SAKARYA, Turkey

Recounting her near-death experience, an elderly Turkish woman who survived COVID-19 has urged people to strictly follow precautions such as wearing a mask and avoiding crowded spaces.

Fatma Sahin, 70, thought she was “probably dying” when she was being rushed to hospital due to what turned out to be a coronavirus infection.

“My condition was very bad on the way to the hospital. I was drenched in sweat and remember thinking that I am probably dying,” she told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.

Sahin was admitted to a medical facility in Turkey’s western Sakarya province on July 27 with severe abdominal pain and weakness.

She tested positive for COVID-19 and remained in hospital for three days.

Her treatment continued after she was moved back home and the septuagenarian eventually went on to make a full recovery.

“I was always thankful to God. My advice to people is that they should be careful; do not go around without a mask and avoid crowds. This disease will not go away as long as we are not careful,” she said.

Sahin was all praise for the care she received in hospital, saying that the support of the health workers helped keep her morale high and enabled her to beat the disease.

At least 237,908 people have recovered from COVID-19 in Turkey so far, with the overall case count reaching 259,692, including 6,139 deaths, on Monday.

* Writing by Seda Sevencan