Las Cruces resident Arthur Sanchez says he wasn't overly concerned about COVID-19 when the pandemic began last spring. "My mindset was that I looked at the virus as it's not that big a deal; it was more going to be like the common flu," he says. Even when he contracted it, he wasn't that worried. "I still had those feelings I was going to be able to fight this off with my body because I was relatively healthy."
First his sister contracted COVID-19 and then her husband. Both ended up in the hospital and Arthur Sanchez took over caring for his 79-year-old mother. Then Sanchez fell ill and also was admitted on April 12 to MountainView Regional Medical Center in Las Cruces. By April 20, he required a breathing tube and four days later he was transferred to the the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque for treatment on an ECMO—extracorporeal membrane oxygenation—machine, which doctors presenting Sanchez' case earlier today say is considered a last resort therapy for some COVID-19 patients.
The 52-year-old had sleep apnea and elevated blood pressure and was overweight, but no severe underlying conditions.
"There are certain recognized risk factors, and Arthur alluded to obesity, overweight, as one of them, diabetes is another we recognize," pulmonologist Rajat Walia, medical director of the lung transplant program at St. Joseph's Norton Thoracic Institute, part of Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, said in a response to a question from SFR regarding Sanchez' severe case of COVID-19. "But we are seeing patients with no well recognized or described risk factors yet present with very severe illness. So, there's a lot about this virus we still don't know. And we've made a lot of advances. It again highlights the point we need to follow all the safety measures that are known to reduce the spread of the virus."
Sanchez would end up spending 147 days in the hospital, including more than 100 days on a ventilator and 93 days on ECMO. Once off the ECMO machine, he still needed to be on a ventilator because his lungs were so scarred from COVID-19.
Marinaro contacted Walia, as St. Joseph's Norton Thoracic Institute is one of three in the US to have performed a life-saving lung transplant on a COVID-19 patient, according to a news release. "They are probably our closest lung transplant center," Marinaro said via a news release, "and Dr. Walia and I had discussed uniting our ECMO program with their transplant program for situations like Arthur's."
They found a donor match for Sanchez and in August two healthy lungs became available.
Jon Marinaro, co-chief of the UNM Center for Adult Critical Care and
director of the hospital's ECMO program, also spoke about Sanchez' case this morning during a news conference, saying he had "persevered through multiple near-death experiences, infections, bleeding complications and setbacks. His survival is a testament to his inner strength and his support system." That support system included Sanchez's wife of 30 years, Michaela and their two grown daughters.
After his team of doctors discussed the complexities of his surgery—lung transplants are already complicated and made more so by COVID-19—Sanchez talked about his experience. Although he has recovered, his brother-in-law died of COVID-19, he says.
"Without any of the medical professionals that took care of me, I would not be here today," he said. "I'm a fighter and I'm a strong believer in faith. I think I'm a walking miracle."
Sanchez shared his story on a day when New Mexico health officials are reporting a new record-high for daily cases: 1,753, bringing the total so far to 60,776.
Bernalillo County had 611 new cases, followed by Doña Ana County with 312. Santa Fe County had the third highest number of cases: 132, also a record for daily cases here.
The state also announced 18 additional deaths, including a man in his 70s from Santa Fe County. There have now been 1,176 fatalities.
As of today, 471 people are hospitalized with COVID-19.*
New cases
- 611 new cases in Bernalillo County
- 1 new case in Catron County
- 62 new cases in Chaves County
- 34 new cases in Cibola County
- 3 new cases in Colfax County
- 83 new cases in Curry County
- 2 new cases in De Baca County
- 312 new cases in Doña Ana County
- 40 new cases in Eddy County
- 17 new cases in Grant County
- 1 new case in Guadalupe County
- 3 new cases in Harding County
- 3 new cases in Hidalgo County
- 69 new cases in Lea County
- 10 new cases in Lincoln County
- 6 new cases in Los Alamos County
- 14 new cases in Luna County
- 18 new cases in McKinley County
- 8 new cases in Otero County
- 3 new cases in Quay County
- 35 new cases in Rio Arriba County
- 23 new cases in Roosevelt County
- 90 new cases in Sandoval County
- 35 new cases in San Juan County
- 10 new cases in San Miguel County
- 132 new cases in Santa Fe County
- 7 new cases in Sierra County
- 13 new cases in Socorro County
- 21 new cases in Taos County
- 3 new cases in Torrance County
- 57 new cases in Valencia County
- 15 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County
- 1 new case among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County
- 3 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Roswell Correctional Center
- 8 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Doña Ana County
New fatalities
- A female in her 60s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized.
