Inside the hospital ward where more than 60% of Covid patients have had no jab

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust has around 60 Covid patients, with the figure steadily climbing

A hospital Covid ward has urged people to have the vaccine as its patient numbers continue to climb, with more than half of those on the ward having not been vaccinated. Lancashire Teaching Hospital Trust is treating around 60 patients for the disease. Of these patients in intensive care or on acute wards, more than 60% have not been vaccinated. The figures highlight the importance of getting the jab, with "fit and healthy people in their 30s on ventilators." ITV News reported from Royal Preston Hospital, and spoke to patients on their Covid ward. One of the patients on the ward was Darren, a 28-year-old who caught the virus from a colleague in the pub. He told ITV that he wasn't anti-vax but simply didn't think he would get Covid badly and therefore that he didn't need the jab. He said: "I've never been this ill in my life. This is the most ill I've ever been. "If I could turn the clock back I would be vaccinated. I just didn't think I was ever going to catch it, I didn't know anybody that close to me who had Covid. I just thought it was more of a worldwide thing than a local thing. "I thought 'I'm young, I'll be able to fight it, if I get it, it'll just be a bit of flu.' But it's not." His message to others was simple. "Get vaccinated as soon as possible, if you can." The broadcaster also spoke to a patient who had been double-jabbed. She was in her 50s, had lung disease and would be in the 'at risk' category. Despite the fact she ended up in hospital, she did not get that ill and was discharged. She said that the vaccine had saved her life.

She explained: "I was double vaccinated in December due to underlying health problems.

"We were told at the time it wouldn't be 100% which I accepted whole-heartedly - any protection is better than none.

"I didn't hesitate to have the vaccine and I am 100% sure if I didn't have the vaccine I would be in a very different position."

https://twitter.com/itvnews/status/1415386097111216132 There are warnings that the lifting of restrictions on Monday will see a surge in hospital admissions, with particular concerns surrounding the potential rise in cases of long Covid. A new study has found that there are over 200 symptoms of long Covid, which can affect 10 different organ systems in the body.