Doctors are sharing the story of a UK man who survived COVID-19 against the odds, to inspire colleagues not to give up on patients too early, even when the prognosis looks “bleak”.

The 53-year-old man, who spent 118 days on a ventilator, had a number of comorbidities that made his survival “unlikely”, say doctors from the Hammersmith Hospital in London.

The man, who first presented to another hospital with a two-week history of sore throat and cough, had obesity and type 2 diabetes, hypertension and obstructive sleep apnoea requiring nocturnal CPAP.

In addition, he had severe gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and acute renal failure necessitating renal replacement therapy.