- A female in her 70s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A male in his 70s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized, had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Princeton Place facility in Albuquerque
- A male in his 90s from Bernalillo County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of Sandia Senior Suites Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- A female in her 70s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A second female in her 70s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A third female in her 70s from Doña Ana County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of Adobe Assisted Living in Las Cruces
- A female in her 80s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A male in his 80s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A second male in his 80s from Doña Ana County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of Adobe Assisted Living in Las Cruces
- A male in his 70s from Otero County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A male in his 80s from Rio Arriba County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A male in his 70s from Sandoval County who had underlying conditions
- A second male in his 70s from Sandoval County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 50s from San Juan County who was hospitalized, had underlying conditions and was a resident of Aztec Healthcare in Aztec
- A male in his 70s from Santa Fe County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 40s from Socorro County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A male in his 70s in Valencia County who was hospitalized and was a New Mexico Corrections Department inmate at the Central New Mexico Correctional Facility
Congregate facilities
The Department of Health has identified at least one positive COVID-19 case in residents and/or staff in the past 28 days at the following facilities:
- Adobe Assisted Living in Las Cruces
- Advantage Assisted Living in Rio Rancho
- Albuquerque Heights Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center
- The Aldea House – Heaven Sent LLC in Albuquerque
- The Arbors of Del Rey in Las Cruces
- Artesia Healthcare and Rehabilitation
- The Aristocrat Assisted Living Community in Las Cruces
- Atria Vista Del Rio in Albuquerque
- Avamere at Fiesta Park in Albuquerque
- Avamere at Rio Rancho
- Aztec Healthcare in Aztec
- Bear Canyon Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque
- BeeHive Homes Deming
- BeeHive Homes Farmington
- Belen Meadows Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Belen
- Bloomfield Nursing and Rehabilitation in Bloomfield
- Blue Horizon Boutique Assisted Living & Memory Care in Las Cruces
- Brookdale Santa Fe
- Brookdale Tramway Ridge in Albuquerque
- Brookdale Valencia Albuquerque
- Calibre Sagecrest Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Las Cruces
- Camino Retirement Homes in Albuquerque
- Carefree Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- Casa del Sol Center in Las Cruces
- Casa de Oro Center in Las Cruces
- Casa de Palomas in Albuquerque
- Casa Maria Health Care Center in Roswell
- Casa de Paz in Rio Rancho
- Casa Real in Santa Fe
- Cedar Ridge Inn in Farmington
- Clayton Nursing and Rehabilitation in Clayton
- Colfax Long Term Care Center in Colfax
- Cuesta Manor in Albuquerque
- Desert Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Hobbs
- El Castillo in Santa Fe
- Elmcroft of Quintessence in Albuquerque
- Fairwinds Assisted Living in Rio Rancho
- Fort Bayard Medical Center in Santa Clara
- Good Life Senior Living in Carlsbad
- Good Life Senior Living in Hobbs
- Good Life Senior Living in Lovington
- Good Samaritan Manzano Del Sol Independent Senior Living in Albuquerque
- Good Samaritan Society Betty Dare in Alamogordo
- Good Samaritan Society Grants
- Good Samaritan Society Las Cruces
- Grace Adult Care Homes in Albuquerque
- Haciendas of Grace Village in Las Cruces
- Heartland Continuing Care Center in Portales
- Ladera Center in Albuquerque
- Laguna Rainbow Care Center in Casa Blanca
- Lakeview Christian Home in Carlsbad
- Landmark at Desert Gardens in Hobbs
- Las Palomas Center in Albuquerque
- La Vida Llena Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- The Legacy at Santa Fe
- Little Sisters of the Poor in Gallup
- Lotus Care Homes Galaxia in Albuquerque
- Life Care Center in Farmington
