Virus survivor Jo recollects the ‘most frightening’ time of her life

She today described the experience as “the most frightening thing” she’s ever been through, after ending up in critical care at Walsall Manor Hospital.

Jo had been asked about having her vaccine but had decided to wait until her baby was born.

She said: “Now I know what I know, I would advise pregnant women to make sure they have their vaccinations. As soon as I was out of hospital and able to have mine, I did so.

“Covid isn’t over and it is the most frightening thing I have ever been through. I can remember struggling for breath and that is just so overwhelming. That panic and fear is horrible.”

The mother-of-two recalls struggling to breathe, as though she was being suffocated, before she was intubated at Walsall Manor Hospital’s critical care unit.

Jo, a teacher, had been “extremely careful” to avoid the virus.

She said: “I was healthy, with no underlying conditions and a strong woman. Now I know what Covid-19 can do to you and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I did everything we were asked to do. I was scared of getting it yet it still found me.

“My baby was born weighing just 3lb – just over a bag of sugar – nobody wants that for their baby.

“When I came out of my induced coma I couldn’t work out what had happened to my baby and as a result of Covid I developed clots on my lung. Everything was just so strange and scary.”

Jo had to wait a month before being able to hold her baby Isaiah, who was born on August 13 last year, more than two months before his due date of October 19.

She is continuing her recovery at her Walsall home with eldest son Elijah, two, and her husband, and is grateful for the support she is receiving through Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust’s Critical Care rehabilitation team.

“Before all this I was a strong woman and the kind of person who didn’t think I needed any help,” she said.

“But the forum that the team runs has been so important to me. The psychological side of things does have a real effect.

“To be able to speak to others who have been through the critical care experience and know exactly what you mean when you talk about memory loss or feeling so very tired still is important to me.

“I was always very tech-savvy but it takes me longer to grasp things now and I do struggle with my memory from time to time.

“My voice is gradually returning and I have taken up walking as part of my recovery.

“That ongoing support, the after-care, means so much to me and all of the other patients. Covid has definitely changed so many lives.”