Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway has spoken out on her husband's 'extreme case' of long-covid.
During a discussion about incentives for young people to get the vaccine, Kate gave an update on her husband's health, Lancs Live reports.
Derek Draper, 53, spent over a year in hospital, resulting in him being put into a coma, after being hit with Covid-19 in March 2020.
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He suffered with kidney failure, liver and pancreatic damage and holes in his lungs from pneumonia.
He returned home earlier this year but still requires treatment and Kate has been warned that the damage may be irreversible.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain yesterday (August 2), Kate revealed that Derek remains very sick and at 'serious risk of dying'.
She added that her husband's experience is an 'extreme case.'
Kate was accompanied by fellow host Ben Shepard on the ITV breakfast show, where they welcomed Dr Amir Khan to talk about the incentives being offered to young people to get the vaccine.
Kate told Dr Amir Khan that the point of Covid being unlike the Flu is a 'powerful' one.
She said: “There is significant and tragic death rates from flu every year, but what you don’t get with flu is the long-term organ damage that Covid brings in people of all ages, including young people.”
The GMB host then went on to talk about other high profile public figures who are sharing their experience of long covid.
Lewis Hamilton contracted Covid-19 at the end of last year and at the Hungarian Grand Prix (August 1), he shared the difficulties he has been experiencing with long covid.
Kate said: “It was obvious just seeing him on the podium that he was finding it very difficult.”
Co-host Ben Shepard added: “He said he feels like he’s still fighting the long-term effects of Covid-19. This long-Covid is a very real issue for a lot of people who have caught the virus.”
Dr Amir Khan agreed that long-Covid is 'very real' with symptoms including 'extreme fatigue, brain fog, problems with vision, problems with pain, difficulty breathing, palpitations, chest pain, all sorts of things.'
Kate added: “And that’s only the ones we know as well isn’t it Dr Khan? That’s the thing because more and more are emerging of different bits of the body that have damage.”
“I know Derek is an extreme example of it, but all the time there are more issues. Initially it was just a bit of exhaustion and now it seems to be more presenting.”
Dr Khan went on to say that though he is 'really sorry' that Lewis Hamilton is suffering from long-Covid, having 'someone so prominent' talk about it shows how 'even the healthiest of people can get Covid and suffer these long-term symptoms.'
He said: “That should be incentive enough for young people who are hesitant about the vaccine to go forward and get it."
