Ertan Nazim and wife Margaret decided to self-isolate at the end of March as they both have underlying health conditions

A BUS driver from Islington is getting ready to celebrate his 44th wedding anniversary after beating coronavirus, and has spoken about the moment he realised he might not survive.

Ertan Nazim, 70, usually works the 390 route from Archway to King’s Cross, and decided to self-isolate with his wife Margaret at the end of March as they both have underlying health conditions.

But 24 hours after making that decision, both of them were hit with the full range of coronavirus symptoms.

In his darkest moments, Mr Nazim said he feared he wouldn’t live to celebrate his wedding anniversary.

“I felt I was sinking and there were times I felt like giving up,” he said.

“But then I remembered the tears of my family.

“It felt completely alien. Everything was aching – every single finger, my ears, even my toes.”

After a terrible week, Mrs Nazim recovered from her symptoms. But Mr Nazim, who suffers from asthma, was not so lucky. Within just four days from the onset of his symptoms, his condition took a turn for the worse.

Struggling for every breath and his body wracked with chills and fever, his son and daughter drove him to the emergency department at University College Hospital. They waved goodbye at the front entrance.

“I couldn’t breathe,” said Mr Nazim. “They put me in an oxygen mask straight away. I was told I would be going to intensive care and they asked me to ring my family and let them know where my legal papers were stored. When I rang they all started crying and I realised then I might not survive.

Ertan and Margaret

“I asked my deceased mum and dad: if you see me sinking, help push me back up. They died some years ago but I believe they were helping me.

“I remember trying to think of the words to one of my favourite Turkish love songs. As the days went by I could remember more and more. That’s when I knew I was getting a bit better.”

Mrs Nazim, talking to her husband through FaceTime from their home in Islington, had told him: “You must fight. We need you. You are our rock.”

Mr Nazim was among the first patients to receive oxygen using a newly developed CPAP device, which pushes an air-oxygen mix into the mouth and nose, keeping airways open and increasing the amount of oxygen entering the lungs.

Although the mask was tight and uncomfortable, he said he was relieved that it meant he wouldn’t have to be heavily sedated, intubated and hooked up to a traditional ventilator.

Mrs Nazim said: “Because it is such a new virus, they were cautious. But if there was a change in oxygen levels we were so happy.

“Those calls were our lifeline. I remember one of the members of staff was so sweet – I think her name was Stacey – telling us ‘we are not just treating your husband; we are treating you as well’. She knew we were suffering at home. We weren’t just some faceless family members.”

Nearly a month after being admitted, Mr Nazim was well enough to go home. On April 28, UCLH staff lined the corridors to say farewell.

“When I saw Margaret and the children I squeezed and hugged them so tight,” he said.

Mr Nazim, who continues to have regular health check-ups, said he is “nearly back to normal”, although he added he still feels emotional when
talking about his experiences.

“So many other families have not had the same outcome,” said Mrs Nazim. “We are so grateful to everyone at UCLH – from the consultants to the cleaners.”

The couple, who will celebrate their 44th wedding anniversary at the end of May, are now making plans for the future including renewing their wedding vows next year.

Mrs Nazim added she was just 18 when she met Ertan and was two hours late for their first date.

She recalls: “He was still waiting for me, in the rain. That’s when I knew for certain that Ertan was one to keep.”