‘Please get the flu jab’ urges Londoner, 26, hospitalised in intensive care after virus led to pneumonia

An otherwise healthy 26-year-old is urging young people to take up the flu vaccine after he was hospitalised for a week over the festive period - amid a surge in cases across the capital.

Olly Browning, from Oval in south London, who has no underlying health conditions, was left in intensive care needing oxygen after he contracted influenza and it led to pneumonia.

He was admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital on Boxing Day after feeling extremely unwell over Christmas.

“I was exhausted and not my usual self on Christmas Day. I was achy, sweaty, breathless, not eating, and sleeping terribly,” he said on Instagram.

“But I put it down to flu which, maybe naively, I thought I could handle as a healthy 26 year old - I figured I just needed to wait it out another week or so.”

But as he grew increasingly breathless, Olly’s boyfriend encouraged him to call 111 and following an X-ray at St Thomas’, he was found to have pneumonia.

Olly recalled seeing “a kind of big horrible white cloud covering the entire X-ray”.

He was taken to intensive care where he spent three days on antibiotics, and was given oxygen to help him breathe.

”Luckily I responded really quickly, and before long I was off the oxygen completely,” he said, praising the “amazing” hospital staff.

“I can’t lie, it has been a terrifying experience. I cried a lot, about everything. Telling people ‘don’t panic but I’m going to be in the ICU for a bit’ was hard when I myself hadn’t even had time to process what that meant.

“It’s just been totally surprising and scary how much it’s taken out of me.”

Olly is now home, although still struggling with breathlessness, and is keen to spread awareness of how seriously flu can impact even young, otherwise fit people.

“I can’t tell you how not to get pneumonia, but this certainly gave me a kick to start getting my yearly flu jab,” he said.

“It’s not on the NHS for young’uns for some reason, but I discovered it’s like £15 at Boots, so I will be having it in future and encourage you to do the same.

“I also think we should push more for young people to be eligible for the flu jab.”

Olly also encouraged people to seek help if they feel unwell.

“It’s easy to be scared out of going to A&E or calling 111 et cetera because you feel like you’ll be a burden on the NHS, especially as a young person,” he told The Standard. “I know I did.

“But the sooner you get treated or get their advice, the less likely you are for things to get worse and end up needing more help.”

Olly’s experience comes as London hospitals have seen a huge surge in flu patients occupying beds, with figures rising elevenfold in just a month.

New figures revealed on Friday a total of 310 flu patients were occupying beds in London on Christmas Eve - a sharp jump from the 28 reported on November 20.

During the same period last year, there were only 34 patients in hospital with flu across England.

Health officials say that the UK’s relative lack of immunity due to Covid restrictions on social mixing is fuelling a particularly bad flu season.

Winter viruses are also contributing to staff shortages with an average of 7,336 London NHS employees off sick in the week up to December 25. This is up by nearly 18 per cent in a month.

Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said the levels of flu and staff sickness rates were “very worrying”.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said the figures show fears of a ‘twindemic’ - a simultaneous spike in Covid and flu cases - “have been realised”.

“As well as flu, the NHS continues to be under significant pressure, with high bed occupancy, more than 12,000 beds taken up by patients medically fit for discharge, and demand for the 111 service remaining high,” he said.

“So please do make the most of 111 online, and only call 999 or visit A&E in an emergency.”

He too urged people to take up vaccines.

“It is clear this is no time to be complacent and the risk of serious illness is very real, so with nearly 350,000 available vaccination appointments next week it is important that everyone eligible comes forward and gets their Covid and flu jabs at the earliest opportunity,” he said.

Everyone in England aged 50 or over, or who fall into risk categories such as those with certain health conditions, is eligible for a free flu vaccine.