Covid survivor describes ‘six weeks of utter hell’ in Peterborough City Council’s latest Stand Firm campaign video

The Stand Firm campaign was launched to warn the public against complacency in the fight against Covid-19 and the need to abide by the current lockdown rules. It was designed to drive home the message that everyone still needs to be on their guard – to protect themselves, their families and the local community.

This means sticking to the lockdown rules – washing hands, observing social distancing, wearing a face covering, self-isolating where necessary and only going out for essential reasons.

The fifth video in the series tells the story of IT consultant Tony Page, who battled Covid for six weeks.

He said: “It was six weeks of utter hell, pain and suffering, it just got worse and worse and worse. I really thought I was going to die. That fear, thoughts and mental scarring is going to be with me for the rest of my life, I can’t escape it.

“Don’t be complacent, Covid is a cruel and vicious killer, you’ve got to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Thursday (March 16) marked the first anniversary of the first patient admitted to a North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust hospital.

Dr Liz Robin, Director of Public Health for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough said: “It has never been more important to stand firm and stick to the lockdown rules. We owe this to ourselves, our loved ones - and the NHS. This campaign drives home the message that this is not the time for complacency.

“Our resolve must be stronger than ever. Only by sticking to the lockdown rules will we begin to see a return to normality. This is still some way off, but we can all play our part by following Tony’s example and standing firm. We can do this together.”