THE first known Brit to have caught coronavirus has died after suffering months of “hardship”, his heartbroken mum has revealed.
Student Connor Reed, 26, had been working at a college in Wuhan in China teaching English when he fell ill with the bug in November last year.
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He first shrugged off the symptoms as flu and was off work bedridden in his apartment.
But Connor, of Llandudno, north Wales, was then hospitalised after developing a serious cough and losing his voice.
He went on to make a recovery but Connor was found dead at his halls of residence at Bangor University last week.
His heartbroken mum Hayley, who lives in Brisbane, Australia, revealed he had never quite got over the “hardship” he had endured after catching Covid-19.
‘MONTHS OF HARDSHIP’
She told The Sun: “To say Connor had a sense of adventure was an understatement.
“When he told us he was going to learn Chinese we didn’t really believe him but he knuckled down and went on his own to China and in a few years was speaking fluent mandarin.
“Over the last six months he endured a lot of hardship in China contracting Covid and having over 20 weeks lockdown under strict conditions.
“He endured more lockdown than anyone we have even known – 16 weeks harsh lockdown in Wuhan, two weeks in Australia and a further three weeks in the UK.
“We are both broken hearted that his adventures came to an end at Bangor University where he was studying for a degree in Chinese language with what looks like a tragic accident.
He endured more lockdown than anyone we have even known – 16 weeks harsh lockdown in Wuhan, two weeks in Australia and a further three weeks in the UK.
Hayley Reed
“We will never know where his ambition and drive would have taken him.
“We would like to give Connor the funeral he deserves in the UK and also Australia.
“We will not be able to attend his funeral in the UK due to the coronavirus restriction.
“Therefore we will make sure we all celebrate his life at his home in Australia.”
Police and paramedics were called to his flat last weekend but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident is not being treated as suspicious and he is the ninth UK student to have died since universities returned last month.
‘HOT TODDY REMEDY’
Describing his coronavirus symptoms earlier this year, Connor said: “The cough turned into a pneumonia-type thing and I ended up in hospital as my breathing was as if I was breathing into a paper bag.
“I didn’t want to take any antibiotics and just drank hot toddies made of hot whiskey and honey, and that really helped my sore throat.
“I’m walking proof you can survive the Coronavirus.”
Connor, whose parents Hayley and Rod moved to Australia around a decade ago, said he was ill for around two weeks before making a full recovery.
His family have launched a fundraiser to give him “the funeral he deserves”.
A North Wales Police spokesman said: “Shortly after 10pm on October 25, north Wales Police were requested by the ambulance service to attend at a student’s room at a Bangor University halls of residence.
“Regrettably, despite the best efforts of friends and paramedics, a 26-year-old male student was pronounced dead at the location.
“Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and friends following this tragic death of a young student, and we request that their privacy is respected.
“The death is not being treated as suspicious and the coroner for North West Wales, Mr Dewi Pritchard Jones has been informed.”
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Coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones at Caernarfon confirmed they have opened an investigation into his death.
A 55-year-old individual from Hubei province in China is believed to be the first person to have contracted Covid-19 in the world, dating back to November 17.
Connor fell ill a short time later on November 25.
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