'I FEARED I WAS GOING TO DIE'

Johnson reveals harrowing Covid ordeal

- Lucy Roberts

CHESTER joint boss Anthony Johnson has spoken of the Covid ordeal that left him hospitalised – and admits it had him fearing he might die.

The former Salford City manager also suffered kidney failure and was diagnosed with pneumonia when he contracted the deadly infection.

“It was the scariest time of my life,” he told Uclan Live. “I thought for a day or two that was it.”

The 38-year-old, who takes charge of the National League North Blues alongside Bernard Morley, tested positive for the virus on July 19 after his nine-year-old daughter Bella contracted it following outbreaks in her class at school.

He isolated and experienced flu-like symptoms but things took a sharp turn for the worse and a week later, wife Kayla had to call him an ambulance when he started to suffer serious breathing problems.

Johnson was taken to the hospital’s Covid ward at 1.30 am following his stint in resus, with doctors gravely concerned at how low his blood oxygen levels, sparking fears over possible kidney failure.