Bayside Man, 104, Leaves Hospital After Beating Coronavirus

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — A 104-year-old Bayside man is back home after surviving a case of COVID-19 that landed him in the hospital for 11 days.

Paul Barberio was discharged Wednesday from North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, Long Island, after health care workers succeeded using anti-viral medication and steroids to treat him.

Dr. Suhail Shah, who oversaw his treatment, told Patch it shows the importance of not over-treating a patient.

He attributed Barberio's progress in beating the coronavirus to everything that has helped the centenarian live so long.

“He made it to 104 without my help, without the hospital's help," Shah said. "He’s apparently very tough. If he didn’t have good genes, he would not be around.”

Barberio was admitted to North Shore on Jan. 31, after he started coughing and his oxygen levels dipped, according to his stepdaughter, Karen Cracco. He had been feeling sick for a week.

There, he was diagnosed with COVID-19 and given supplemental oxygen.

Shah prepared the family for the possibility of a "rapid deterioration" in Barberio's condition, due to his age, Cracco said.

But Barberio only improved, as Shah administered a 5-day course of the antiviral remdesivir and a 10-day course of steroids.

He went home with blood thinners to prevent the clotting that can happen as COVID-19 patients continue recovering.

"Having our step-dad well again will be a miracle for our families and all who know him and love him," Cracco told Patch.

Cracco said her stepfather was not the only one close to her who benefitted from Shah's care: Her 81-year-old husband's COVID-19 case was also treated by him, just a week earlier.

Shah said it was satisfying to see Barberio recover and leave the hospital. He urged New Yorkers to continue being cautious about the virus, wear their masks and get vaccinated as soon as they can.