A MIRACLE man who spent more than 40 days on a ventilator battling coronavirus is now preparing to go home after more than two months in hospital.

Felix Khor beat all the odds after doctors gave him less than a 15 per cent chance of surviving Covid-19.

Echo:

Improving - Felix initially had to walk with a stick

The A&E nurse said he owes his life to the amazing hospital staff who brought him back from the brink.

Speaking from his hospital bed on the Westcliff ward at Southend Hospital, he said: “The nurses are all very pleasantly surprised with my recovery. I couldn’t even sit up at first and then was able to walk with a frame, then using a stick and now can finally walk unaided.

“I get shortness of breath at times and have to take a moment and my legs are not that strong yet.

“The hospital is planning on discharging me [this week]. This is a miracle and I am feeling a mixture of emotions right now.”

The 68-year-old added: “God has given me another chance and the doctors gave me less than a 15 per cent chance of survival.

“I am feeling extremely happy. I didn’t know how many people knew and remembered me in the hospital, so many people keep coming over to me to check on me.

“It’s been amazing.”

Echo:

Pals - Felix with long-time friend Linda Leake

Mr Khor, from Shoebury, said he’s feeling some frustration that he cannot be as active as he once was.

He said he’s feeling worried about going home as he lives on his own and he’s unsure about how he will cope.

The experienced nurse had retired from his role as the hospital’s resuscitation officer but returned to the hospital’s A&E unit to help in the frontline battle of the pandemic.

But within weeks he had contracted the virus.

Mr Khor moved to the UK from Malaysia 30 years ago to train as a nurse.

He said: “I am feeling very apprehensive about the possibility of going home.

“I keeping seeing people rushing about and caring for patients and know I can’t do that, as I once did.

“But I am hoping in time I will be able to improve on this.

“I realise that now I have to retire fully and I cannot afford to be in hospital and become ill again.

“So I think I will be feeling some emptiness at not nursing and will have to work on planning my time at home.

“Doctors say that even if you spend two weeks on a ventilator you can lose 40 per cent of your muscle and when I first got to the ward I couldn’t sit up or walk at all.

“I have fought hard and can now walk unaided. I owe my life to the intensive care unit and all the staff who cared for me.

“I also owe my life to the ward staff and everyone else. Everyone has been so kind, supportive and is so encouraging and they all keep me thinking positive.

“Words cannot express my gratitude to everyone at the hospital who has helped and cared for me.

“People are going out of their way for me and it’s just been amazing.”

Mr Khor said the whole experience was terrifying and that he was told to self isolate after having a high temperate in March after working at Southend A&E.

While isolating, he paracetamol very regularly, but his temperature continued to rise - a tell-tale sign of the Covid-19 virus.

He said: “I went back the hospital in late March and had an X-Ray and was told to continue taking the paracetamol, but I become generally unwell and called for an ambulance and deteriorated very quickly.

“I don’t remember much from that point.”

On May 19 the inspirational nurse was moved out of intensive care.

In a heartwarming video posted on social media, nurse Felix Khor was given a standing ovation and round of applause as he was wheeled out of the intensive care unit at Southend Hospital.

Felix had been on a ventilator for five weeks as he fought against coronavirus and had been inside the ITU for more than six weeks.