The wife of a father-of-three who spent two weeks in intensive care after contracting Covid-19 firmly believes the Pfizer vaccination he received saved his life.
Willie Crinion (53), who was fully vaccinated in March due to a number of underlying health issues, remains in Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan.
One of his twin boys, Adam, was admitted for treatment against the virus just days after him. The other twin, Billy, and older brother Jake also suffered severe effects from the virus and are recovering at their home in Trim, Co Meath.
Their mother, the singer-songwriter Kathy Crinion, who had to nurse her ill sons in isolation while her husband was in ICU, has lent her backing to the vaccination campaign, saying “you really don’t want to get Covid-19”.
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“Willie was always going to be vulnerable to Covid-19. As well as the autoimmune issue, he has other underlying conditions,” she said.
“You’d think I should be giving out and telling people there’s no point in getting the vaccine but I’m completely the opposite.
“There is no question that my husband was protected from even more serious symptoms because of the vaccine. I’m completely sure about that. I’m vaccinated too with the AstraZeneca vaccine and surely that can be the only reason I didn’t get it?”
The first indication of an infection was on July 7th, the day before Jake’s 30th birthday, when “Willie just started coughing but we thought it was down to his Sarcoidosis” – an auto-immune disease which he has that affects the lungs.
“When he developed a high temperature, he got tested for Covid and it was positive so he decided it was best for him to isolate in an empty apartment belonging to his family nearby ...
“A day later, my son Billy started getting headaches and a sore throat and within a few days, all three sons were really sick. I was the only one who didn’t get it.”
As her husband’s condition worsened, an ambulance was called. “I went down in my PPE gear and kept my distance just to wave him off,” she said.
While he was brought straight to ICU, her son Adam had to go into hospital for ten days of treatment, “just a day before he was due to get vaccinated and just days before he was due to celebrate his 22nd birthday with his twin Billy.
“Thankfully they and their older brother Jake seem to be okay now but we don’t know if long Covid is going to be a thing yet.”
She added: “My boys are now also going for the vaccine when they are four weeks over the illness.
“It was a very lonely and scary few weeks and it’s not over yet.”
She said her husband was improving, and she praised the hospital staff for their work. “He has put up a big fight and as a family, we are very proud of him.”
In urging everyone to get vaccinated, she also appealed to those who had already received the vaccine not to get complacent.
“It’s such a bizarre illness. If anyone who is vaccinated is under the illusion they are safe, don’t be. You can still get Covid-19 and you can still spread it. The vaccine only means you may not get as sick with it or die from it ...
“I know that without the vaccine, this could have been a very different story ... You don’t want Covid-19 in your lives or in your home or attacking those you love.”