Last night’s (Wednesday, July 14) sobering ITV evening news highlighted that there are currently 60 people being treated for coronavirus due to the highly transmissible Delta variant.

Statistics show that around two-thirds of adults throughout the UK population have now had at least one vaccination, but over 60 per cent of Covid patients in Royal Preston Hospital (RPH) have not been vaccinated, or have only had one.

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Unvaccinated 28-year-old Darren Gaskell was pictured looking very unwell and was barely audible due to the oxygen mask he was wearing.

Read more: Prestonians being urged to use their ‘common sense’ as Covid restrictions ease from July 19

He said: “I didn’t think I was going to catch it. I didn’t really know anybody that close to me who’d had Covid. I just thought it was more of a worldwide thing than a local thing. I just didn’t think I was going to get it.

“I thought I’m young, I’ll be able to fight it if I get it, it’ll just be a bit of flu, but it’s not. I’ve never been this ill in my life. This is the most ill I’ve ever been.

“If I could turn back the clock I would get vaccinated. Everyone should get vaccinated as soon as possible if they can.”

There are many fit and healthy people in their 30s on ventilators in the hospital. These are people who are eligible for the jab and have chosen not to have it, but are now fighting for their lives.

Read more: Here is what will change in Preston during step four of the government roadmap

Helen Heneghan, who is in her 50s and has underlying health conditions received the first of her two doses in December 2020.

She attributes her recovery to the fact she has had both her vaccines.

She said: “I was double vaccinated in December due to underlying health problems and we were told at the time that it wouldn’t be 100 per cent which I accepted wholeheartedly. Any protection is better than none.

“I didn’t hesitate to have the vaccine and I am 100 per cent sure that if I hadn’t had the vaccine I would be in a very different position.”

RPH are doing all they can to not cause serious outbreaks in the hospital and are trying to protect patients and staff.

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