Burton emergency consultant describes fearing for his life after overcoming COVID-19
“I felt like I was in a war zone fighting against an enemy and I didn’t know how it was going to attack me or if I’d survive. Coronavirus was hitting me, my colleagues and my family, and I watched some of them dying around me, but I had to desperately soldier on and survive.”
Edward Oforka, Emergency Medical Consultant at Queen’s Hospital Burton, has spent 17 years saving other people’s lives, but in March 2020, he found himself fighting to save his own life after contracting COVID-19.
Early on in the pandemic, Edward became unwell with a fever and a high temperature. Days later, he developed a cough and within a week, he was bed bound and fearing for his life.
Edward said: “COVID-19 was still so new and we didn’t know a lot about it, but my symptoms were bad and I knew I was very unwell. As each day passed I got worse and I immediately isolated from my family to keep them safe. A test in the hospital on day four confirmed that I had the virus.
“One of the hardest things is being isolated from your support network. You’re left alone with your own thoughts. I was petrified; I didn’t know what was going to happen. I just knew I was in so much pain with extreme exhaustion and I felt scared.
“I asked my son to make a video diary of me because of how unwell I felt, in preparation for the worst, including the possibility of not surviving, but he was too distressed to imagine the possibilities of filming what might end up being the final days of my life.
“In less than a week of becoming unwell, my wife also developed symptoms suggestive of the virus and tests a few days later confirmed that she has caught the virus. I felt so guilty as she probably picked it up from me.
“We were both ill and frightened for our children in the same house but found the courage to support each other to fight one enemy – Coronavirus.”
Edward was unwell for over two months and, despite surviving his own battle and supporting his wife’s recovery, tragically lost two immediate colleagues and his brother-in-law to the cruel virus over the period he was ill.
Edward recalls a time when he was unwell in bed and he switched on the TV and saw the tragic news that his colleague and friend, Amged El-Hawrani, had died from COVID-19:
“When I heard the news about Amged, I felt shivers run up my spine,” added Edward.
“He was a good friend of mine and I saw him about a week before he became ill and he was fit and healthy. We had arranged for him to carry out my annual appraisal, which had to be cancelled as he was ill in intensive care. Knowing he went from a fit and healthy man to being a victim of this merciless virus made me so scared.”
After two-and-a-half months recovering, Edward has since returned to work much to the delight of his colleagues who have deeply missed him. Sadly, in the first week of his return, Edward received further sad news that his trainer and mentor, Dr Alistair Fraser-Moodie (a retired Emergency Medicine Consultant) had died following an accident.
Despite everything he has been through, Edward is determined to soldier on:
“I will rise above the sadness to continue the great work of my colleagues who sadly lost their lives.”
Edward is well known for his positive outlook and he’s rarely seen without a smile on his face – or without one of his legendary bow ties. He joined the team at Queen’s Hospita Burton in 2003 as one of two Emergency Medicine Consultants, but he soon became the only Consultant in the Department. He played a pivotal role in building a strong medical team focused on training and developing junior medics to reach the current level of eight consultants.
Edward continued: “When I came back into the office for the first time, I sat at my desk and cried.
“It felt like another milestone and I was so overwhelmed. Little things like my special mug being moved and someone else being logged on to my computer brought back the realities of life. It hit me how lucky I am to be back here and that none of these little things mattered.”
Edward is very grateful to all his colleagues who looked after him and his wife and wanted to share his story as a success to their hard work and encouragement that together we’ll beat COVID-19.
Edward said: “The virus is real, it’s deadly and it kills, please remember that. Keep safe and stay safe.”
Caption:
Mr Oforka donning PPE whilst at work at Queen's Hospital Burton