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The wife of a coronavirus survivor has spoken out about her agony, relief and admiration for the health service after her husband spent three weeks in hospital fighting for his life with coronavirus.
Biniam Kidane, a 43-year-old Uber driver from Dartford, received a huge round of applause as he was discharged from Darent Valley Hospital having battled back from the brink of death.
Biniam Kidane at Darent Valley Hospital before he was discharged
He has also since spoken out about his ordeal, during which he was in a coma and on a ventilator in intensive care for nearly a fortnight.
To celebrate Valentine's Day, Biniam and his wife, Mehret, a key worker in the medicinal field, travelled to Italy over the weekend of February 15 and 16 when the virus was beginning to spread in the country.
But it wasn't until a month later that Biniam - a normally fit and healthy man - began showing Covid-19 symptoms.
Mehret said: "When we came back from holiday I was checking myself every day, I was scared that we may have contracted it but I never showed any symptoms. However, Biniam began to get ill on March 17, which makes me feel that perhaps he caught the virus here, in the UK.
"As soon as he began to show signs of the coronavirus we were sleeping in separate rooms and keeping our distance from him.
"We're a family of six, so myself and the rest of the family kept well away and followed government guidelines.
"At first it looked like Biniam had food poisoning. But he soon got worse. It was just like flu, exactly like flu.
"But then there was vomiting and diarrhoea. I called the hospital and explained his symptoms to them and they asked if I could drop him off.
"I took him to Darent Valley Hospital and made sure to keep my distance, wipe everything, wash my hands and make sure I reduced the risk of spreading the virus."
Five days after showing symptoms, Biniam was admitted to hospital on March 22 and a few days later had been induced into a coma.
"At first they wanted him to return home, but I said no, he was very unwell," Mehret added. "I told him to explain to the hospital that he had been to Italy recently and after that they took him in and ran all the tests."
Mehret and Biniam, of Tennyson Road in Temple Hill, have been married for 16 years and have lived in Dartford for the past 10 years after moving from Eritrea in east Africa.
The couple have two children, Shalom, 14, and Nahum, 13, as well as two foster children.
After Biniam was admitted to hospital he had an X-ray which revealed he had an infection in his chest and stomach.
He spent 12 days in intensive care and woke from the coma on April 5 before being moved from the ICU on April 7.
Two days later, Biniam was met by a round of applause as Darent Valley Hospital's first Covid-19 positive patient to be discharged, and has now been home for a week.
Mehret said: "For me and my family it was very tough. Biniam had no underlying health problems, he was very healthy and fit, he was a strong man but due to the virus he couldn't even walk.
"We are all so thankful for the staff and NHS workers at Darent Valley Hospital. Biniam said that the nurses who looked after him were more like brothers and sisters.
"The doctors were always smiling and it really filled patients with hope.
"Biniam in hospital was the darkest time in my life and I can't say thank you enough for the NHS, we're so happy.
"He is improving every day, I can't say it enough but the NHS have made me so happy."
Since returning home, Biniam has been taking his recovery one day at a time.
"It's very difficult. When he came home he couldn't shower on his own but over the last two days he's been improving," Mehret said.
"The thought of losing Biniam was awful, he's my best friend, it's something you can't even think of.
"It was hard, we were so lucky that he lived - it's all thanks to the NHS.
"What I saw my husband go through was torturous. Even though Biniam is home we are still cautious.
"Biniam is so happy, he cries tears of happiness when he's eating, or doing anything.
"He cries and says how grateful he is for this second chance at life. This virus is horrible, emotionally, physically and mentally.
"We can't hold him the way we want to yet as we want to make sure he is clear of the virus but we are so happy he is home.
Biniam leaving Darent Valley Hospital to a round of applause last week
"He eats food with plenty of vitamin D and C in them, he is sleeping a lot, he is very tired but he is doing walks in the garden.
"As a result of everything he has a swollen leg so exercise is helping.
"The children have been a great help, when their dad came home they said it was like a dream."
Fortunately, no one else in the Kidane household has shown any symptoms of coronavirus.
Mehret added: "It's a miracle that no one else has contracted the virus in our family.
"Stay home, that's all I can say. What you think can happen due to this virus is nothing compared to what it does.
"It is completely life changing. It's horrible."
