A girl, 7, is among some of the youngest patients to recover from Covid-19 in the UAE.
Leen Bashar, from Syria, struggled for more than a week to fight high fever, breathlessness and a severe cough.
Her parents took her to Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi on April 14, after they realised her symptoms were not improving.
Doctors tested nasal and throat swabs that revealed she had coronavirus.
“We were shattered,” said her mother, Btoul Diyad.
“I am not sure how she contracted the virus. None of us in the family had any symptoms.”
Dressed in personal protective equipment, Ms Diyad remained by her daughter’s side throughout her stay in hospital.
Her father stayed home to look after her siblings but spoke to Leen on the phone every day and kept constant tabs on her condition.
“It was a tough time,” Ms Diyad said.
“Nobody else was allowed inside the room except nurses and doctors.”
Leen was discharged from hospital on Thursday, after being treated with two types of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medication and hydroxychloroquine.
She required oxygen to be administered but did not need a ventilator or other respiratory support.
Dr Nashwa El Din, a paediatrician at VPS Healthcare’s Burjeel Hospital, said she was initially worried about Leen pulling through because of her age.
“She faced breathlessness at the time of admission but started to show signs of recovery very soon,” Dr El Din said.
“She didn’t know what she was suffering from. I tried to explain to her that Covid-19 is just a viral infection, an enemy to be fought.
“I am not sure whether she had fully grasped what I told her. But she was very co-operative and obeyed all our instructions.”
Leen's family was tested, with samples taken every fourth day and were relieved to discover everyone was negative for the virus.
Keeping the child in a hospital room was challenging but her mother kept her engaged with painting, reciting the Quran and watching TV.
On her last day in the hospital, Leen was given a box of chocolates and staff lined the corridors to wave goodbye to the family.
Last week, a Filipino boy, 9, also recovered from the virus after spending two weeks in the intensive care unit of Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi.
Hervie Emmanuel Magos and his parents all had the virus.
