40 days and 40 nights of care in hospital to recover from the coronavirus | Latest news

After spending 40 days and 40 nights in hospital, Alayne Brown of Kimberley, is back at home after recovering from the coronavirus.

She has praised all of the staff at Nottingham University Hospitals, including the nurses who helped to arrange a surprise visit from her husband on his birthday.

“I couldn’t fault any of the doctors or nurses at the hospital. They were fantastic and looked after me so well,” Alayne said.

“They couldn’t have done enough for me and despite everything that is going on, they were still cheery, friendly, caring and willing to do anything for you.”

Alayne started to feel unwell in early April and at first she thought she might be dehydrated.

“I wasn’t feeling great and I was completely wiped out. I had no energy at all, I felt really thirsty and sick,” she said.

As the days went on, Alayne started to feel increasingly unwell and she made the decision that she couldn’t wait any longer and she asked her husband to drive her to the Emergency Department at the Queens Medical Centre. This is where she tested positive for the coronavirus.

Alayne was given oxygen to help with her breathing and a couple of days later her health rapidly deteriorated. She spent two weeks in a medically induced coma in the Intensive Care Unit at the City Hospital.

“The staff moved really quickly and I remember them getting my husband on the phone and they asked if I wanted to speak to him one last time before I was put into the coma,” she said.

“We were both emotional but I’m so grateful that we were given the chance to have that call.”

Alayne was intubated and put on a ventilator for 20 days to help her breathe. She also had a tracheostomy to help her wake up out of a medically induced coma and to help with her breathing.

After  five weeks of being on the critical care ward, Alayne was moved on to the Nightingale 2 Ward – also known as the rehabilitation ward set up to help patients get back to some form of normality after being so poorly.

Alayne said: “I lost a lot of my confidence and I had also lot a lot of my muscle from being in the hospital bed for so long.

“The team were brilliant at helping me do normal things again such as walking again and moving about.

“At first I was apprehensive about going home but despite leaving the hospital I have been able to call them and I know that they are still there for me if I need them.

“I cannot thank the hospital enough and when the time is right, I want to go back and personally thank the doctors and nurses who looked after me so well.”

Rebecca Selwyn, a Matron in Critical Care at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, said: “We are really looking forward to meeting Alayne when the time is right and to hear about her progress and what she has been up to now that she is back home with her family.

“It’s really important to us that we keep our patients and loved-ones connected during this difficult time and our team have been  thinking of creative ways of doing this.

“This includes ultising the technology we have to enable families to WhatsApp and Facetime, to encouraging a family member to come to the window of a ward so they can see their loved one safely.”