Kidderminster man first in Worcestershire to catch Covid - one year on

Twelve months and over 32,000 confirmed cases later, the county is still battling to get infection rates down and support the national fight against Covid-19.

Since the start of the pandemic, more than 1,200 people in Worcestershire have tragically lost their fight with Covid, causing heartbreak for the families they left behind. But more have been discharged from hospital having survived the virus - thanks to the tireless work of the county's NHS staff.

Stourport coronavirus survivor Heather Jones with life-saving staff at Worcestershire Royal Hospital

More than 330,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered by the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, according to the most recent figures, and there is hope of life returning to some kind of normal as the government's roadmap out of lockdown gets under way.

The county's first person to test positive for the virus, 76-year-old Roger Harris, recalls the shock he felt when a doctor at Worcestershire Royal Hospital told him of the diagnosis.

"It came as a bit of a shock", said Mr Harris, who lives in Kidderminster. "At the time, there weren't any restrictions and we didn't know very much about it.

"I wondered if I had picked it up on the train, that was my theory. It was all just a bit of a shock.

"I'd been to the doctors the day before because I was having a very bad cough and a bad chest and I was generally feeling pretty unwell. I thought perhaps I was getting the flu or something.

"The doctor said he felt I should go straight into hospital, he just had a hunch, and the ambulance took me straight in.

"I got the impression the hospital was quite concerned, it was a new thing to them as well at the time.

"The first couple of days in hospital were terrible. I was very emotional, I really thought that was the end for me. I could hardly breathe.

"I must say all the staff at the hospital were brilliant though. I slowly pulled through after that first week and I was discharged on April 3."

Mr Harris, known locally as Captain Crazy from his days announcing at Harriers football matches, says he still feels "lucky to be alive".

He hasn't suffered with long Covid, although it did take some time for him to regain his appetite.

He's also grateful to have received his first dose of the vaccine and is encouraging others who are offered the jab to do the same.

"I do feel lucky to be alive. I didn't think at the time I'd make it another year," he said. "I've now had my first vaccine and I'm waiting to have my second at some stage.

"Psychologically, I feel a lot safer having had it. Unless there's a medical reason not to, I would say that anybody that has been offered it but hasn't bothered to have it should get it done if you're able to. It is a big protection for them and for others."

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Marking the one year milestone on social media, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS trust said: "One year ago today, we admitted the first patient with Covid-19 to our hospital.

"Since that day, we've seen more than 3,000 patients with coronavirus, with the majority discharged home to their families.

"But the virus has not gone away and although there are signs of hope, our staff are still working flat out to provide the best care for patients with and without Covid."