Non-Smoker Anti-Vaxxer Fights For Life In ICU: 'Get Your Vaccinations'

KEY POINTS

Andrew Pugh, 52, spent three weeks in intensive care after he contracted COVID-19
The father-of-three was unvaccinated because he thought it made him a "hero"
Pugh has started to recover from his illness but remains on oxygen support

An unvaccinated British father is urging others to get their COVID-19 jabs after he narrowly escaped death when he was hospitalized over the holidays.

Andrew Pugh, 52, spent three weeks in intensive care and was admitted to Worcestershire Royal Hospital around Dec. 25 after he tested positive for the coronavirus in early December, Worcester News reported.

The father-of-three from Linden Road — who was unvaccinated because he thought it made him seem like a "hero" — received 75% of his oxygen through a full face mask and struggled to eat, drink or sleep as he was connected to a life-saving apparatus during his stay, according to the local media outlet.

Pugh, a Wychavon District Council binman, also experienced hearing the ventilators of other patients being turned off around him, including that of a mother-of-two who died.

At one point during his stay, a nurse reportedly told Pugh’s girlfriend that he had a 50/50 chance of survival.

Pugh is now recovering from his infection and has been moved to the Avon ward. However, he remains on oxygen support as he continues to recover.

Pugh has since pleaded with others to get vaccinated, but it was unclear if he himself has been jabbed.

"Please people, get your vaccinations. You don't want to end up like me. When you're dead and all your family are heartbroken, you can't turn around and say, 'I wish I had the vaccine,'" Pugh said.

He also thanked the hospital's staff for saving his life.

"If it wasn't for the nurses and the fact I'm a non-smoker, I wouldn't be alive. They saved my life. I want to say thank you to the staff in the ICU for giving me my second chance, it has been hard and it still is," Pugh said.

Sophie Pugh, Andrew's niece, has organized a collection for the staff of the intensive care unit as a sign of gratitude for their work.

"We managed 16 bags, three boxes, bottles of water and juice plus a few vouchers," Sophie was quoted as saying upon delivering the collection two days before Christmas Day.

The U.K. has reported a total of 13,723,275 COVID-19 cases and 149,417 virus-related deaths as of Tuesday, publicly available data provided by Johns Hopkins University showed.