Covid-19: Patient still suffering breathlessness a year on

Sean Hunte said he hoped to be recovered from Covid by now but has been told is could take another year

A man who contracted Covid-19 a year ago and spent 203 days in hospital said he was still suffering from "serious breathlessness".

Sean Hunte, 58, went into Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital to be treated for diabetes and acute pancreatitis in January 2021.

But he caught Covid while at the unit, was put on a ventilator and doctors did not think he would survive.

He said he was "better than I was" but could not climb stairs without resting.

During his time in critical care his family visited three times to say their final goodbyes.

He had to undergo seven operations for his pancreatitis.

Sean Hunte has begun going to gym which he said he helped his recovery

The Norwich school worker said he suffered from "serious breathlessness even when I'm doing simple things".

"[I'm] better than I was but not quite there yet," he said.

"I can go up half a flight of stairs and I stop halfway to go up the whole flight".

Speaking to BBC Look East, he said his recovery had been "slower than I thought it would be, I thought I would be back at work and bouncing around".

Mr Hunte said doctors have told him it could take until the end of the year before he has recovered.

Mr Hunte's family were called in three times to say their final goodbyes to him in intensive care

Although he has not had a formal diagnosis of long Covid, he believed he has the condition.

"From what I've heard people describing and speaking about, that's what it sounds like," he said.

"I've got a lot of the same symptoms I had when I had Covid, but just not as bad."

Mr Hunte has begun to go to the gym twice a week, which he said was helping his recovery.

"I feel I'm getting better since I've started coming back to the gym; it's a lifesaver; just to get out it's what I need," he said.

Jennie Hunte said Sean was "like a toddler" when he come out of hospital and still had trouble with his balance

His wife Jennie said: "I think he is doing a lot better than he was.

"He used to sleep most of the day, but the naps are getting shorter and shorter and he wasn't a person who naps during the day before.

"I want him to get back to work for his own sanity, but I just can't see it at the moment. But the gym will help and had helped build strength."