ONE of the UK’s longest suffering coronavirus patients has finally been discharged from hospital after a staggering 127 days.
Geoff Woolf, 73, spent more than four months in hospital, and an astonishing 67 days on a ventilator.
Son Nicky, 33, shared a video on Twitter of his medical team clapping him out of the hospital – as he finally left the Whittington Hospital, north London on Wednesday.
He told A Journalist: “We’re so overwhelmed and happy dad has been discharged, there were some dark days when we thought he wouldn’t make it – so this is beyond our wildest dreams.
“Our family is just eternally grateful to the staff for their heroic efforts, patience and kindness towards dad during his time there.
“There’s still a long road ahead for him. He is now at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in Putney, south east London, to work on his speech and language as well as physical therapy.
“Covid caused a lot of awful side-effects, including a massive stroke so recovery will take a lot of hard work – but it’s a step in the right direction.”
Doctors initially thought Geoff had meningitis when his sons called 999 on March 23 after he slumped over during breakfast.
Nicky added: “We called emergency services and they thought it was meningitis based on his symptoms, he had no fever and no loss of taste.
“It was only when they tested him after he was admitted that they realised. There weren’t many cases in the UK at that stage so we were very shocked.”
He joked: “Dad may only be 73 but he was fitter than me – he was going to the gym four times a week, he was studying art, he was always doing something. But it’s a wakeup call – Covid can really hit anyone.”
It is thought the retired lawyer and dad-of-three is one of the longest standing Covid patients in London.
Nicky added: “It’s been such a rollercoaster, but seeing him laugh at a joke for the first time since coming off the ventilator was the most incredible moment.
‘CRUELTY OF THE VIRUS’
“And he’s up and reading the papers now – it’s been quite a task trying to explain to him what’s been going on over the past few months. He’s essentially been out of it since March.
“What’s surprising is that he has a lot of scarring on his face from being prone – lying on his front – with all the ventilation tubes.”
During Geoff’s stay in the Whittington, Nicky and his brother Sam, 29, set up a project called Books for Dad, where they delivered Kindles loaded with audiobooks for the hardworking staff at the Whittington.
They plan to expand the project to hospitals across London and even nationwide.
Audiobook company Audible donated the devices.
Nicky explained: “What people don’t realise about Covid is how much loneliness it brings – it’s another aspect of the cruelty of the virus.
“Dad hooked up to a ventilator all alone, and the staff how much time they have to spend alone in these times. We wanted to give back in some way.
“It brought us a bit of comfort as we weren’t allowed to see dad, but this way he could have his mind stimulated.”
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