A COVID-19 survivor says he “owes so much” to the hospital staff who helped him win his battle against the deadly disease.

Colin Wood, 38, from Buttershaw, was taken into the Bradford Royal Infirmary back in April and had a three-week stint in the hospital. He said that he was at “death’s door”, but pulled through and was just about kept off a ventilator. Mr Wood said one nurse, Claire, on the Covid ward “stood by me the whole time she was on shift and was so helpful and really couldn’t do enough to help me battle through”.

Eventually, he was able to go home and in what has become a lovely marker of a patient’s journey, was clapped off the ward. He also received a wool heart and signed his name as a survivor.

“I felt elated,” he said.

“I feel relieved and happy that I’ve come through it. I feel very lucky and obviously my family are relieved I’m free of Covid, but it’s still a long road to travel.”

He is having to learn to walk again , the disease has damaged his lungs and he also has blood clots in his right leg and arthritis in his right hip, but Mr Wood said he is focused on what he has come through and his “will not to give up”.

He had already been seriously ill and in hospital prior to his Covid-19 battle and had to be brought back to life two times, so it has been a gruelling three months.

Mr Wood said: “To be so poorly, but yet so cared for and looked after by the amazing NHS staff made a better experience to recover and get well. I owe them so much.”