MP’s ‘long-virus’ fight
THE MP for Rochdale has spoken out on how, nine months on, he is still suffering from the effects of Covid-19, after he was struck down by the virus in March.
Tony Lloyd MP, 70, a veteran Labour MP spent 25 days in Manchester Royal Infirmary with Covid-19, including 10 days in an induced coma on a ventilator.
He was discharged from hospital in late April, and stepped down from the front bench, plus from his role as shadow Northern Ireland secretary which he held for two years.
However, Tony bravely chose to continue his work as MP for Rochdale.
Speaking to The Guardian, Tony said: “There is nothing like nearly dying to be reminded you’re not immortal.
“I can’t wait to get on a plane somewhere and I want to see my grandchildren grow up. I’ve got two - one is nearly three and the other was only born in June, and I’ve only seen her twice, at a distance.
“I’ve never even held her. There’s this recognition that you only have a certain time left.
“I’m 70 and as such you think, well, I’m probably not going to be around in x years’ time, so use these years wisely.
“Use these days wisely. That’s probably good advice for us all.”
Tony was dealt another blow, when in June he was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer, Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemia, a type of slow-growing non-Hodgkin’s lymohoma, which makes the body create an excess of abnormal white blood cells, which push aside healthy red blood cells.
This is likely why Tony struggled so hard with Covid-19, and lost two stone - his organs were unable to get enough oxygen.
A previously keen jogger, Tony told The Guardian that for the “past six months he been strong enough to go for walks for half an hour or an hour each day and he pedals on an exercise bike at his home.” His period in hospital also caused muscle wastage.
He added: “Once I was conscious, the worst thing was the realisation of how frail I was. I’ve never been Mr Universe or anything, but I’d always been reasonably physically active and suddenly I couldn’t walk unassisted for even a few steps.”
“The fear was: is this it now? Is this life as it’s going to be? But of course, actually, the good thing about the human body and maybe the human mind is that you do rebuild.”