Covid: Aylesbury survivor urges people against complacency

Gary Brooks was in a coma from five weeks, missing Christmas, New Year and his 60th birthday

A man who spent five weeks in a coma while being treated for Covid-19 has warned people against complacency.

Gary Brooks spent a total of 10 weeks in hospital, missing Christmas, New Year and his 60th birthday while on a ventilator.

His wife, Kathryn, said doctors had told her she could see him "in case he didn't make it".

Mr Brooks, from Aylesbury, said if people spent 10 minutes in intensive care they "would isolate properly".

After being taken to Stoke Mandeville Hospital on 8 December, he was put in isolation.

Gary Brooks returned to his home in Aylesbury after spending 10 weeks in hospital

"They took me into a private room and a doctor came in," he said.

"He said 'you're in a bad way' and we're going to put a full-face suction mask on you.

"I remember saying 'how long do I have to have this on?' expecting him to say maybe two or three hours, and he said two to three weeks."

Doctors told Kathryn Brooks she should see her husband in case he didn't make it through the night

Mr Brooks was taken to theatre, which he described as like "the film ET" with "plastic sheets and plastic curtains everywhere, and people in full uniform with huge masks".

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Eight days later, he was put on a ventilator.

After being put in a coma, he was transferred to Wycombe Hospital.

Mrs Brooks said doctors told her "they were at the limit of what they could do for him".

"They said we are going to see if we can try to get you in," she said.

"Just in case he didn't make it through the next night."

Gary Brooks returned to his Aylesbury home after spending weeks in hospital, including five weeks in a coma

Mr Brook's friends and family recorded video messages, which were played to him twice a day while he was in a coma

On New Year's Day, he "made the tiniest, tiniest improvement" and it led to him being brought out of the coma.

He was transferred back to Stoke Mandeville Hospital, before returning home.

Mr Brooks added: "We are so lucky to have the NHS.

"If you had 10 minutes in an intensive care unit just to see how people are, and what people have to have done to them, you would isolate properly and you would not go meeting your pals."

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