Coronavirus: Policeman Phil Dolby urges caution over virus

Ch Supt Phil Dolby spent three weeks in hospital

A police officer who almost died from Covid-19 says it is a "no brainer" that people should get their booster jab.

Ch Supt Phil Dolby, of West Midlands Police, was admitted to Worcester Royal Hospital on 29 March 2020 and later placed on a ventilator for 13 days.

The 47-year-old, who lives in Redditch, said this festive season would be a time to reflect on what had happened.

He also urged people to act sensibly during the Christmas and new year period.

At one point during his treatment, Ch Supt Dolby was placed into a coma and said his wife had received a call saying he "wasn't going to make it".

"It is something that doesn't leave you, I probably took until the new year this year to fully get over everything," he said.

The officer spent time on a ventilator and in an induced coma

He said a lot of his recovery had been mental and both his family and work had been very supportive.

Christmas, he said, was special but "tense" due to the spread of the omicron variant.

"We are really upbeat, we are determined as a family to stay healthy and conscious that I might not have been here and how hard that would have been," Ch Supt Dolby said.

He urged people to "follow the science", adding: "I just feel all the stuff around it not being real and 'I can't be bothered to wear a mask' and all that kind of stuff, I do find that quite hard.

"We can do really, really well if everyone observes the sensible advice we are given and I know it is hard and it is inconvenient."

He said he "couldn't get there fast enough" to have the booster jab.

The officer said after his family had nearly lost him, it was a "no brainer" to get a small injection.