Kate Garraway fears of SECOND pandemic from long Covid after desperate rush to cure husband Derek
KATE Garraway has voiced her fears that there will be a SECOND pandemic from long Covid.
The Good Morning Britain presenter has been desperately reading up on scientists' research into the virus, which changed her family's life forever when husband Derek, 53, was struck down.
After spending a year in hospital, the former political adviser is finally home - but it's still unknown whether he'll ever make a full recovery.
Speaking on GMB this morning, Kate said: "There has been this landmark study into long Covid. I know I have personal reasons to look into long Covid in great detail.
"What they've highlighted, and what I've been saying, is that we are facing another pandemic of the suffering of long Covid of which the symptoms are still unclear.
"We know that thousands if not millions have some of the symptoms, but don't know the full extent.
"Part of the report says poor access to treatment is causing big problems.
"I can only imagine that'll get worse as pressure on the NHS is already so great, then with pressure dealing with new cases, how on earth can it be expected to help an emerging situation of long Covid."
Kate was left devastated when doctors told her that Derek would be unlikely to recover if he didn't make progress within two years.
In her new book The Power of Hope, Kate revealed how Derek's neurologist, known as Dr W, told her "there is very little chance of him making a meaningful recovery".
Dr W admitted he had never seen a case like Derek's, so he found it hard to predict an outcome for him.
After spending months in a coma, the effects of the virus ravaged his organs.
On multiple occasions Kate was told to expect the worst, and Derek's heart has stopped more than once.
Recalling her conversations with Dr W, Kate said: "How long before you know more? Not how long will it take for him to recover, because you don’t know if he can even recover, but how long before you might know more?
"After another long pause, he looked straight at me, then away. 'Well, Kate' – the first time he had used my name – 'I think it’s fair to say if he is still like this after two years we will know there is very little chance of him making any meaningful recovery.'
"'TWO YEARS!' I screamed inside my head.
"Up until now I had been living by the minute, hours on the phone monitoring infection levels and statistics, trying to get a handle on where Derek was, wondering every time I went to sleep if he would still be alive in the morning.
";How could I go on like this for another two years? Worse still, how could Derek be trapped like this for two years? The timescale winded me and I’m sure I must have slumped a bit in the chair."