Milton Keynes Covid patient left with serious lung disease warns rule breakers: 'This could happen to you'

Part-time Ministry of Justice worker Rudi Herrmann, 62, caught the virus in April and was admitted to MK hospital after suffering a fever and cough for two weeks.

He spent 15 days on a ventilator. fighting for his life and having dialysis after his kidneys started to fail.

"I spent 25 days in all in intensive care. Thankfully my kidneys started to work so the dialysis was stopped, but i had severe breathing difficulties. Just moving in the bed, I struggled to breath. It felt like I was been strangled while having a weight on my chest, and getting out of bed was absolute nightmare," he said.

Finally Rudi was moved to a general ward but, because he was getting no better, he had to have a blood transfusion and was re-admitted to the ITU as 'post-Covid fibrotic'.

"I spent another 12 day in the ITU before eventually I was moved back to general ward where my rehabilitation started. I was in hospital for nine and half weeks in total."

While he was in hospital, his granddaughter Indi was born in the maternity unit on a different floor and Rudi was able to see her via video call.

Now, months later, Rudi has fibrosis on his lungs and is among the clinically very vulnerable group that has to shield. Just climbing stairs leaves him "gasping for air", he says.

"I know I will have the fibrosis for the rest of my life. What I don't know is how bad it will get over time."

He has asked the Citizen to tell his story and print a photo of him in ITU to prompt other people to stick rigidly to the Tier 4 rules.

"I believe that the majority of people adhere to the government guidelines but I also think there is a minority who believe that Covid does not exist or they wont catch it.

"Well, they need to take a look at the picture of me on a ventilator and think again. This can happen to any one, don't think it can't. All I'm asking is for people to take extra care... I hope this will reach out to everyone so they become more aware and careful.

"I would not wish this on anyone and i would certainly not want any one to go though what I did."

Rudi, who lives in Tattenhoe, has thanked the NHS staff and keyworkers for the "amazing" job they are doing during the crisis.