An Aberdeen woman, diagnosed with coronavirus, has praised the “fantastic job” done by north-east NHS staff.
Elaine Douglas, 58, of Hazlehead, spent a week at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after she had trouble breathing and was officially diagnosed as having the condition.
But the retired Post Office manager, who has also suffered from cancer and a heart attack in the past, made a full recovery and was released on Sunday.
She said: “The NHS, I’ve seen it with my own eyes, the work they have done is fantastic and they work themselves to the bone.
”They are overworked, underpaid and still devoted to the care they give. They are working their butts off.”
Ms Douglas has called on people flouting social distancing guidelines to take the current situation more seriously.
She added: “The main thing is self-isolation. The young ones are not taking it seriously enough. They are still hanging around with groups of mates and they are putting so many others at risk.
”To get on top of this virus, they really need to be self-isolating. I can’t stress that enough. It’s a horrible thing, it’s awful.”
The Aberdeen woman was self-isolating at home with a cough when she began to develop breathing difficulties and phoned for help.
She said: “The next thing, they sent an ambulance and I was taken in and tested positive. I was shocked. I’ve had cancer and a heart attack, but this was a worse blow than both of them put together.
”It’s a killer. I had a blood clot in my lung and inflammation. They dissolved the clot with medication and the inflammation just sort of settles down, depending on how your insides are.”
Ms Douglas has advice for anybody who might find themselves in a similar position.
She added: “Don’t leave it too late. If it gets to your breathing, just get to hospital as quickly as you can.”
