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Chinese media recently reported the case of two
doctors who got infected with the novel coronavirus while treating
patients and suffered a drastic change in skin pigmentation, going from
white to dark brown.
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Dr. Yi Fan and Dr. Hu Weifeng, both 42, became infected with the
coronavirus in January, while treating patients at the Wuhan Central
Hospital. They were colleagues of Dr. Li Wenliang, the late
whistle-blower who first sounded the alarm about the dangerous new virus
and was originally reprimanded by the Chinese Government. They both
would have shared his tragic fate too, if not for the valiant efforts of
their fellow doctors to keep them alive. The two doctors spent more than
a month on life-support and only regained consciousness this month, when
they also learned that their appearances had changed drastically…
In a video report by Beijing Satellite TV, viewers were shocked to see
before and after pictures of the two doctors, and their shocking change
in pigmentation. They both went from having a very light skin tone to a
very dark brown, which their fellow doctors say is due to a drug used in
the early days of their treatment. Apparently one of the side effects of
the unmentioned drug is a change in skin color.
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Dr Yi, a Wuhan cardiologist, managed to survive Covid 19 after he was
put on a life-support machine called ECMO for 39 days. This advanced
system replaces the function of the heart and lungs by pumping oxygen
into the blood. He told reporters that he was recovering well, but was
still unable to stand up and walk by himself. He also mentioned mental
trauma caused by the illness, and having frequent nightmares.
Dr. Hu’s condition had been much more serious than that of his
colleague, and at the time the video was filmed, he couldn’t yet speak.
He did however squeeze the arm of the doctor looking after him in a
gesture of gratitude. A urologist, Hu had been bed-bound for 99 days at
the time, and doctors said they were worried about his mental state.
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Dr Li Shusheng, who has been monitoring Hu’s recovery, told Beijing
Satellite TV that the shocking change in skin tone of the two doctors
was very likely temporary and would return to normal as soon as their
liver function improved. Both are also given mental health support to
help them overcome the traumatic experience they survived.
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