Covid: UK's longest covid patient speaks to ITV News from hospital bed

  • Video report by Jon Hill

The UK's longest covid-19 patient has spoken to ITV News from his Leeds hospital bed.

Jason Kelk has spent more than a year in intensive care at St James Hospital, with his condition being similar to that of Derrick Draper, the husband of Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway.

Jason, 49, was admitted to hospital at the end of March last year after experiencing breathing difficulties at home, within days, the school IT worker was in intensive care.

Since then he's suffered delirium, damage to his kidneys and a cardiac arrest.

Speaking to ITV News, Jason said: "At the moment I'm feeling pretty good.

"It's been a long journey to get here, but now it actually feels like I've got someplace to go. I've got a destination."

Jason has been able to come off 24-hour dialysis recently and said that he "can see the light at the end of the tunnel".

It is unclear when Jason will be able to leave hospital, his wife Sue has set up a crowdfunding page to create a purpose-built extension that can accommodate his needs when he can come home.

Sue said: "For a start, it's really narrow, the door would need to be widened and there's not room to widen the door to get the wheelchair in and then how are you going to move him?"

She added: "I'm his world, he's my world and I just want him home so we can hold hands on the sofa together, watch telly and hug him more."

Jason and Sue on their wedding day. Credit: Family Photo

Long COVID is thought to have affected thousands of people across the country. They suffer ongoing debilitating physical effects, but few as severe as Jason.

Jason's life will never be the same again and it is likely he'll continue to need kidney dialysis three times a week.