A grandad with diabetes who was in intensive care with COVID-19 for more than a week is now well enough to go home.
Konda Mbwaki has been discharged from the Queen’s Hospital in Romford and is safely back in Dagenham with his wife Yoko Vumeri and his youngest daughter Sephora.
The 60-year-old, who also has three other children who no longer live at home and six grandchildren, said: “I am so lucky to be going home and I’m really excited to see my wife. I video-called my wife in hospital, but I wasn’t able to see her, so it’ll be really nice to get home and enjoy some home comforts.”
Although it has not been made clear in reports whether Konda has type 1 or type 2 diabetes, people with either condition are being urged to be “particularly stringent” amid the current pandemic.
Konda became seriously unwell towards the end of March when he was struggling to breathe. An ambulance was called and was initially admitted to the intensive care unit at King George Hospital in Ilford.
There he was put on a ventilator and he spent more than a week there until he was deemed healthy enough to be transferred to Queen’s Hospital to recover.
Senior Queen’s Hospital nurse Sarah Neilson said: “Konda was the first COVID-19 patient to come to us from intensive care and he was still very poorly at first.
“To see him doing so much better and going home is lovely and he can continue to rest and recuperate at home.”
Konda has paid tribute to the medical team who nursed him back to good health.
He said: “They looked after me really well and I’m very happy. Whenever I didn’t understand anything, they were there to explain it to me. Whenever I called them, they came to help me. Thank you to all the nurses and everyone who was there to support me, god bless you all.
Despite having made a full recovery he is urging others to take COVID-19 seriously.
He said: “Be careful – this virus exists and I know the pain it can cause. Don’t play the game, wash your hands and follow all the guidance and medical advice.”
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