Covid-19 pastor’s powerful message from hospital bed; ‘heed the warnings’

Mark McClurg of Ards Elim is slowly recovering after a week spent fighting for his life in the ICU of the Ulster Hospital.

The 40-year-old father-of-three has posted a powerful video on social media warning others not to dismiss the coronavirus as a “cold or cough”.

As well as praising his hospital carers, Mr McClurg said we all must help protect the NHS staff he described as the “heart and soul of Northern Ireland.”

He said: “I wanted to share personal video about how deadly and dangerous this is.

“This coronavirus is deadly and dangerous. It wants to take all of the life out of your lungs.

“Don’t think for a moment this is just a wee cold and a cough you will get.

“So please, please listen to all the advice of government. Keep the social distancing.”

Mr McClurg added: “But at the moment we must protect the NHS. We must protect the heart and soul of Northern Ireland. Our NHS staff need us.”

“I want to thank the ICU staff at the Ulster Hospital – they have saved my life.”

The pastor is extremely concerned that the demand for ventilators will soon exceed the number available, and fears for the worst if the warnings over self-isolation and social distancing are not taken seriously.

“I don’t want it to get to the stage where they have to choose who lives and who dies,” he told BBC Radio Ulster on Wednesday.