Coronavirus Latest: Philadelphia Family Reunited After All 7 Members Sick With COVID-19; Two Children Had Life-Threatening Cases
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Philadelphia family is reunited after all seven members were sick with the coronavirus. Two of the children had life-threatening cases, and on Tuesday, the last one was released from St. Christopher's Hospital.
Doctors say, this family's experience shows just how contagious and dangerous COVID-19 can be -- even with precautions.
Some of the children in the family were so sick, doctors needed emergency approval to try experimental medications.
Coronavirus Latest: What You Need To Know And Staying Connected
There was applause and tears for 15-year-old Islam Deeb as she was released from St. Christopher's Hospital, where there was an emotional reunion with her family -- all warriors of a difficult battle with COVID-19.
"It started with me and my husband, right after food shopping," Islam's mother, Nada Deeb, said.
Deeb says her husband got sick with COVID-19 first, and even though he was isolated in the house, she and their five children also got sick with the virus.
"Honestly, it was the craziest thing I've ever been through," Deeb said. "Most people will not believe it until it hits home and once it hits home, it's too late."
Deeb wants people to know that they took every kind of safety measure, including using masks, gloves and disinfectant.
"It doesn't matter what I did, it still did not work," Deeb said.
"One of the key features of this virus is just exactly how contagious it is, that the infectivity of this virus is very high and spread very rapidly," said Dr. Dan Conway.
Dr. Conway treated all three of the Deeb teenagers hospitalized with severe cases of COVID-19. The two oldest girls on ventilators were also treated with experimental medications.
"We received emergency approval to use remdesivir," Dr. Conway said.
Studies have shown the antiviral remdesivir can help with serious cases of coronavirus in adults and children.
"We are very happy how they worked out and very glad to have access to these therapeutics but again, I hesitate to attribute this particular, any of these particular drugs to their outcomes," Dr. Conway said.
Fear turned to festivities for Islam who had been on life support, and is finally heading home.
"It's been a long, long, tough journey and we finally beat it, we're done," Deeb said.
The Deeb children did have some preexisting conditions, which can make COVID-19 more serious.
St. Chris doctors say that they're seeing an increasing number of children with other serious complications, including something similar to Kawasaki disease, but that, fortunately, did not strike the Deeb children.
