Covid-stricken Fil-Am wakes up from 6-week coma

Having come out of a 6-week medically induced coma, Coby Torda is now testing Covid-free and using social media from his Kaiser hospital bed in Honolulu. SCREENGRAB

HONOLULU — A Filipino American bartender from Ewa Beach celebrated his 38^th birthday after waking up from a medically induced coma for coronavirus.

Coby Torda had Covid-19 symptoms on March 9 and was hospitalized March 21 at Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center. Torda later developed secondary pneumonia from his breathing tube.

After waking up from a medically induced coma for six weeks, he has been able to breathe without the ventilator for as long as 11 hours, his family said.

Coby Torda and his mother, Peggy Peggy Torda-Saballa. FACEBOOK

Torda’s mother, Peggy Torda-Saballa, who also contracted the virus but has recovered at home, told KHON2 that “He was near-fatal when we got him to the hospital. It was really touch-and-go the first 2-3 weeks.”

Torda, now testing negative for the virus, has lost about 85 pounds and cannot talk normally because he’s still on a ventilator.

But he has been responsive to instructions and is even texting. His mother said he has also been taking selfies.