A super-fit cycling fanatic is fighting for his life in hospital as his wife begs younger people to ‘understand you are not invincible’ from the deadly Coronavirus.
Daniel Schuchman, 40, an IT executive and father-of-four from North London, came down with Covid-19 symptoms last week and was hospitalised three days later.
He has now spent seven days in hospital where he is struggling to speak or walk, requiring constant oxygen.
His wife, Anna Schuchman, said: ‘There is a face and name behind every one of these statistics. Don’t think it will happen to you. Being fit and healthy and young is not a get-out clause.’
Super-fit cycling fanatic Daniel Schuchman, 40, who is battling coronavirus in hospital
Daniel Schuchman in his hospital bed wearing an oxygen mask at Northwick Park hospital
Friend Charlotte Winkler, left, Daniel Schuchman, centre, and Anna Schuchman
Mrs Schuchman, 38, a personal trainer and nutritionist, said her husband cycled 30 miles every Sunday morning and had no underlying health conditions.
‘He came down with a fever on Sunday night and we could hear him coughing all the way from downstairs,’ she said.
‘By Tuesday, my big, tall, strapping husband was a shadow of himself. He was crumpled in his chair and he couldn’t lift his chin up.
‘The following day we rushed him to hospital and we haven’t seen him since.’
Mrs Schuchman said she had a very clear message for the British public. ‘Whether you are young or old, healthy or overweight, take this seriously,’ she said.
‘You’re infectious before you get hit. It’s invisible. You can’t see where you’re leaving your germs and you can infect lots of other people. I just want everyone to stay indoors.’
Mrs Schuchman took the decision to rush her husband to hospital when his breathing was very laboured and he became confused, not even knowing where he was.
His fever was not responding to over-the-counter drugs, she said, and he lost the ability to walk.
‘It took me 20 minutes to get him to the toilet and I couldn’t get him out,’ she said. ‘I started panicking. That’s when I knew it was an emergency.’
Mr Schuchman was taken to Northwick Park hospital in Harrow, which has since declared a ‘critical incident’ after its intensive care unit was overwhelmed with Coronavirus patients.
He was transferred to the emergency ward in a wheelchair and that was the last his wife saw of him. He has now been there for seven days.
Daniel Schuchman wearing an oxygen mask in hospital as he battles the coronavirus
Daniel Schuchman, left, and Anna Schuchman, right, on holiday before the virus hit
‘He wasn’t strong enough to use his phone at first so we had to call the ward for updates,’ Mrs Schuchman said. ‘The doctors and nurses were rushed off their feet and you could hear the panic in their voices, but they didn’t scrimp on the time or information they gave us.
‘They were absolutely amazing. Hats off to them.’
After four days, Mr Schuchman was able to use his phone and the couple communicated via a Facetime call.
He was still unable to speak, however, and could only nod or shake his head in response to questions.
By day five, the keen cyclist was able to say a few words. ‘He doesn’t have the energy to say more than one short sentence at a time,’ Mrs Schuchman said. ‘Speaking takes an awful lot of strength.
Anna and Daniel Schuchman and their four children, Ella, 16, Gabe, 13, Micah, 10 and Amalya, 6
Anna and Daniel Schuchman and their three older children at a family event before the illness
‘There is no treatment for Coronavirus, so all the doctors can do is take as much strain off the body as possible so it can fight the virus itself.
‘Yesterday he had a positive morning and they tried to get him into a chair to allow oxygen to circulate into his lungs.
‘Then everything plummeted and he was back to square one.’
Doctors hope that Mr Schuchman has now reached the ‘plateau stage’ of the virus, meaning that his condition will remain stable for a few days before improving.
His wife is self-isolating at home with their four children, aged between six and 16, as she has experienced mild Coronavirus symptoms herself.
‘I’m pretty sure we’ve all had it here,’ she said. ‘The main thing is that we’ve lost our sense of taste. That has recently been recognised as a symptom.
‘I’ve had headaches, ringing in the ears and a tight chest. I got so out of breath teaching a workout class last week.’
Being a single parent to four children is hard, she said, and the children are going ‘stir crazy’.
She added: ‘I’ve had some awful thoughts over the past week, but Dani is more stable now. It’s going to be a long journey.’