Sydney Covid patient, 47, sends brutal message from hospital
A Sydney Covid-19 patient has urged people to listen to medical advice and take the vaccine rollout “seriously” in a video filmed from his hospital bed.
The man, known as Khaled Elmasri, 47, is a patient at Belmore Medical.
Dr Jamal Rifi, who treated him, said the 47-year-old had to be admitted to intensive care as he struggled to breathe.
In a video, Dr Rifi, speaking in Arabic, says Mr Elmasri wishes to share a message so people understand the severity of coronavirus “from someone who got very sick”.
Mr Elmasri says he knew coronavirus was a serious disease but he didn't take it “seriously enough”.
“I was careful but I don’t think I was careful enough,” Mr Elmasri says.
“I should have committed 100 per cent.”
Mr Elmasri says “it’s only now after a few days” that he is once again able to speak and breathe “a bit more normally”.
“It’s really important to take advice from doctors and follow their medical advice,” he says.
“Take the vaccine programme seriously. I didn’t take it seriously enough to put my name down for a vaccine beforehand. With hindsight I feel I should have done that. I have learnt my lesson the hard way.”
Mr Elmasri says he is now going to get vaccinated.
Photos of Covid patients inside Sydney hospital
As of Wednesday, 71 people in NSW are being treated for coronavirus in hospital with 20 of those in intensive care and four on ventilators.
Images captured by Australian photojournalist Kate Geraghty have offered a rare glimpse at life inside Sydney’s hospitals during the pandemic.
Ms Geraghty snapped photos from inside St Vincent’s Hospital on Tuesday with the images shared on the hospital’s Instagram page.
Two men are pictured with the virus with one of them requiring an oxygen mask to breathe.
Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant told reporters on Wednesday, one person in the ICU was aged in their 20s and two in their 30s.
“The reason I take the time to read out those age profiles, it really is to dispel the misconception that Covid is mild and younger age groups it can impact,” she said.
“Yes it is less likely to lead to hospitalisations in younger age groups but it still can be a serious illness [causing] admission to ICU ... so it's important to keep ourselves and loved ones safe so please follow the public health advice.”
NSW reported 97 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday with lockdown extended a further two weeks.
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