London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Brit, 29, thought ‘coronavirus was bull***t’ but is now 'paying the price’

Brit, 29, thought ‘coronavirus was bull***t’ but is now 'paying the price’

A British tourist who used to think coronavirus was ‘bull***t’ has posted a powerful video message from his intensive care bed.

Chris Grailey, 29, thought he was ‘invincible’ but is now breathing with an oxygen mask in hospital after catching the virus on holiday in Spain.

The sales manager from Ancoats, Manchester, has no underlying health conditions and admitted he was the ‘first to say (coronavirus) was all bulls**t’.

Now he is unsure he will ‘come out the other side’ and wants other young people to learn from his mistakes and take the virus seriously.



In the video message, a breathless Chris says: ‘I caught it in Tenerife thinking I was invincible, not wearing a mask.

‘I paid the price. I have got no underlying health issues. I don’t want anyone making the same mistakes as me.

‘Now I’m in intensive care, waiting to get more treatment, and not knowing if I’m coming out the other side.

‘So I really want you to take this message on board because it could happen to anyone, please please take care.’

Chris was speaking from his hospital bed in Watford, where he is based for a work project. He said he fell ill on holiday in the Canary Islands last week.

He was diagnosed with coronavirus and acute pneumonia three days ago.

Chris said: ‘I was ill for most of the holiday – lost my taste, smell, had cold sweats.

‘But it got a lot worse on my return home. I was rushed in Sunday morning for tests and scans and sent home on the Sunday night thinking I was okay.

‘I was then rushed in again Tuesday morning straight onto a Covid ward.’

In an emotional social media post, Chris said: ‘The way I have felt in the last week has been as close to hell I have ever been – I honestly sat there and was ready to just give up.

‘I can’t breathe, walk, move. I’m like a zombie. I am on four different antibiotics, steroids, oxygen 24/7, more holes in my arm than a junkie.

‘The reason I’m showing you all this is because I was the first to say it was all bulls**t and ‘nah f**k it we’re young we won’t get it, it’s only bad flu, government conspiracy bla bla bla’ – wrong!

‘This is REAL, it’s real life killing me. So before you think about going to house parties thinking your invincible getting off your heads sharing £10 notes, look at that picture and imagine it could be you.

‘It can get anyone, I’m 29 with no underlying health conditions. This is serious s**t. Please please wake up guys. There’s more to life than this.

‘I really want the young ones going out and not taking any notice to look at my pictures and think it could be them.

‘I have no underlying health issues and 29 and it’s happened to me. Life is too short to risk your health I have learnt the hard way I don’t want people making the same mistakes I have.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×