Covid-19 – Behind The Scenes At King’s

As King’s official haematology charity, LIBRA is well aware of the impact Covid-19 is having on the hospital. The LIBRA funded wards, caring for blood cancer patients, are still functioning well and are Covid-secure.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes other departments are caring for patients with Covid-19. Channel 4 filmed a documentary at King’s called ‘Surviving COVID’ which is available to view HERE.

A small film crew filmed inside the hospital’s critical care unit and other areas. They followed four patients who had been admitted to the unit in the early stages of the pandemic and remained there for many months. Staff members were interviewed about the effect of the virus and the impact of spending prolonged periods of time in critical care.

There have been many positive Covid storied from King’s. For example, Jose-Luis Fernandez, an 80-year-old grandfather of five, from Sidcup, was admitted to hospital in Spring 2020 where he tested positive for Covid-19. His symptoms worsened drastically, and two days later he was moved to intensive care.

His daughter, Natasha Rachael Raphoz, explained: “It was heart-breaking when we got the call telling us my Dad had been moved to intensive care. We really weren’t sure if we’d ever see him again. All we could do was prepare for the worst, but desperately keep hoping for the best.”

After 28 days in intensive care, Jose-Luis’s condition began to improve, and at the end of April, he returned home to his family. Natasha added: “Dad’s recovery has been nothing short of miraculous. At one point, we didn’t know if he’d be able to walk or talk again, yet he’s back on his feet. So many people at King’s were instrumental in my Dad’s recovery. We can never thank them enough.”

Sarah Dheansa, Acting Head of Nursing for Neurosciences, was part of the team who cared for Jose-Luis and she said: “We were thrilled to be able to give Jose-Luis a proper send off after making such an incredible recovery from COVID-19.”

 

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