An experienced NHS nurse has revealed how a severe bout of influenza shattered her health, leaving her permanently dependent on oxygen and fighting for her life on the waiting list for a double lung transplant.
From A&E Frontline to Permanent Oxygen
Claire Davies, 34, once thrived in the high-pressure environment of a hospital Accident and Emergency department. Today, she is mostly housebound, reliant on 22 bottles of oxygen delivered to her home each week and forced to abandon the nursing career she loved for remote work.
The dramatic decline began in September 2022, shortly after she returned to work following two years of shielding on her consultant's advice during the Covid-19 pandemic. She believes her immunity may have been compromised, leading her to catch a flu virus that would change everything.
"People think, 'Oh, it's just a cold'. But for anyone with a chronic respiratory condition, it is like death," Claire states, reflecting on the common misconception about influenza.
A Fight for Survival and Facing 'Tin-Hat' Trolls
Claire has lived with severe cystic bronchiectasis and bronchiolitis obliterans since childhood, managing her health expertly to train and work as a nurse. This time, standard rescue packs of medication failed. After two weeks of worsening illness, she was hospitalised and tested positive for flu.
Her situation became critical. A do-not-resuscitate order was placed on her bed, and consultants warned she was too ill for a ventilator should she deteriorate further. "I was on 24/7 oxygen in the hospital, and even weeks later, I couldn't get out of bed," she recalls. "I was being washed in bed because I had no energy. I thought: this could really kill me."
Now, while advocating for annual flu and Covid vaccination, she has become a target for anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists online. "I attract the tin hat brigade’s conspiracy theories," she says, dismissing the abuse but noting the pain caused when lies affect her family. Critics have even attacked her for dyeing her hair or weight fluctuations, ignoring her grave medical reality.
Awaiting Transplant and Advocating for Change
Claire's future now hinges on the call for a double lung transplant. In the meantime, she is working to establish a local support group for people on oxygen, a resource she found desperately lacking.
She expresses complex views on the ongoing NHS doctor strikes, acknowledging the immense pressure staff work under and their need for fair pay, while also worrying about the public health impact during rising flu cases.
Her core message is one of education and collective responsibility. "I can't tell you what you should or shouldn’t do," she says regarding vaccinations. "But if you have somebody vulnerable at home, then the main aim is to work together to protect them for the greater good."
Asthma + Lung UK offers a free Winter Wellness Guide to help people with lung conditions stay well during the colder months.
