A NORTH Belfast man who was hospitalised with Covid-19 is encouraging people to get vaccinated “the first chance you get”.
Johnny Bates (37), an electrician from the New Lodge, tested positive for the virus on July 28.
Johnny immediately began to self-isolate, suffering only minor symptoms at first before his health took a turn for the worse and he found himself in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen in the first week of August.
Speaking to the North Belfast News, Johnny said: “I had tested positive for Covid-19 at the end of July.
“Initially I had no taste and smell. I then found myself struggling to go down the stairs to the toilet because I was feeling dizzy.
“It was on day nine of isolation when I was struggling to breath.
“I had phoned my GP who advised me to ride it out. I then felt I had no choice but to ring an ambulance.
“I woke up in ICU in the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen. I was told my oxygen levels were critically low.
“I was in ICU for five days. I had to be put into an induced coma and on a ventilator.
“I was then well enough to be moved to a respiratory ward but still had to use an oxygen mask to help with my breathing."
Johnny was released from hospital last Thursday (August 12) and says he wouldn’t wish his experience in hospital “on my worst enemy”.
Johnny in better spirits after leaving ICU
“My experience in hospital is one of the worst experiences of my life,” he continued.
“I was fed through a drip and was continuously waking during the night to be giving steroid and antibiotic injections.
“I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.”
Johnny says he is still feeling the effects of the virus on his body but has one simple message to the public: get vaccinated as soon as you can.
“I have clots in my lungs and have to take blood thinners to reduce them,” he added.
“I still have a bit of a cough and I struggle to breath even doing the simplest of tasks.
“I haven't been vaccinated yet. I had been working like crazy and probably ran my immune system into the ground.
“I definitely believe I suffered more because I wasn’t vaccinated. I have to wait 90 days now to get a vaccine.
“My advice to people is get vaccinated the first chance you get if you haven’t done so already.”
