A jubilant new mother who was hit by a severe Covid-19 infection just two months before her due date said her prayers were answered after she gave birth to twin girls.
Filipino Mariecen Nituma Agillon, 26, was rushed in for a coronavirus test 31 weeks into her pregnancy in June after reporting a fever, cough and shortness of breath to her doctor.
As her condition began to deteriorate, doctors admitted her to an isolation ward at NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Nahda, in Dubai.
Ms Agillon’s husband, office worker Kenneth Zamora, also tested positive for the virus and was admitted to a different quarantine centre by Dubai Health Authority.
The babies were born prematurely at just 32 weeks, but both babies are doing well despite complications resulting from their mother’s severe Covid-19 infection.
The new arrivals, Laura Eve and Lauren Glory, weighing 1.4 kilograms and 1.6kg, both tested negative for Covid-19.
My husband and I could only pray that things would turn out the way they did
Mariecen Nituma Agillon
“These were difficult times for all of us,” said Ms Agillon, who is now at home with her husband and daughters.
“My husband and I could only pray that things would turn out the way they did, and God answered our prayers.
“The positive experience and outcome was only achieved by the dedicated teamwork of all the doctors at the hospital. We are so thankful.”
Medics on a mission to protect mother and children
Health teams worked hard to care for Ms Agillon and to protect her unborn children against the risks posed by her infection and the health complications she suffered.
“Twin pregnancy in general is considered high risk and can lead to preterm delivery,” said Dr Praveena Saraf, an obstetrician and gynaecologist who treated Ms Agillon.
“While Mariecen was weighing just around 50 kgs, the Covid infection increased her risk of a preterm delivery.”
From blood tests on the mother-to-be, doctors diagnosed inflammation from a lung infection and performed a further chest X-ray.
Special precautions were taken to protect her unborn twins from any radiation.
Ms Agillon was found to have pneumonia in both her lungs, and she was given seven litres of oxygen to maintain blood oxygen levels.
A team of specialist carers were rushed in from internal medicine, gynaecology and the hospital’s intensive care unit where she spent the next two days.
A week later, when her condition improved, Ms Agillon was discharged after recording a negative PCR test for Covid-19 and returned home.
Mother-to-be faced tough health battle
But just 24 hours later she began to feel unwell again and was readmitted to the same hospital.
Doctors were shocked when a regulation PCR test for inpatients returned a positive result, just a day after a similar test gave a negative test result for the virus.
To make matters worse, specialists diagnosed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a potentially life-threatening lung injury.
The condition allows fluid to leak into the lungs, causing breathing difficulties, and usually occurs in patients already in hospital through trauma or illness.
“Pregnancy can lead to complications in Covid-19, and in this case, more so since this was a preterm twin pregnancy,” said Dr Rakesh Sankar, a department head at the hospital.
“In addition to Covid-related pneumonia and ARDS, there were other complications during treatment such as severe anaemia requiring a blood transfusion, and bacterial pneumonia with sepsis.
“She also had a high heart rate of around 160 beats per minute and a thyroid problem of some kind.”
Because of her severe state, doctors decided to perform an emergency Caesarean section.
Ms Agillon, who works in sales, coped with the difficult birth on her own, without the support of her husband, who remained in quarantine elsewhere in Dubai.
The tiny sisters were placed in ICU to recover and gain weight, helped by the breast milk their mother expressed while recovering on a nearby ward.
Doctors were confident the virus would not be passed on to the twins and they were finally discharged two weeks later.
The new family is happy to be together now, grateful for the care they received.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The Bio
Favourite holiday destination: Either Kazakhstan or Montenegro. I’ve been involved in events in both countries and they are just stunning.
Favourite book: I am a huge of Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, which I suppose is quite apt right now. My mother introduced me to them back home in New Zealand.
Favourite film or television programme: Forrest Gump is my favourite film, that’s never been up for debate. I love watching repeats of Mash as well.
Inspiration: My late father moulded me into the man I am today. I would also say disappointment and sadness are great motivators. There are times when events have brought me to my knees but it has also made me determined not to let them get the better of me.
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
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- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Torbal Rayeh Wa Jayeh
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Stars: 3
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
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Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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3. Welterweight 77kg:Marcos Costa (BRA) v Abdelhakim Wahid (MAR)
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5. Featherweight 66kg: Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Kagimu Kigga (UGA)
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
