News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A British man once struck down by coronavirus has described how the horror symptoms of the deadly disease almost killed him.

Simon Parker, 47, thought he was suffering from a common cold when he fell ill on Boxing Day in 2016.

But he became severely ill over the next few days and by New Year's Eve couldn't even breathe - forcing him to desperately call 999.

He was taken from his home in Kingswear, Devon, to a hospital where he was put into an induced coma.

Simon spent 16 days in an unconscious state - during which his heart rate flatlined and staff almost pulled the plug on his life support machine.

But the builder managed to beat his illness after his blood was treated and began his painstaking recovery.

It was during this time that he first heard he had been diagnosed with coronavirus.

Builder Simon said: "To start with it was common cold-like symptoms. I was achy and tired but carried on working away.

(Image: Googlemaps)

"As the week went on it became worse and I became a bit breathless.

"But then I woke up of the morning of New Year's Eve and I couldn't even catch my breath.

"Luckily I had my phone next to me - so I called 999 immediately.

"The paramedic arrived, took one look at me and rushed me straight to hospital.

"They took me straight into a private ward and put an oxygen mask on me then took an X-ray straight away.

"I was then taken straight onto the intensive care unit. I don't remember much after that, as the day went on.

"They told me that my organs were completely shut down so they took the decision to induce me into a coma.

"It was a horrendous feeling. I ended up seeing a clinical psychologist.

"You are not actually asleep. You are just sedated - so you can still hear things around you.

"I lost four-and-a-half stone in muscle mass. Your body just eats away at you in a coma."

Simon emerged from his coma on January 17, 2016 - 16 days after he was induced.

(Image: CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/REX) (Image: Getty Images)

He was then placed on the recovery ward - where he was told about coronavirus.

He said: "I was all confused when I woke up.

"I spent the next couple of weeks on the recovery ward, where I had to learn to walk again and speak again through a physician.

"They built me up to being able to go back home.

"She told me what was wrong with me. She said it was a rare virus called coronavirus, which slows down your respiratory system.

"I had never heard of it. When I Googled it I was shocked to read it came from farm animals - I'm a builder!

"It was a mystery. Her exact words were: 'You are a very lucky boy to be alive'.

"At several points they have up all hope of me regaining consciousness or even surviving.

"But I was told that, around about January 11 or 12, I started to fight the virus.

"The staff were always in contact with the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, who advised them on what to do. They were all amazing the whole time.

"At one point they led me on my stomach and drained blood out of my body, to reoxygenate it. That was what gave me life.

"It was quite a dramatic time, all in all. I was discharged around about January 27 or 28."

His brush with the lethal virus has left Simon with a permanently weakened immune system.

He now has to rush to the doctor every time he had a cough and is often put onto antibiotics.