'Take all precautions': UK Covid-19 patient leaves hospital after six months

By Victorio Munro, Local Democracy Reporting Service

A 63-YEAR-OLD coronavirus patient from Chadwell Heath has finally left hospital after six months of treatment.

Anil Patel, a building manager, was taken by ambulance to King George Hospital in Ilford in March after collapsing at his home on West Road.

He spent four months in intensive care, including two months under sedation, and was discharged from Queen’s Hospital in Romford on Thursday (1).

After 149 days being cared for by Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, he is now being sent to a residential rehab centre to continue recovering.

"I remember my daughter calling an ambulance and being taken to hospital, then I don’t remember anything for the next two months," said Patel.

"My time in hospital has been very up and down. I found myself sometimes feeling quite angry at first and taking it out on the wrong people, but I always apologised.

"Now, it’s on the up all the time. I’ve got to give it to the staff, they saved my life and have really looked after me.

"They’ve become part of my family, everyone knows me, the doctors, nurses, and the cleaners. I cannot praise them enough."

Patel celebrated his 63^rd birthday in hospital in August, and said it made his day when the staff made a fuss of him by singing to him and making him a huge card.

Patel hopes he will make it back home from the rehab centre in time to celebrate the birthdays of his two daughters, Aneeka and Nikeeta, both in November.

"I’ve got a lovely family and I just want to get home to them," he said.

"We’ve been video calling but it’s not the same.

"I’ve seen them once in all this time, when I was taken outside to see them by the staff. It was very emotional.

"What’s kept me occupied throughout my time in hospital is contact with my family. I spend 90 per cent of my time on the phone.

"I've also enjoyed lots of chats with the staff, and other patients."

Patel appealed to the people to "wear a mask and take all the precautions they can".

"I wouldn’t want anybody else to go through what I have," he added.

"I get really annoyed when I hear people aren’t doing what they should; they would change their minds if they saw people like me suffering."