Health

‘Don’t stay at home if you can’t breathe’



As coronavirus cases and deaths mount in London and across the UK, Jonathan Prynn describes the moment his son’s friend was left short of breath with Covid-19 and concludes: use the NHS when you need it.

I just had a terrifying call from my son. His friend is out of breath with Covid-19. He demonstrated the breathing. Resp rate about 24. That’s not good. The paramedics were called by the lad’s friends.

The 20-year-old didn’t want to go to hospital and the paramedics agreed he wasn’t sick enough. Or so I’m told. And on his own at home…. Christ. If I saw him like that in A&E it would be a one- word assessment: admit. Next case.


They have to call the paramedics in again. He is looking at 25 per cent chance of ventilator. That’s now. And the young go bad so so fast.

Yes, older people get Covid more and yes, they are more likely to die overall. But young people get sick too. Once you have the pneumonia phase — short of breath — you are at real risk.

The message has to change and change fast. “Stay home, protect the NHS…” sure! but DON’T stay home and protect the NHS if you’re sick. USE the NHS when you need it. This idea that it’s good to stay home is fine, but the neurolinguistic programming telling people to stay home is telling people to stay home when they are properly sick. Yes, don’t walk around with fever and cough. Keep clear of your GP etc. But if you can’t breathe comfortably at rest, or you’re talking in short sentences, you are two steps from real trouble.

Get the message out — breathing trouble with Covid symptoms? Don’t be brave if you can’t breathe. Do I need to say that a second time?’

Jonathan Prynn is the Consumer Business Editor at the Evening Standard



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