Portsmouth Royal Navy veteran and NHS worker returns home after 10 weeks in hospital with Covid-19

Despite the virus throwing ‘problem after problem’ at his body, Basil Song has come through the ordeal and received a round of applause from his neighbours as he returned to his Drayton home this afternoon.

The Royal Navy veteran, who served as a medic for 24 years and now works as an operating department practitioner at St Mary’s Treatment Centre in Milton, was taken to Queen Alexandra hospital with suspected Covid-19 on April 4.

The next day, Basil was rushed to the ICU and placed in a medically-induced coma, with a ventilator keeping him alive and NHS staff doing all they could to help his body fight the infection.

Now, Basil is home and looking forward to spending time with his wife Sue – and tucking into a burger from McDonald’s.

The 64-year-old said: ‘I’m so relieved to be home and seeing my family again.

‘The hospital meals have not been too bad, but I’ve been looking forward to a home-cooked meal – and a hamburger.’

But Basil had some very different ideas about his homecoming while he was delirious after waking from his coma, according to Sue.

She said: ‘When he was well enough to speak on the phone, he was still clearly a bit delirious – he was talking about getting Led Zeppelin and Rick Astley to visit the house.’

While being fit enough to return home, Basil will receive ongoing physiotherapy, as five different intravenous fluid lines placed in his right thigh have left his leg severely weakened.

But the outcome could have been far worse, according to Sue.

She said: ‘Weeks three and four were the worst – the doctors were trying everything to keep him alive.

‘A ventilator was providing 45 per cent of his oxygen and he needed dialysis because the infection had damaged his kidneys.

‘At one point, the doctors said they had tried everything, and all they could do was make him comfortable.’

Both Sue and Basil said the NHS staff responsible for his care were ‘amazing’ – and next year the couple plan to throw a special party to thank everyone who has looked after them.

Sue said: ‘We want to say a huge thank you to the NHS staff and our neighbours who have checked-in on me every day.’

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