'Don't put off getting the jab,' says woman, 32, sick in hospital with Covid
A Covid patient being treated in hospital has urged people not to put off having the jab – after revealing she is the sickest she has ever been.
Store manager Zoe Rushton, 32, from Tipton, was left breathless and in extreme pain after contracting the virus.
She put off having her vaccination because of work commitments but has now said she wishes she had put her health first.
“I would say to people who haven’t had the jab – put yourself first,” said Zoe, who spoke from her sick bed at City Hospital, Birmingham.
“I kept on thinking ‘I will get it in a couple of weeks’ time’ and now I am suffering in hospital. I was trying to balance work and health but in the end it has led to me becoming very ill.
“If I had the vaccine I probably would have avoided hospital or certainly not been as ill as I am.”
Everyone is being urged to get the jab to ensure they are protected from Covid and that cases remain as low as possible when remaining restrictions are lifted and life returns to normal on July 19.
Zoe’s symptoms started on June 27 with a tickly cough. She took two Covid tests which both came back negative but she continued to self-isolate after she had been in contact with other sufferers.
As the week progressed her symptoms worsened. She was suffering from migraines, sickness and an aching body. She was also suffering chest pains every time she coughed.
Her husband dialled 999 on July 4 after she took a turn for the worse and was left breathless and unable to move.
“I was hyperventilating,” explained Zoe. “I was given a Covid test when I got to the hospital and it came back positive.
“This is the sickest I have ever been and I am still on oxygen. I am struggling to breathe. I’ve felt scared and lonely and I’m definitely not well enough to go home just yet.
"I have to be helped to the toilet and feel really tired. My husband has also tested positive and he is recovering at home.
“We both wish we had the jab earlier.”
