Coronavirus patient gasps for air as he reveals how battling the disease is ‘like drowning’

Why you need to take Australia’s second wave seriously: Coronavirus patient gasps for air as he reveals how battling the disease is ‘like drowning’

  • COVID-19 survivor Michael has compared battling the virus to ‘drowning’   
  • Victorian government are rolling out advertisements on ‘real’ experiences
  • Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton hopes the ads will be a ‘hook’ for Victorians 

A COVID-19 survivor has compared battling the virus to ‘drowning’ in a promotional video imploring Victorians to take the second wave of infections seriously.

The Victorian government is rolling out the confronting advertisements to make the invisible experiences of coronavirus patients ‘real’ to the rest of the community. 

In one of the videos, middle-aged man Michael said the virus felt ‘like drowning’ as he tried to gasp for air.  

‘I had coughing fits that go for one to two minutes. I got so bad I had to call an ambulance,’ he said.

Michael (pictured) was put in an induced coma while battling coronavirus. He said it was ‘like drowning’ 

Michael was put in an induced coma. 

‘The doctor’s thought I was going to die,’ he said. 

Michael’s wife also contracted coronavirus and she likely passed it on to his mother-in-law, who later died.  

‘While I was asleep, I didn’t know my wife got sick. Her mum who got corona, most likely from her, and then passed away,’ he said.

‘COVID is real. It is very real.’

Victoria reported another 357 COVID-19 infections and five deaths on Saturday.

Michael's wife also contracted coronavirus and she likely passed it on to his mother-in-law (pictured), who later died

Michael’s wife also contracted coronavirus and she likely passed it on to his mother-in-law (pictured), who later died

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton hopes the advertising will be a ‘hook’ for Victorians ‘to make it real’.

‘This is an invisible enemy, in lots of ways,’ he said on Saturday.

‘And when we just talk about numbers, when we talk about reproduction numbers, and transmissibility, but doesn’t bring it home in a way that understanding what the genuine consequences are for people brings home.

‘It is an unfolding tragedy that is hard to get your head around.’

Professor Sutton said the advertising can help people can understand what the pandemic means at an ‘individual level’ and the ramifications for the community if it’s not controlled.

‘If people don’t understand the reality of that, from individuals, then we are in trouble,’ he said.

The Victorian government are rolling out the confronting advertisements to make the invisible experiences of coronavirus patients 'real' to the rest of the community

The Victorian government are rolling out the confronting advertisements to make the invisible experiences of coronavirus patients ‘real’ to the rest of the community

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