09-07-2025
Months after testing negative, two Nipah survivors remain in coma in Kerala
KOZHIKODE: Emphasising the agonising nature of Nipah outbreaks in the Malabar region, two individuals, once hailed for surviving the deadly infection, remain in a vegetative state, months after being declared virus-free. The cases have raised profound concern among families and healthcare professionals, revealing a terrifying, often unseen, aftermath of the battle with the virus: A brain that simply refuses to wake up.
These aren't just statistics; they are lives suspended in a cruel limbo, highlighting the devastating and often unpredictable long-term neurological impact of Nipah. The region, still reeling from outbreaks in August 2023 and May 2025 across Kozhikode and Malappuram districts, now faces a new, agonising question: What does 'survival' truly mean when the mind remains trapped?
Tito Joseph is a 25-year-old Malayali from Mardala in Mangaluru. For 19 agonising months, Tito has been confined to a hospital bed, a silent testament to Nipah's insidious power. His brother, Shijo, voices the family's despair. 'We thought the worst was over when the virus test turned negative. My brother has not opened his eyes in over 19 months. We just want to know, will he ever wake up?'
Tito's case is particularly perplexing. During his initial month of Nipah treatment, he endured the ordeal alone, showing no severe health concerns apart from fleeting high temperature. 'Our family was relaxed,' Shijo recalls. 'But the post-Nipah period completely changed our lives. We have been living in the hope of seeing him return to life.' According to doctors treating Tito, his condition is believed to be the first of its kind in the country for a Nipah survivor.
Adding to this sombre reality is the case of a 42-year-old woman, whose family, seeking privacy, has chosen to keep her identity hidden. She remained on ventilator support in the intensive care unit of EMS Memorial Hospital, Perinthalmanna, before being transferred to her residence.
Despite receiving two doses of monoclonal antibodies and other critical medicines as part of the state's Nipah treatment protocol, her condition remains stable, with no signs of improvement or deterioration.
