Artificial lung keeps virus sufferer alive

Published on 26/09/2012 00:31

A MAN who contracted a potentially fatal Sars-like virus has been connected to an artificial lung to keep him alive.

The 49-year-old, from Qatar, is being treated in an intensive care unit at St Thomas’ Hospital in London after he became infected with a new type of coronavirus.

A spokeswoman for the hospital said that the man, who is in isolation, is receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (Ecmo) treatment, which delivers oxygen to the blood outside the body when the lungs are not able to. It also continuously pumps blood into and around the body.