NHS staff celebrate as patient beats coronavirus after 3 weeks in intensive care

Staff at a hospital in the Scottish Borders have celebrated the moment a coronavirus patient left intensive care.

Head to toe in PPE, eight ITU health workers in Borders General Hospital formed a guard of honour as the man they had taken care of for three weeks left the unit.

A spokesperson from NHS Borders said: "Yesterday was a fantastic day for Bill and Team ITU.

"Bill is our first patient who is now well enough to leave ITU following a difficult 3 week journey being really poorly with COVID-19, and needing some time on a ventilator.

"We wish him well for his ongoing recovery."

  • Watch the moment Bill leaves ITU.

As of midnight on 22 April, 2020, the trust have recorded 26 deaths in hospitals across the Scottish Borders.

There are currently 38 patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 being treated in the region, seven of which are patients are being treated in ITU.

44 people have been discharged from hospital who had previously tested positive for the virus.

Example of a testing centre. Credit: PA

As of Wednesday, health workers can now get tested for coronavirus at a new drive-through centre in the Borders.

A temporary site has been set up in the main carpark of Borders General Hospital, in Melrose, as part of the Government's drive to increase testing.

The trust has tested more than 340 staff members for the virus, 103 the tests returned positive.

The testing area will be predominately used for key workers in health and social care at this time.

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