Welsh teen in hospital with Covid targeted online
by anti-vaxxers
17-year-old accused of being an “actress paid by the
government” after urging young people to get vaccinated
Nadeem
Badshah
Tue 31 Aug
2021 20.19 BST
A
17-year-old in hospital with coronavirus has said she has been targeted by
anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists on social media after urging young people
to have the vaccine.
Maisy Evans
said she has been accused of being a “liar” and an “actress paid by the
government” by online trolls.
The
teenager has had symptoms including dizziness, shortness of breath, headaches,
a loss of smell and taste, as well as suffering a Covid-related blood clot on
her lung. She tested positive for the virus on 14 August, three days after
having her first Pfizer jab.
However,
doctors have insisted her illness and her blood clot are unrelated to the
vaccine.
Evans, from
Newport, south Wales, told Sky News: “I’ve had to deal with a lot of
anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists which is deeply frustrating.
“I’ve been
called a liar, an actress paid by the government to push certain agendas,
Satan, a Nazi, evil, and so many more things.
“It’s
totally uncalled for.”
Evans was
admitted to hospital on 25 August and after undergoing numerous blood tests,
X-rays and CT scans, a Covid-related blood clot was discovered on her right
lung.
The former
member of the Welsh youth parliament is being treated at the Grange university
hospital in Cwmbran.
Evans said
she feared she would die when her oxygen levels “dropped dramatically” after
contracting coronavirus and the symptoms left her struggling to stand up
without getting out of breath.
She added
it now takes her an hour to recover from having a shower.
“It feels
as if I’ve run 40 miles.
“I’ve
probably had every possible symptom. I’ve had the cough, the high temperature,
the shakes, the sickness, the dizziness, the shortness of breath, the
excruciating headaches, the body aches. You name a symptom – it’s hit me.
“I even
lost my sense of smell and taste. Most of these symptoms have eased but the
breathlessness is definitely still an issue. It was one of the last symptoms to
develop.”
The
podcaster said her message to young people is: “Get the vaccine to protect
yourself.”
“We are
extremely lucky to have access to a Covid-19 vaccine and it’s important we take
up the opportunity to receive the doses because it’s all about weighing up the
risks,” she said.
“Clearly,
the virus itself poses a risk to young people – I learned the hard way – so
getting a vaccine to protect yourself is so important.”
After
receiving a message of support on social media from Newport East MP, Jessica
Morden, the teenager said her experience was “a tale that needs to be shared”,
adding: “I’d love to know how different my story would be if I’d been offered
the vaccine just a week or two earlier.”
A first
dose of the Covid vaccine is being offered to 16 and 17-year-olds in the UK, with
no second dose planned thus far.
But while
both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna jabs are approved for those aged 12 to 17,
only some children aged 12-15 are eligible for the vaccination – specifically
those who are clinically extremely vulnerable or living with someone who is at
risk.
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