A 26-year-old man in Wuhan has gained 224 pounds in a space of five months while staying at home to avoid COVID-19, according to doctors.
Mr Zhou had to be rushed to hospital by an ambulance earlier this month after falling critically ill because of the sudden increase in his weight.
Mr Zhou is pictured being attended to by medics
Mr Zhou, a worker at an internet cafe, stopped leaving home when the city went into lockdown in late January. Mr Zhou’s story was revealed by the hospital in a social media post.
After officials lifted the draconian measures in early April, he continued to be homebound. His family members said he was struggling to move due to his weight.
Footage and images released by the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University show medical workers examining Mr Zhou after he was admitted to the hospital on June 1.
Mr Zhou has been struggling with his weight for his entire life even though he tried different ways to lose weight.
Pictured, Mr Zhou is being transported onto a hospital bed in Wuhan
The Chinese man was rushed to the hospital’s intensive care units. He had to be carried onto the hospital bed by six security guys and four medical workers.
At the end of last year, the 5ft7 man weighed 392 pounds.
In late January, Wuhan was driven into a draconian lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic.
The city’s 11 million residents were put under strict home-isolation with minimal access to outside. The local government lifted the lockdown on April 8.
Mr Zhou was left fighting for his life after being diagnosed with heart failure and respiratory dysfunction.
He is pictured here at the hospital after his condition gradually became stable
Mr Zhou (pictured right) is set to undergo a weight-loss operation by removing part of his stomach – but he has to lose 25 kilos (55 pounds) in three months to reduce the surgery’s risk.
Mr Zhou did not step out of his flat for five months, and as a result, his weight grew by a further 224 pounds.
Li Zhen, a doctor from Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, received a phone call on May 31 from Mr Zhou desperately asking for help.
The man said that he had not been able to fall asleep for 48 hours.
Dr Li said that Mr Zhou was in such a frail state that he could barely speak when the medics arrived at his home the next day.
Pictured, two medical workers are giving Mr Zhou an injection at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University. The man is said to be in stable condition after being at ICU for nine days.