ara Scott had no underlying health conditions when she was struck down with Covid
A fit and healthy Manchester Metropolitan University student has told how she feared she was going to die as she was hospitalised twice with coronavirus.
Lara Scott, who has no underlying health conditions, spent six days in intensive care battling Covid-19. She had two gruelling spells in hospital as her body fought against the virus and then the effects of the medication.
At one point her worried parents at home in Alsager, Cheshire, were warned that she may not pull through. Now Lara - who was 19 when she was first admitted in early October and is now 20 - is warning people to take the virus seriously as she continues to suffer from fatigue.
Coronavirus infection rates in student areas of Cardiff soared in recent weeks and there have been several instances in Swansea of students being seen ignoring rules on social distancing to attend house parties in parts of Wales with among the highest rates of Covid.
The 20-year-old told the Stoke Sentinel: "It was so scary. You see all the young people out partying but they don't realise how dangerous it can be.
"When you're young you think you're invincible. You might be asymptomatic or it could kill you, you just don't know so why take the risk? You have to be so careful as it spreads so easily. It was the scariest time of my life. I genuinely thought I was going to die."
Lara had only just started her social work course at university when she first showed symptoms. Her Covid test on September 27 initially came back negative, while her roommate gave a positive result.
"I thought I better self-isolate anyway and help look after my roommate", Lara said.
"But during the second week she was feeling a lot better and got her sense of taste and smell back but I got really ill.
"It started with a really bad migraine and then I became breathless. Every time I moved I could barely breathe. The slightest movement would knock me out.
"I didn't think it was Covid because my symptoms were so different to my roommate. I didn't really want to make a big deal out of it."