Oregon's first coronavirus patient leaves the hospital

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN/CNN) – After more than two months of treatment, Hector Calderon, the first person in Oregon to test positive for COVID-19 was released from the hospital Tuesday.

In a brief moment before leaving the hospital he thanked his family and the medical staff for saving his life. “Thank you so much for all your hard work and dedicate all your time to me,” Calderon said. “My family and I… we are so thankful for and thank you for everything, God bless you and thank you for everything.”

Watching Hector leave the hospital after a trying two-month battle can spark hope among those who need it most.

One hospital worker said, “Every time we have a critically ill patient who is able to leave the ICU it just feels like we’ve won something really big.”

Hector’s road to recovery is not quite complete. First, he will work with physical therapists at a skilled nursing facility. Then the hope is to send him home, happy and healthy, once again.
Calderon is on the maintenance staff at Forest Hills Elementary in Lake Oswego.

A doctor says his long-term prognosis isn’t yet known.

He was reportedly one of the first COVID-19 patients to be treated with Remdesivir.