Battling Byron (5) recovering after coronavirus hospital dash

A FIVE-YEAR-OLD New Milton boy is recovering well after being dashed to hospital suffering with the coronavirus.

Byron Johnson was rushed to University Hospital Southampton last Friday after becoming unresponsive, and was treated in its respiratory and coronavirus unit.

He was there for a few hours before medics decided to send him home, and his mother, Tanya Isaac, says he is now feeling “much better”.

Speaking to the A&T today (Tuesday), Tanya (26) said: “It is absolutely one of the worst things I’ve ever witnessed.

“Byron is quite a resilient child as he’s been through a lot in his short life, and who knows how he really felt as he is on the autism spectrum and non-verbal."

Tanya added: "But he’s back to his usual cheeky self now. I’m happy he’s home – we’ve had a few more bad days but are definitely much better now.

“I think it affected everyone in the house who had to see what he went through.”

As reported in the A&T, Byron attended his New Milton school until its closure on Friday 20th March before his family decided to isolate at home since Byron suffers from asthma.

However, the following Monday he began to get ill and his coronavirus diagnosis was confirmed when he went downhill later that week.

His admittance to hospital also prompted Tanya to call out those who were flouting government advice.

She posted the image of Byron fighting off the coronavirus in hospital on Facebook.

Underneath the image, Tanya said: “To those who are still out meeting in the big groups, sunbathing at the park and bundling one another in supermarkets, to the ones who make jokes about the coronavirus, and the ones who are saying kids are fine and will survive – here is Byron.

“Five years old, non-verbal and suffering because of your ignorance to this worldwide crisis.

“He is an asthmatic and has had temperatures [up to] 41; vomiting, severe body pain, shakes, unable to walk, difficulty in breathing and an aggressive cough and so on…”

She urged the public: “Keep yourself and your family and friends and especially young children safe… stay at home, people.”