Jack Bowden, 98, with his son Mark, 58

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Former World War 2 hero is now believed to be the oldest coronavirus survivor in the UK at age 98, after recovering in less than a week from being discharged.

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Jack Bowden, who will be turning 99 in May, has stunned healthcare professionals with his miraculous recovery speed from the virus that has tragically killed 1,789 British citizens so far. The great grandfather went into hospital over a week ago for a water infection as doctors had become concerned when Mr Bowden felt confused and disorientated, whilst there he tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed into an ICU isolation ward, only to be released three days later.

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Medics at the Royal Bolton Hospital had come to the conclusion that the second world war pharmacist, to which he played a vital role in the development of Penicillin, would be better off in isolation at his care home in Greater Manchester as opposed to the ward where he could possibly pose a risk of infection.

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​Jack Bowden, during the second world war worked as a pharmacist and helped in the production of Penicillin to treat injured solders

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Mr Bowden's youngest son Mark, 58, actually prepared a goodbye letter after doctors informed him that his father had contracted the deadly virus. He shared the account between the two of them by saying "I thought I'd never see him again. I wrote him a lovely letter and within an hour he rang me and said 'I think I've got the real thing', but by Friday the nurses said he's doing amazing".

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Mark added that whilst he doesn't think his father is out of the woods quite yet, he believes he's getting there stating "he is sat up in his chair, he's comfortable and he is well on the way to recovery. I'm pretty sure he has passed the infectious stage."

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On D-Day, he was based in Portsmouth where he gave out blood transfusions to Allied servicemen returning from the war zone of Normandy.

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Jack's granddaughter, Nicola Hyams, was also every ecstatic to hear he's doing well as she said 'Everyone’s so impressed by how he managed, he’s gone back home now and by all accounts he’s doing very well, even complaining about having to stay in his bed.'

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The consultants who treated him are now planning to use him as a case study to assist them in the upcoming months of battling the coronavirus, having now hit over 860,000 positive cases globally and well over 40,000 deaths, a case like this will find use.

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For more information about COVID-19 visit:

https://www.daywebster.com/blog/2020/03/everything-you-need-to-know-about-covid-19

https://www.daywebster.com/information-regarding-covid-19-coronavirus

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