A police officer who nearly died after contracting COVID-19 has urged his colleagues to wear PPE, wash hands and social distance to keep safe from the virus.
DC Steven Bailey, of the City of London Police, fell ill in March and was put into an induced coma. He spent two months in hospital with some severe symptoms and has sadly been left with a legacy of health issues.
In an emotional video, filmed at the Federation’s national headquarters in Leatherhead with funding from Police Mutual, 54-year-old Steven shared his harrowing experience, which began when he fell ill in March this year.
He recalled: “My wife had been showing symptoms for about a week and we were both self-isolating at home. I started to get a temperature and then my breathing got a lot worse. That started about two months in hospital.
“I couldn’t breathe on my own and it was then that they said, ‘We going to have to put you into a coma’. They gave me my phone so I could call [my wife] Clare. I thought that would be the last time.”
While in a coma, Steven’s kidneys failed, and his heart was beating at 180 beats per minute – three times normal. “I lost about three-and-a-half stone in weight and about 50% of my muscle mass. I’m going to be on blood thinners and beta-blockers now for the rest of my life because of it,” he added.
Steven continued: “I never expected to get it as badly as I did have. I was a reasonably fit guy for my age. Four years ago, I ran the London Marathon. You just don’t know who it’s going to effect. I didn’t have any underlying health conditions beforehand and I’ve been left with a legacy of health conditions now.
“I wouldn’t want anybody to go through what I’ve gone through and what my family have gone through. So, it’s pretty simple: wear a face mask, use PPE, wash your hands, sanitise and socially distance.”
Steven – who has three daughters and two granddaughters – has been a police officer for 31 years. He has been supported by The City of London Police Federation and his force throughout his recovery and he is now on a phased return to work.
Mike Reed, Chair of The City of London Police Federation, said: “Police officers do need to remain vigilant at this moment because as we’ve seen with Steven, Covid is real and the effects of it are quite staggering in some people. We need to wear our PPE, we need to maintain our social distancing and we need to sanitise to make sure we’re looking after each other, ourselves and our families.”
