Married couple who fought Covid-19 side by side praise 'superb' UHDB staff
A husband and wife who have been married for 36 years were treated side by side after being admitted to Royal Derby Hospital with Covid-19 within the space of 24 hours of each other.
Keith and Marie Moulson, from Swadlincote, were both feeling unwell before their conditions worsened, leading to their admission.
Marie, 53, said that she had been feeling unwell for a short while, but did not realise that she had Covid-19.
She said: “I started to feel unwell between Christmas and New Year but didn’t think it was anything serious, but then I started to get worse. I was really struggling to eat and my breathing started to deteriorate. There was one point when I just wasn’t making sense, which is when Keith knew something was seriously wrong.
“I’m a long term asthmatic and have suffered with the condition since I was three-years-old, so I usually don’t realise how poorly I am until I am very unwell.”
It was at this point that Keith sought help for Marie and then, the following day, his conditional also deteriorated.
Keith said: “When Marie started to get worse I called 111 and she was then admitted to hospital [on 6 January 2021]. The following day, getting out of bed was just such an effort; I felt terrible. The best way I can describe how I felt originally was like I had the worst flu I’ve ever had.”
After making arrangements for their dog, Jack, to be taken care of, Keith was also admitted to Royal Derby Hospital and the two were admitted to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) on Ward 404 and treated with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) to aid their breathing.
The ward team realised Keith and Marie were married and made special arrangements for them to be in beds next to each other, something which the couple found very reassuring.
Keith said: “It was very emotional being on the ward next to Marie. We couldn’t really talk that much as we were on CPAP for 20 hours a day at one stage, but it was nice to know she was just there.”
Marie added: “If I wanted to know if Keith was okay, I could muster the strength to shout to him and check on him.
“Being kept together made a very scary process a lot easier as it has been a very frightening time. I would never have expected to share an experience like this together, especially to this degree of severity.”
Keith and Marie continued to improve and have since been stepped down from HDU. They were transferred to Ward 402, where staff once more made special arrangements for them to share a side room so they could continue their fight together.
However, they acknowledge there is a long road to recovery ahead.
Marie said: “I’ve never been through anything like this. I realised just how ill I was when the staff were asking me if I had plans in place should I not recover. That’s when I really thought; I’m in trouble here.
“We’re feeling much better now, but it’s still a long road to recovery. There are people out there who think that this is all a conspiracy theory. To those people I say; I hope you never see it. It is frightening and it is hard work.
"I would never wish to see anyone in this situation, not even my worst enemy. I would never want to see anyone on the receiving end of this virus because it is horrible."
Mr and Mrs Moulson have now been discharged and are continuing their recovery at home, but the severity of their condition when they arrived was significant.
Dr Aklak Choudhury, Consultant Respiratory Physician, who was the consultant in charge during Mr and Mrs Moulson's stay on Ward 404, said: “Both were very unwell with Covid-19 pneumonia when they were admitted. They required support with high flow oxygen and a specialised breathing machine called CPAP and our staff were able to put them both in adjacent beds. Thankfully, both responded well to treatment.
"I would like to thank all of my colleagues for the care they afforded to the couple, but the staff on the HDU on Ward 404 deserve a special mention. They are highly skilled in what they do and have been working tirelessly through the pandemic. We are delighted to see such a good outcome for Mr and Mrs Moulson and we hope they continue to recover successfully at home."
Keith added his thanks for the staff for their compassion and care: “The staff have been fantastic and I can’t thank them all enough. Everyone from the ward staff to the paramedics to the cleaners – we just want to say thank you a thousand times.
“The way that everything’s been done and the TLC that’s been afforded to us has been superb. They have kept us informed at every stage, answered all of our questions and kept us together as much as has been possible.”