A Covid survivor and his family have described the moment they thought he might not make it home as an ambulance took him to hospital as he struggled to fight the virus. 

Stephen Gannon, a businessman and keen cyclist from Oakham, was taken by surprise at the impact the virus had on him. 

The 61-year-old developed Covid-pneumonia in November 2020, but within nine days was requiring oxygen support and rushed to hospital where X-rays confirmed that the virus had quite severely affected his lungs. 

He said: "Initially, I felt incredibly tired, had lost taste and went for my Covid test, then I continued to deteriorate. By mid-week, I had no appetite and stopped eating."

As his symptoms worsened, Stephen's family called NHS111. 

"I was on my side trying to breathe. I went to have a bath but the effort to get out of the bath and the walk from the bath to the bedroom was one of the hardest things I've ever done," Stephen said.

The family called for an ambulance and by the time it had arrived Stephen's oxygen had dipped by about ten per cent.

 "Without overdramatising the situation, both me and my loved ones thought I might not be coming back," he said. 

His son, Daniel, waited anxiously for news along with the rest of Stephen's family: "We were extremely worried that we weren't going to see him again. He's had chest infections in the past, so the idea that Covid was on his lungs was pretty terrifying.† 

After a ten-day stay at Glenfield Hospital, he was reunited with his family – fiancée Cathy, and children, Daniel and Leonie. 

He knows that he is one of the fortunate ones but his recovery didn't end then, as Stephen continues to experience some symptoms. 

He said: "When you come out of hospital you're not fixed. You're on this journey. There were a number of times I woke in the night and could hardly feel my breath on my hand. It was really scary on nights like that. Thankfully, they seem to have passed."

While Stephen struggled to walk more than a mile when he was first discharged from hospital, in just under two months he could walk for three hours.

"I'm 60 per cent of what I was. Before Covid I could cycle 70-80 miles in a day. Now I couldn't think about getting on my bicycle because I just don't think I've got the capacity to cycle up a hill," he said.

Whilst in hospital, Stephen agreed to sign up for 'every study offered'. 

"In my view, I've gone in and I'm in a serious situation, so why not?" he said.

As part of the RECOVERY-RS clinical trial, he was allocated a CPAP mask that continuously pushes an oxygen-air mixture into the airways to support breathing. 

He also took part in another trial –  RECOVERY – that is investigating new treatments for Covid-19 which saw him receive 'convalescent plasma' – blood plasma containing Covid antibodies, donated by people who have recovered from Covid infection. 

Stephen was also treated with dexamethasone, a steroid tablet that is now an established treatment for severe COVID-19, as well as aspirin, as the team try to understand if its blood-thinning qualities can prevent the formation of blood clots associated with Covid-19. 

Stephen said: "Clearly if research leads to the fact that steroids were given that saved my life, then it's vital. I agreed to every study they offered! 

"The team at Glenfield were super-human in their efforts, they really were amazing. Even though I was very ill, I could see how fantastic the work was that they were doing.† 

Daniel added: "Families in a similar situation to us should carefully consider the opportunities available through clinical trials for their loved ones. I think the level of care and expertise in the NHS is astounding. I wouldn't have wanted him in any other care system in the world."