20-year-old from Cambridgeshire pleads with people to take coronavirus seriously after almost dying from it
Watch a report ITV News Anglia's Rebecca Haworth
A 20-year-old from Cambridgeshire, who almost died after contracting Covid-19, is pleading with others to take it seriously.
Just a few days after Christmas, Jay Clack started to feel groggy. He says he didn't think much of it at the time, but it quickly went downhill.
He was admitted to Hinchingbrooke Hospital on New Year's Eve as he was struggling to breathe.
I couldn't eat, couldn't move, couldn't breathe, I was literally bed bound. It took over my body so quickly, it was so scary.
At one point, staff didn't think he'd make it. Jay's organs started to fail and he was taken into intensive care.
I went into type 1 respiratory failure, where only part of my lungs were working and the rest weren't moving, there was no oxygen moving or oxygen flowing, and they put my phone up to my ear, with my parents and sister on my phone, and it was pretty much to say goodbye.
Jay does have pre-existing health conditions, he has severe anaphylaxis and asthma - but it doesn't normally stop him from doing anything.
I'm normally really active, going out with all my mates, doing everything I can, but this has completely taken it out of me, I can't even walk to the toilet without sitting on the toilet for about 20 minutes trying to get back up to get back into bed, it just takes so much out of you, it's horrific.
Jay managed to pull through. He hopes his story will help others to understand the severity of the virus.
Take every day as it comes, just be grateful that you're here. Tomorrow is like the greatest gift to have. The NHS, thank you so much, for saving my life, you are our heroes, thank you.
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