By Siraj Khan, Nepalginj, Sept. 3: An octogenarian aged 88 has returned home after recovering from COVID-19 in Banke.

He is the eldest person to have defeated the deadly virus infection in the country until now.

According to the District Health Office, Banke, Binda Prasad Kurmi (name given with permission from the person), 88, from Karmohana, Janaki Rural Municipality-3, returned home after winning over the deadly virus on Thursday.

Naresh Shrestha, COVID-19 focal person at Banke District Health Office, said, "It’s the first time in Nepal where an octogenarian has recovered from the virus.”

After the infection was confirmed on August 20, he was kept in isolation at the Khajura-based Regional Agriculture Training Center.

Dal Bahadur Rana, chief of the health section of Janaki Rural Municipality said that after the COVID-19 infection was confirmed, Kurmi had reached the isolation riding on a vehicle with the help of a stick.

When he was discharged after recovery on Thursday, he looked much healthier than before and he was not holding stick too.

Elderly Kurmi, who has become the oldest infected person in Nepal, said that he had succeeded in the fight against corona with the use of herbs and strong willpower.Referring to himself as an example, he said that getting infected with the COVID-19 does not mean that the person will die. We can defeat the virus by doing all needed things with patience.

Dhir Jung Shah, Chief at Banke District Health Office, bade farewell to all the people who recovered from COVID-19 including the octogenarian.

Meanwhile, 24 people have returned home after recovering from virus infection including the octogenarian on Thursday in Banke. Of them are17 Nepali Army officials.

With this, number of persons who recovered from COVID-19 in the district has reached 783.