'EVIL VIRUS'
Kate Garraway says Derek Draper’s coronavirus is ‘worst docs have seen’ and has wreaked extraordinary damage on his body
BRAVE Kate Garraway has revealed Derek Draper's coronavirus is the "worst doctors have seen" as it continues to wreak havoc on his body.
The 53-year-old presenter updated Ben Shephard and Ranvir Singh on Good Morning Britain today on her husband's condition after 68 days in hospital.
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She said her husband is thanfully "covid free" but the virus has caused "extraordinary damage" on his body.
Opening up on her ordeal, Kate told viewers: "(The doctors) have never seen this before. My doctors say to me he is the worst affected person they've had to treat.
"They're looking at damage and have some idea what that would mean if it was caused by something else, but this is an unknown virus ... They said he is one of five cases in the world like this.
"They call it an evil virus and it is, an evil virus."
Kate Garraway told viewers that she still has hope but has had to accept that Derek is "very sick".
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She added: "He's still with us. He has fought the most extraordinary battle. But you know, the fact that he is still here and is holding on. I'm just so grateful he's still here. And I've got the option of praying and hoping.
"He is very very sick. And as time goes on, it's a virus, it's a little bit like a computer virus, there seems to be a flicker of hope and then other things emerge and he's fighting that. It's effected him from the top of his head to the tips of his toes."
Kate added to close friends Ben Shephard and Ranvir Singh that her husband is free of the deadly bug but his body has suffered extraordinary damage.
Anguished Kate said: "He's now covid free, the fight of the virus has been won.
"But it's wreaked extradorinary damage on his body and we don't know if he can recover from that ... It is an absolute miracle that he's still here. I wish for one more, if I could just have one more."
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She continued: "Most of all the doctors around him have just been incredible with a disease that nobody knows how to cure, learning every day.
"We don't know why it has affected him so badly, I asked why and said 'I guess we'll find out in a few months' and the doctor said said 'try a decade'."
Kate called Dr Hilary, 66, when Derek first displayed symptoms of the virus and he told Ben and Ranvir the steps he went through before telling her to call an ambulance.
Dr Hilary said: "I was quite concerned just the way he was speaking but I asked him to do a simple test, this is not a diagnostic test.
"All I asked him to do was hold his breath and see how long he could hold it. And it was less than 10 seconds, and I told Kate, 'look it's time to call an ambulance'.
"He's 52, how long would you expect him to be able to hold his breath? Well you and I would be able to hold our breath for over a minute at least I would say, some a lot more some a bit less, but if you're fit and well certainly a minute.
"Under 10 seconds was significantlty abnormal.
"It's a sign of lung function, it's a very crude test but it's something you can do over the telephone"
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The Good Morning Britain presenter had been forced off the ITV show in the first week of April because she showed symptoms of the deadly bug.
Former Labour adviser Derek, 52, was admitted to hospital on March 30th where he tested positive for Covid-19, and was admitted to intensive care four days later.
She appeared on GMB today for the first time in 10 weeks and revealed how she has been coping as a mum and a wife.
In March Kate had revealed her fears about her loved ones contracting the virus.after meeting with Prince Charles at the Prince's Trust Awards, just days before his coronavirus diagnosis.
She said: "I actually saw him on the 11th of March. It was the first day he'd stopped shaking hands, and we did the namaste greeting at the Prince's Trust.
"I don't have any symptoms, so I'm not blaming him for anything at all, but people are going to be concerned. He's a man that meets a lot of people."
Derek was a lobbyist and political aide to former Labour cabinet minister Peter Mandelson in the Nineties.
He also presented a show on talkRADIO.
Derek has published books including Blair's 100 Days and Create Space.
Last May he announced his resignation from the Labour Party after more than 35 years of membership.
He cited leader Jeremy Corbyn, the party losing its way and called it “basically stupid” in a statement for his reason over quitting.
Derek and Kate married in 2005.
They have two children together - Darcey, 14, and William, 11.
Whilst she was in the I’m A Celebrity jungle last year he posted a hilarious picture on Instagram saying he was struggling in the kitchen without her.
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