An unvaccinated dad who “bought into online conspiracies” was told he wouldn’t survive during the eight weeks he spent in hospital battling Covid-19.
Scot Griffiths, 39, became unwell in August last year and was under the impression he caught the virus at a music festival he attended in the Black Country, north of Birmingham.
He initially was suffering just from a headache, but just days later he was rushed to hospital by his wife, Lia, after he was left unable to breathe.
Dad-of-two Scot, who was unvaccinated, was told there was a four-hour wait in A&E, to which he replied: "I'll be dead in three hours."
Scot spent eight weeks in hospital, where his wife was delivered the devastating news that he wouldn't survive.
But Scot has now made a miraculous recovery, despite losing five stone as he battled the virus.
Speaking to BlackCountryLive , Scot said he is “not an anti-vaxxer by any stretch of the imagination” but rather bought into some conspiracies he read online.
"My choice at the time was to wait to have it,” he continued. “A lot of my friends have now had the jab on the back of me being ill and I've had my first jab now.
"I was never ill, so when people saw how poorly I was I think it hit home. If anything good has come out of all of this, then it's that."
The Wolverhampton dad said his illness started with a general feeling of being run down, as well as a headache.
"I did a lateral flow test which came back as positive. I spent the next week at home and had to call an ambulance out twice. I was sweating and just felt awful - but it got worse and worse,” he said.
After seeing that her husband was struggling to breathe, Scot's 31-year-old wife raced him to New Cross Hospital.
"A nurse checked my saturation levels twice and looked puzzled. She was amazed that I was still conscious,” he said.
Scot, who owns Griffiths and Daughters UPVC and Glazing Specialists, was taken to resus. He spent three days in the respiratory ward where he was treated with antibiotics and oxygen.
When his condition did not improve, Scot was moved to intensive care where he stayed for five weeks. After just over a week, he was on a ventilator, in an attempt to let his body rest.
"I nearly died three times,” Scot said. “One time in particular it was very touch-and-go. The consultant phoned my wife and said that I wouldn't survive and she needed to come to hospital immediately."
After a change of antibiotics, Scot's condition thankfully began to improve. However, he still had to be put into an induced coma for three weeks and required a tracheotomy before he was taken off the ventilator completely.
When he woke from the coma, he had lost five stone and couldn’t write or talk, an experience he compared to being “locked in” his own body.
Scot went back on to the ward and was then transferred to a physio centre for six days as he had a large amount of muscle wastage
He said: "I couldn't walk after being in bed for ten weeks. I wasted away to nothing, I'm a football coach so am used to being busy but physically it was really hard."
Scot has attributed parts of his recovery to massages from EC Therapy in Wolverhampton, which he says have aided his muscles as he regains his strength.
He added: "I have gone from strength to strength and feel like I'm about 90 per cent well. I'm one of the lucky ones and have come out relatively unscathed physically. I had Covid pneumonia and had an infection too, but I have no scarring on my lungs.
"I am a strong person, which carried me through. I saw people die in ICU and heard the defibrillator go off multiple times a night.
"Once the battle is over with health, then you start to have a think about what you've been through. Me and my wife talk for hours about it but I struggle with survivors guilt. Anyone who has been through it and says they came out unscathed is lying."
Scot's young daughters Francesca, 12, and Izabella, six, were unable to see him during his time in hospital, apart from a couple of video calls when he was well enough.
“I've been out of hospital now for about 13 weeks and they're only just now starting to believe that I won't get unwell and leave again,” Scot said.
Scot has been left with 'brain fog' after his Covid battle, but says that he is grateful to be on the mend. He has now had his first vaccine dose and is encouraging others to do the same.
"You get a new perspective on life - there will be a lot more holidays for my family this year!" he said
Scot continued: "A massive thank you goes out to all the staff - from cleaners, cooks, nurses and consultants at New Cross because they have been amazing.
"They are doing a very difficult job and are run so thinly. They don't get paid enough for what they do.
"At least one person was at my bedside 24hrs a day keeping me alive - without that, I wouldn't be here.
"They are only human and are all doing a fantastic job - I will be eternally grateful."
