Essex Covid survivor urges BAME people to get vaccinated

Philip Kudjoe, pictured with his daughter Kyra, is encouraging black, Asian and minority ethnic people to get vaccinated against Covid-19

A single father who was put into an induced coma after contracting Covid-19 is urging people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities to get vaccinated.

Philip Kudjoe, 36, from Basildon in Essex, was on a ventilator with 80% oxygen for three weeks in March 2020.

Basildon Hospital said there was a "real prospect" he might not recover.

Mr Kudjoe, who has a kidney condition, is now back home with his daughter Kyra and has been vaccinated.

"Covid is not a joke - it's literally a life-and-death situation," he said.

"I would encourage everyone to have the jab and to protect themselves, their loved ones and everyone else," he said.

Mr Kudjoe spent a month in hospital with Covid-19, including three weeks in intensive care

When Mr Kudjoe, a student nurse, contracted Covid, he self-isolated but continued to feel ill and had difficulty breathing.

His brother called an ambulance after he became concerned about his struggles to breathe.

At hospital he was placed into an induced coma for three weeks.

One of the first faces he saw after waking up was renal consultant Poorva Jain, who had helped manage his kidney condition for several and has supported him with his recovery since.

"Seeing Poorva after coming out of a coma made me feel safe and I knew I was alive, well and would be going back home to my daughter," said Mr Kudjoe.

Eight-year-old Kyra said she cried when her father finally came home.

"I really missed my dad while he was in hospital. Nan and Grandad said he would get well - but I was worried. I want to thank everyone who helped make him better," she said.

Mr Kudjoe, who grew up in Ghana, needed physiotherapy to help him walk as his leg muscles had become so weak and was in a wheelchair for a time.

He said he was now "back to normal".

"I would encourage everyone to get the vaccine, I wouldn't want them to go through what I did," he said.

He urged people not to be put off by misinformation surrounding the vaccine.

"It's like any other medication really," he said. "It's very important to have some antibodies to fight this virus. I would encourage everyone to get it."

Mr Kudjoe pictured getting his Covid-19 vaccine

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