Devon's mum plea over coronavirus: ' This is what a child on a respirator looks like'

A Devon mother whose daughter almost died from seasonal flu has issued a plea for people to take social distancing more seriously, warning: "your selfishness could kill."

Claire Baker's daughter Sophie was just a few months old when she caught the flu from visitors to their home in 2016.

It resulted in her fighting for her life on a respirator at Torbay Hospital.

Claire, from Newton Abbot, says the current Covid-19 health crisishas brought back memories of the long nights in hospital.

It comes as Sophie still suffers from a rare health condition and is one of those at serious risk should she contract the virus.

Sophie has a lifelong condition called campomelic dysplasia, a raregenetic disorder which makes her airways very sticky.

She is the only child with the disorder to survive in the UK in thelast 50 years.

As a baby her life was saved by her big sister Kathryn who called 999 because she was worried about her sister's cold symptoms.

It turned out the sniffles were seasonal flu and Sophie was rushed toTorbay Hospital. It took her months to recover.

Claire has just started a new job and has to go into the office. Sophie's dad is working from home but she spends much of her with her grandparents who live next door.

The family stringently follow guidelines about washing hands andkeeping Sophie safe from germs but Claire worries others are not beingso careful.