Jason Kelk Death: UK’s longest Covid-19 patient, 49, dies after 15 months in hospital

The UK’s longest-known coronavirus inpatient has died after he decided to withdraw from treatment, his wife said.

Jason Kelk, 49, contracted coronavirus in March 2020 and had spent more than a year in intensive care at St James’ Hospital in Leeds.

He had been transferred to a hospice on Friday morning and died with his family around him.

Sue Kelk, his wife, wrote on Facebook on Friday: “It is with a very heavy heart that I have to share the sad news that Jason passed away peacefully at St Gemma’s at 12.40pm.”

She told Sky News: “He was my soulmate. We were opposite sides of the same coin – different but joined together.”

She had previously posted on Thursday that her husband, a primary school IT worker, faced another setback after contracting an infection.

Following Mr Kelk’s death, Mrs Kelk told the Yorkshire Evening Post that it was “definitely important for him to do it on his terms” adding that his death “is leaving an awful lot of people absolutely bereft.”

She also praised his bravery as he no longer wanted “to live like this anymore”.

In recent months Mr Kelk had spent several weeks off a ventilator, but he had to use one again after his condition worsened. He also still required kidney dialysis.

Doctors thought he would also always need a tracheostomy tube in order to remove fluid build up in his throat and windpipe.

Before his condition deteriorated, Mrs Kelk said her husband had started drinking cups of tea and eating soup and was using Facebook Messenger nearly “every day”.

Mrs Kelk had also at one point been making plans for his return home and launched a crowdfunding appeal to help fund converting their property.

Mr Kelk was admitted to hospital on 31 March last year at around the same time as Derek Draper, the husband of TV presenter Kate Garraway.

Although Mr Draper was also left seriously ill after contracting COVID he returned home in April.

Mrs Kelk has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to for her husband’s funeral.

NGNEWS247.COM