
Kayasan has appealed to Turkish authorities to help him find a solution to his situation.