A Muslim bodybuilder has left hospital at last after spending 48 days in a coma and nearly dying from Covid-19.
Taxi driver Mohammed Azeem, 35, was admitted on April 14 to Bradford Royal Infirmary in the northern UK city of Bradford.
In total he spent almost 70 days in hospital fighting the illness before being released.
During his time in a coma his mother also contracted Covid-19 and did not survive.
"I was in a coma for seven weeks and couldn't come around. Everyone lost hope in me and they were about to turn the machines off but through fight and struggle I woke up in the end," he said.
"I don’t think the nurses could believe it when I finally came out of the coma and was able to talk to them and then stand up.
"I know I was at death’s door and I couldn’t have got through this if it hadn’t been for the doctors and nurses and the physiotherapists. I haven’t the words to say just how grateful I am.”
When Mr Azeem discovered he had lost his mother to coronavirus and had not been able to say goodbye he was deeply saddened.
“When I came out of the coma and the nurses told me about my mum, it was devastating," he said.
"I wanted to see my dad and the rest of my family but because of infection risks I couldn’t; that was one of the hardest things. But the nurses treated me like their family and were by my side day and night, supporting me and keeping me going and giving me a reason to get better."
Medical staff from three wards at Bradford Royal Infirmary gathered to clap and cheer as he at last left the building, part of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
“When they eventually said I could go home, I couldn’t believe it and as I was leaving, I was crying and some of the nurses were crying," he added.
"These people have saved my life. I still have a long road to recovery but each day I am feeling that bit stronger. I just want to say thank you to all those who helped me.
"[Coronavirus] is not a joke, it's serious. Keep your distance, keep your masks on. Trust the hospitals, they look after you."
Mr Azeem had been too scared to go to hospital and possibly survived only because his friend called an ambulance when he was unable to walk.
Medics described him as the sickest young man they had seen, his oxygen saturation levels were dangerously low at 60 per cent.
In his diary for the BBC, Professor John Wright, an epidemiologist who is head of the Bradford Institute for Health Research, said doctors had feared the worst.
"The intensive care unit team had numerous heartbreaking conversations with his family, preparing them for the worst, but Mohammed had other ideas,” he said.
"Deep within his comatose body there was an ember of vitality that kept glowing. Each time it looked as though it was about to extinguish it flickered back into flame."
A healthy person has blood oxygen saturation levels of 95 per cent or higher and a drop below 80 per cent can lead to organ failure.
"Of all our Covid inpatients, Mohammed was with us the longest to date, and his story has touched us all," chief nurse Karen Dawber said.
“He has shown true fighting spirit and a real zest for life and we wish him all the very best for his continued recovery.”
Pakistan squad
Sarfraz (c), Zaman, Imam, Masood, Azam, Malik, Asif, Sohail, Shadab, Nawaz, Ashraf, Hasan, Amir, Junaid, Shinwari and Afridi
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Results
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Nadhra, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Dars, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Taghzel, Malin Holmberg, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: M’Y Yaromoon, Khalifa Al Neyadi, Jesus Rosales
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (PA) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeem, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
