London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 28, 2026

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
GB News Pundit Charged With Fraud Over Alleged Conduct as Former Labour Adviser
Reform UK Gains Parliamentary Visibility in First Senedd Opposition Appearance
Metropolitan Police Arrest Man on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After London Car Incident
Ocado Chief Executive Tim Steiner Faces Scrutiny Over £100 Million Remuneration Package
British Chambers of Commerce Downgrades UK Growth Outlook to 0.9 Percent for 2026
Nottingham University Hospitals Maternity Failings Trigger Renewed Calls for Public Inquiry
Severe Heatwave Disrupts UK Transport Networks and Strains Public Services Across England
Labour Leadership Transition Raises Prospect of Andy Burnham Becoming UK Prime Minister
UK Government Confirms Further Medicine Price Concessions for Community Pharmacies in June
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for Public Procurement Reform to Boost Regional Growth
Thousands Mark Armed Forces Day Across the United Kingdom With National Parades and Flypasts
Man Arrested in Ealing on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After Vehicle Ramming Incident Injures Five
Cambridge South Station Opens With £250 Million Investment to Strengthen Life Sciences Corridor
UK Heat-Health Alerts Extended Across England as High Temperatures Persist
Thames Water and Energy Operators Warn of Peak Demand Risks During UK Heatwave
Government Conference Highlights Push for Evidence-Led Policy Across UK Public Sector
Insolvency Service Reports Improved Confidence in UK Insolvency System
Security Industry Authority Finds Widespread Safety Failures in UK Night-Time Economy
Nigel Farage Expands Anti-WHO Campaign Into United States With New Lobbying Structure
Home Secretary Seema Mahmood Unveils New Safe Routes Plan for Asylum Seekers
UK Government Warns of Peak Electricity and Water Pressure Amid Ongoing Heatwave
New Nuclear Plant in Wales Named Gwyndod Power Station as Energy Strategy Advances
UK Announces First Major Hydropower Projects in Four Decades to Expand Renewable Capacity
Thirteen Men Charged in Major UK Sexual Abuse Case as Investigation Continues
UK Launches Cross-Sector Climate Security Taskforce Linking Environment and National Security
UN Secretary-General António Guterres Calls for Urgent Global Methane Emissions Cuts in London
World Bank Approves $1 Billion UK-Backed Financing Package for Ukraine Recovery
UK Pledges Emergency Aid and Rescue Team Deployment to Earthquake-Hit Venezuela
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent for Fourth Straight Meeting
Record-Breaking Heatwave Puts Strain on UK Health Services and Energy Networks
London Ambulance Service Sees Record Emergency Demand as Heatwave Intensifies
British Chambers of Commerce Warns of Prolonged Weak Investment Climate Through 2027
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates as Inflation Risks Persist
UK Construction Sector Faces One Percent Contraction Amid Cost and Investment Pressures
Former DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson Convicted of Sexual Offences
Church of England Appoints Dr Linsay Cunningham to Lead Faith and Public Life Division
UK Armed Forces Day Marked Nationwide With Events From Aberdeen to the Scilly Isles
Rising Tensions in Edinburgh Prompt Joint Warning From Scottish Local Government Leaders
UK Construction Sector Forecast to Contract One Percent in 2026 on Cost Pressures
UK Parliament Backs 87 Percent Emissions Cut as Government Deepens Electrification Drive
British Chambers of Commerce Forecast Weak UK Growth as Investment and Demand Slow
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent Amid Energy and Inflation Uncertainty
London Ambulance Service Reports Record Surge in Life-Threatening Emergency Calls During Heatwave
UK Parliament Approves Legally Binding 87 Percent Emissions Cut Target by 2040
United Kingdom Records Third Consecutive Day of Record June Heat as Europe Faces Worsening Heatwave
Robert Jenrick Defends £5 Million Donation to Nigel Farage Amid Political Scrutiny
Plymouth Museum The Box Wins 2026 Art Fund Museum of the Year Award
UK Government Faces Backlash Over Plans to Use Former Military Sites for Asylum Accommodation
Labour Party Faces Pressure Over Cabinet Stability as Senior Figures Clash on Policy Direction
Heathrow Airport Forecasts Passenger Decline in 2026 as Costs and Climate Disruption Mount
×