A transplant patient who was admitted to hospital on New Year's Eve has finally been discharged after seven months, having missed the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. Richard Priest, 54, from near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, was admitted to Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge in December with restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Mr Priest spent 227 days in hospital, during which time he required a heart transplant. He praised staff for protecting him from COVID-19, saying he had no indications of having the virus. 'Staff have done a really, really good job of protecting me. They've kept Covid well away from me,' he told the BBC.
Leaving the hospital, Mr Priest was greeted by staff who had cared for him throughout his stay. He said he was 'looking forward to being back home.' His daughter, who had not seen him with a haircut since November 2019, is now keen to style his long locks into a French plait.
