Young Covid patients share stories to urge others to get jabbed

As part of a drive encouraging people to get vaccinated, young people have shared their experiences of suffering long Covid in a powerful new video.

Young coronavirus (Covid-19) patients have told their stories of battling the virus and suffering long-term debilitating effects as part of a new film encouraging people to get their vaccines.

The video features several patients who experienced serious symptoms of Covid-19 or developed long Covid, as well as the doctors and frontline staff who treated them, to warn of the dangers of the virus for those who are not vaccinated. It is narrated by A&E doctor, Dr Emeka Okorocha.

It comes as people aged 16 to 17 in England are offered a Covid-19 vaccine by today, Monday 23 August, meeting the government’s target. More than 360,000 have already been vaccinated and letters and texts were sent last week to the remaining people inviting them to book an appointment with their GP or visit their nearest walk-in centre.

All at-risk people aged 12 to 15 in England have also been invited for a vaccination and young people are encouraged to take up the offer as soon as possible to build vital protection before returning to school in September.

The latest figures show that hospitals are seeing a rise in unvaccinated young adults admitted with Covid-19. A fifth of Covid-19 hospital admissions in England are aged 18 to 34.

The patients who feature in the new short film have issued a rallying call, young people should take up the vaccine to avoid suffering a similar fate.

Quincy Dwamena, a 31-year-old videographer and support worker from East London, who spent two weeks in hospital with Covid-19 after putting off the vaccine, said, “I’m a healthy, young guy. I went to the gym often and have no underlying health concerns. I put off getting the vaccine because I thought the way I was living my life would mean there would be little to no chance of me catching the virus, or it would have little effect.

“But I ended up being hospitalised and thought I was going to die. My advice is to get the vaccine: don’t put yourself and others at risk, I wish I’d got mine as soon as it was offered.”

Megan Higgins, a 25-year-old special needs tutor from London who is suffering from long Covid, pleaded with others to get vaccinated, added, “I was always careful about catching Covid-19, but I’m healthy and active so thought if I catch it, I’d probably brush it off. It’s now been 8 months since I tested positive, and I can’t even walk around the shops without getting exhausted. Long Covid is debilitating so please, get vaccinated. I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what I have.”

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