“I wish I had the shot as soon as it was given”: Young people with long-term Covid disease join vaccination campaign | UK news

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Young people who have had COVID-19 for a long time are asking for vaccinations for others of their age.

A new video from the NHS shows three people in their early 20s and 30s who were all healthy before they contracted the virus.

Support worker Quincy Dowamina, 31, said he was a “healthy young man” who “goed to the gym a lot” and delayed getting vaccinated.

But then he contracted the virus and fell seriously ill.

Mr Dowamina, from east London, said: “I ended up in hospital thinking I was going to die.

“My advice is to get vaccinated: Don’t put yourself and others at risk.

“I wish I could get my own as soon as it was shown.”

Megan Higgins, 25, and Ella Harwood, 23, were previously healthy and active, but are now experiencing severe fatigue due to the prolonged coronavirus.

The vaccine was not available to them when they contracted the coronavirus.

Image: Megan Higgins contracted the virus eight months ago but is still fighting for her health.

Miss Higgins, a special needs teacher from London said: “It’s been eight months since I tested positive and I can’t even walk around the shops without feeling overwhelmed.

“COVID is long waning, so please, get vaccinated. I don’t want anyone else to go through what I have.”

Miss Harwood, an illustrator from London said: “I am young and fit but have been bed bound for seven months with COVID-19.

“Before I got the virus, I was very active and had no health concerns, but now I have asthma that I didn’t have before and a number of allergies.

“I’m afraid I’ll never be the same again, but I’m making progress and I’m so grateful I’m still alive.”

Photo: Ella Harwood has been confined to bed for seven months with symptoms of COVID-19

People between the ages of 16 and 29 are more likely to contract COVID for an extended period, according to Public Health England, but uptake of the vaccine among this age group is below average.

COVID is long a condition that persists even after the main virus has been defeated and includes symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, headache, cognitive problems and mental health problems.

Those between the ages of 18 and 34 make up more than 20% of those hospitalized with the virus – four times higher than during the winter peak of 2020 – and most of these patients are not immune, said emergency medicine physician Dr. Emeka Okorocha.

He said, “As an emergency physician, I have seen a lot during the pandemic. But nothing has bothered me like the sight of healthy adults being taken to our hospitals with COVID-19.

“In addition to their age, many of them have one other thing in common – they are not immune.”

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The Office for National Statistics said two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine cut in half the risk of developing symptoms lasting more than 28 days after infection.

People aged 16-17 in England will be able to reserve their first vaccination dose from today.

Those between the ages of 12 and 15 who are considered to be at higher risk of COVID-19 will join them before the new school year in September.

NHS England has launched an online location finder to help people locate the nearest GP-led vaccination centre. There are 800 available.

So far, 87.5% of those over 16 years of age in the UK have received at least their first dose of the vaccine, while 76.3% have been fully vaccinated.

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