The husband of Good Morning Britain star Kate Garraway, Derek Draper, has reportedly become the longest surviving patient in the UK to battle coronavirus.
Derek, 53, has spent a total of 185 days in hospital, in and out of intensive care after being hospitalised on March 28.
Since being hospitalised, Derek is said to have been making “slow” progress after being woken from his coma in July.
He has been in a state of “minimum consciousness” since being brought round.
A report by The Sun suggests that he is the longest surviving patient still receiving treatment in hospital.
Fatima Bridle returned home in August after spending a total of 141 days in hospital with 105 of those being on a ventilator after contracting Covid-19.
Derek Draper has been in hospital battling coronavirus for six months (Image: Daily Star, Daily Mirror, Daily Express)
Speaking to the publication, a source close to Kate said: “Kate has been so brave and her strength is awe-inspiring.
“But the truth is that progress is very, very slow. Derek has now been hospitalised for six months which makes him one of only a handful of people who have been in hospital for this long.”
They went on to say: “It’s incredibly tough for Kate though because some days he shows signs of improvement, and then 24 hours later he has taken a worrying turn for the worse. It’s literally one step forward, two steps back.”
Derek was placed in an induced coma as he battled the virus (Image: GC Images)
The insider added that Kate is in a state of disbelief that Derek has been in hospital for so long but is “grateful” that he is pulling through.
Kate has been unable to visit her husband due to ongoing restrictions placed on hospitals during the pandemic.
Medical staff treating former lobbyist Derek have been using FaceTime in order for Kate to communicate with him.
The former lobbyist is making “slow” progress (Image: PA)
Since being admitted to hospital, it’s been reported that Derek has lost a staggering eight stone as well as dealing with various health scares including a drop in his blood pressure and swelling in his legs.
Speaking about the ordeal, Kate said: “I have been living at the end of the phone 24/7, waiting for news of Derek.
“But the doctors have warned his condition could persist for years so I have to get on with life whilst we are waiting for him to get better.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
