Devastating toll of Covid on the young
THE harrowing testimonies of young Covid-19 survivors are being used in a new campaign to convince vaccine refuseniks to get jabbed.
In a film released today, three people tell how they thought being young and fit would shield them from the effects of the deadly virus.
All three say their brush with the potential killer has changed their lives forever and they are begging others not to refuse the jab.
Among the survivors talking in the Government’s short film is Megan Higgins, a 25-year-old special needs tutor from London.
She is still suffering from long Covid after being struck down at the end of last year.
Megan thought she would “brush it off”, adding: “It’s now been eight months since I tested positive, and I can’t even walk around the shops without getting exhausted.
“I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what I have.”
Support worker Quincy Dwamena, 31, says: “I’m a healthy, young guy.
“I put off getting the vaccine because I thought the way I was living my life would mean there would be little to no chance of me catching the virus, or it would have little effect.
“But I ended up being hospitalised and thought I was going to die. My advice is to get the vaccine: don’t put yourself and others at risk.”
Illustrator Ella Harwood, 23, says she was confined to her bed for seven months, explaining: “Before I caught the virus, I was super active and had no health concerns.
“But I now suffer with asthma, which I didn’t have before, and a number of allergies.
“I fear I’ll never be the same again but I’m making progress and I’m very grateful that I’m still alive.”
Having two vaccine doses approximately halves the risk of experiencing symptoms that last more than 28 days after infection, the Office for National Statistics has found.
Public Health England figures show people aged between 16 and 29 are most likely to get long Covid.
However, vaccine uptake among this age group is lower than average – particularly in London where the interviews were filmed.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Vaccines are building a wall of defence in the UK and allowing us to safely live with this virus without restrictions. These stories really show that Covid-19 can affect anyone.”
Latest figures show hospitals have seen a rise in unvaccinated young adults admitted with Covid-19.
People aged 18 to 34 now make up more than one in five of those being hospitalised with the virus.
And families continue to be torn apart. Kate Gill, a 31-year-old mum of three died on August 14 after battling Covid for more than a week.
She was taken to Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside with breathing difficulties after contracting the virus.Within 10 days she was dead.
Kate was due to have her second jab later this month.
Her best friend Karen Rotheram said: “We’re out of lockdown and we’re getting back to the new normal but Covid’s still there.”
The Government said a further 49 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 yesterday, bringing the UK total to 131,640.
Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics show there have been 156,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
Meanwhile, there were a further 32,253 cases in the UK yesterday, the Government said.