Family praises 'incredible' NHS staff for saving 76-year-old grandfather from Covid-19

The family of a 76-year-old man told to ready themselves for his death after he contracted coronavirus have praised "incredible" NHS workers for saving his life.

The relatives of grandfather Roy Ives, from Kent, received devastating news a week ago that the retired postman had been infected with Covid-19 and was not expected to survive the night.

However, with the help of staff at Medway Maritime Hospital, he has since recovered enough to be discharged from hospital and return home.

Scarlett Walsh, Ives' granddaughter, said "unsung heroes" in the Covid-19 ward had saved his life and helped demonstrate that elderly people can survive the highly-infectious virus.

"These people are in there 12 hours a day and have their own families and children to go home to," Ms Walsh told the Press Association.

"To be exposed to that every single day must be so scary."

Mr Ives now faces a long recovery at home and a battle with pneumonia, Ms Walsh said. She added he was no longer "contagious" or in a "critical state", however.

A retired postman with underlying health conditions, the 76-year-old first experienced trouble breathing on March 20.

Paramedics arrived at his home in High Halstow, near Rochester, about 12pm and immediately suspected he had Covid-19.

He was taken to hospital and at about 5.30pm the consultant on duty said it was coronavirus, with Mr Ives' family subsequently told to be ready for the worst.

“No-one could get up and see him and say goodbye because it’s the Covid-19 ward," Ms Walsh said.

"That night was just awful."

But the next morning the family received news confirming his condition had improved overnight. A few days later, doctors said he could be discharged and taken home.

Ms Walsh, 23, described the turnaround as "incredible, unreal, amazing".

"They are doing everything they can to save his life and they did and it worked, and we owe them everything for that," she said.

"They were incredible and all of our family are forever grateful."

Now, Mr Ives and his relatives are keen to share their story to show their thanks to the NHS and also demonstrate that elderly people with underlying conditions can recover from Covid-19.

"He wanted to share his story to say people like him can get through it," Ms Walsh said.

More than 14,500 confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been recorded nationwide to date, but the actual number of cases is estimated to be much higher.

The overall death toll now stands at 759, just over three weeks after the first coronavirus-related death was reported in the UK on March 5.

The virus poses a particular danger to the elderly and people with underlying health conditions.

Additional reporting by the Press Association.