- Lovington Healthcare in Lovington
- Kingston Residence of Santa Fe
- Mescalero Care Center in Mescalero
- Mi Casa Bonita in Santa Fe
- Mimbres Nursing Home in Deming
- Mission Arch Center in Roswell
- The Montebello on Academy in Albuquerque
- The Neighborhood in Rio Rancho
- The New Beginnings Senior Living in Albuquerque
- New Mexico State Veterans Home in Truth or Consequences
- North Ridge Care Center in Albuquerque
- Odelia Healthcare (Camino Healthcare) in Albuquerque
- Pacifica Senior Living in Santa Fe
- Palmilla Senior Living in Albuquerque
- Princeton Place in Albuquerque
- Ravenna Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- Red Rocks Care Center in Gallup
- Retirement Ranches in Clovis
- Retreat Healthcare in Rio Rancho
- The Rio Las Estancias in Albuquerque
- Rio Rancho Center
- Sandia Ridge Center in Albuquerque
- Sandia Senior Suites in Albuquerque
- Sandia View West in Rio Rancho
- Sierra Healthcare Center in Truth or Consequences
- Silver City Care Center in Silver City
- Skies Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque
- Sombrillo Nursing and Rehabilitation in Los Alamos
- South Valley Care Center in Albuquerque
- Spanish Trails Rehabilitation Suites in Albuquerque
- St. Anthony Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Clovis
- Stardust Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- The Suites at Rio Vista in Rio Rancho
- Sunset Villa Care Center in Roswell
- Taos Living Center
- Tercer Cielo Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- Uptown Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque
- Village Retirement Community in Roswell
- Vista Hermosa in Santa Fe
- The Watermark at Cherry Hills in Albuquerque
- Welbrook Senior Living Las Cruces
- Wheatfields Senior Living Community in Clovis
- White Sands Healthcare in Hobbs
Statewide cases
According to a state news release, previously reported numbers included 11 cases that have been identified as duplicates (four in Bernalillo County, one in Chaves County, one in Doña Ana County, one in Luna County, one in Rio Arriba County, one in Sandoval County and two in Socorro County), which have now been corrected. One case previously reported in Bernalillo County has been determined to be among state Corrections Department inmates at the Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County. One case previously reported in Otero County has been determined to be among individuals being held by federal agencies at the Otero County Prison Facility. County totals are subject to change upon further investigation and determination of residency of individuals positive for COVID-19.
- Bernalillo County: 15,548
- Catron County: 13
- Chaves County: 2,847
- Cibola County: 901
- Colfax County: 77
- Curry County: 2,198
- De Baca County: 21
- Doña Ana County: 9,271
- Eddy County: 2,049
- Grant County: 271
- Guadalupe County: 63
- Harding County: 4
- Hidalgo County: 139
- Lea County: 2,836
- Lincoln County: 495
- Los Alamos County: 82
- Luna County: 1,468
- McKinley County: 5,166
- Mora County: 19
- Otero County: 795
- Quay County: 140
- Rio Arriba County: 721
- Roosevelt County: 680
- Sandoval County: 2,788
- San Juan County: 4,289
- San Miguel County: 266
- Santa Fe County: 2,834
- Sierra County: 174
- Socorro County: 364
- Taos County: 406
- Torrance County: 154
- Union County: 47
- Valencia County: 1,461
Cases among people being held by federal agencies
- Cibola County Correctional Center: 348
- Otero County Prison Facility: 418
- Otero County Processing Center: 191
- Torrance County Detention Facility: 44
Cases among people being held by the New Mexico Department of Corrections
- Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County: 175
- Guadalupe County Correctional Facility: 3
- Lea County Correctional Facility: 113
- Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility in Union County: 13
- Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County: 18
- Otero County Prison Facility: 472
- Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County: 70
- Roswell Correctional Center: 218
- Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Doña Ana County: 101
- Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in Cibola County: 5
*Per the health department, hospitalization figures include people who were tested elsewhere but are hospitalized in New Mexico, but don't include people who were tested here but are hospitalized out of state.
