A Los Angeles police officer who nearly died from coronavirus was released from the hospital alongside cheers from the medical staff.
On Friday, Detective Michael Chang was wheeled out of Providence St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica and greeted by dozens of healthcare workers, friends, family and fellow officers.
"On behalf of 13,000 of your family members, we're glad to see you coming out of this hospital so much better than how you came in,'' said LAPD Chief Michel Moore, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Chang began feeling symptoms on March 26 and was initially hospitalized in Orange County.
His condition deteriorated and he was put on a ventilator and transferred to St. John's.
While in intensive care, Chang underwent an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation procedure which involves attaching external devices to pump blood out of the body.
The 52-year-old was also enrolled in a clinical trial and given the experimental drug Sarilumab, which fights off inflammation in the lungs and other organs.
Chang responded well to the drugs and began to improve each day.
From ventilator to being discharged from the hospital.When asked what kept him going, he pointed at them—his family. To all the Providence St. John's Hospital staff that went the extra mile to save his life from #COVID19, the LAPD says thank you. Welcome back Detective Chang. pic.twitter.com/mQDiboz9Nz
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) April 17, 2020Once given the all clear, he was discharged on Friday.
"I would truly, truly, truly want to thank the nurses and all the staff upstairs. I sat there for I don't know how many days watching them come in … and they have the greatest, greatest, greatest attitudes in the world," Chang said. "I just want to say thank you."
While his prognosis is good, doctors indicated he will still need rehabilitation and oxygen treatments.
