Teen waking up from 11-month coma unaware of COVID-19
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A teenager who spent almost 11 months in a coma has finally woken up, although he has no idea that there is a pandemic—and that he actually got infected twice.
Joseph Flavill, 19, went into a coma after being hit by a car on March 1 last year in Trent, Staffordshire, just around three weeks before a nationwide lockdown was imposed in the United Kingdom, as per The Guardian yesterday, Feb. 2.
Flavill, who suffered from a traumatic brain injury that rendered him unconscious, is now slowly waking up from his long sleep, but is clueless about why his family is not with him.
His aunt, Sally Flavill Smith, told the news outlet that they have been slowly trying to explain the situation to Flavill when they talk via video call, although they have yet to explain the full scale of COVID-19.
“I just don’t know where to start with it. A year ago if someone had told me what was going to happen over the last year, I don’t think I would have believed it. I’ve got no idea how Joseph’s going to come to understand what we’ve all been through,” she was quoted as saying.
“When he’s awake in his room, he’s not going to have any idea why he’s there. We do talk about it on the phone, and we try to make him aware that we really want to be there holding his hands, but we’re just unable to do it [because of COVID-19],” Smith added.
The aunt also noted that they “try to keep it simple” and will only fully explain all about the global pandemic once they meet face to face, the report said.
Flavill, who can only blink, smile and move limbs for now, was fortunately able to recover from getting infected with the novel coronavirus twice–once while in coma and the second time after waking up.
He was initially treated at the Leicester General hospital and has now been moved to Adderley Green care center, according to the report. Ian Biong/RA
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