The UK government has taken extreme measures to ensure that all those with underlying health issues are kept as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for four-year-old Archie Wilks from Essex, who was diagnosed with the disease while also fighting an extremely rare form of cancer.
Archie was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in January 2019, and while receiving his treatment for the cancer, he caught coronavirus. With the fear of those with underlying health issues becoming even more present as the death toll continues to rise, Archie adds optimism for a world of people currently fearing for their life.
"It was such a shock that his tests came back positive for coronavirus," said Archie's mum. "The symptoms are very similar to the symptoms he gets from his treatment so we just put his cough down to his immunotherapy. Having a child that has been deemed as extremely vulnerable, we were really worried at how he was going to cope with it, so it's definitely a weight lifted off."
Archie was kept in hospital for six days while he recovered from the virus. "We weren't able to leave the room at all, said Archie's dad. "It was a slightly different experience but the nurses and staff were really helpful; they made it as easy as possible."
Way to go, Archie.
