Ayr United fan who sold face masks tells of coronavirus hospital battle

Alasdair Malcolm, 56, was admitted to a COVID ward at Crosshouse Hospital as doctors wanted to monitor his condition, which was described as “borderline”.

The ex-police officer’s temperature had spiked to 39.7 degrees just days after testing positive for COVID-19.

Alasdair, who lives with his wife of 27 years Catherine and their three daughters, said he was lucky compared to others in the ward who had to be kept on a constant supply of oxygen.

He told the Advertiser: “It was about two weeks ago that I got the first symptoms, which was the lack of taste and smell. It just sorts of creeps up on you.

“One of the family had tested positive on the Thursday, everyone except one came back as positive.

“Over the next three days, it started to get the stage I wasn’t able to take a full breath, then the coughing started, and I was very short of breath with no appetite at all.”

Alasdair decided to call NHS 24 on Monday, November 4 who sent them to an assessment centre at the Kilmarnock Hospital.

He said: “It was a drive in facility. The nurses came out and gave me some checks.

“Although I didn’t feel as though I was particularly hot, when they checked my temperature it was 39.7 degrees.

“At that point they sent me to another unit for more tests.

“They said I was borderline, not at the stage of needing additional oxygen but they decided it was best to keep me in and try and get the fever down. That extended to four days.”

Alasdair has told how the virus was the “strangest” illness he has ever faced and should not underestimated as no worse than flu.

He said: “It is the unknown that is the worst thing. You started to see how folk were with masks on and you thought, “Am I next?’

“It was a crucial time. Apparently the biggest likelihood for developing the really serious symptoms is between seven to 10 days.

“I went in on the Monday. I was on day seven and there was a potential for it to possibly get worse.”

The news of Alasdair’s coronavirus battle shocked many fellow Ayr United supporters who bought face masks from him earlier this year to help him raise £3,659.64 to go back into the club.

And he says the countless messages of support were the extra shot in the arm he needed.

He added: “That in itself is a boost. It is almost like medicine in itself, you get all the good wishes from folk.

“A Kilmarnock supporter I know posted that I was in hospital and there were a lot of nice messages after that as well.”

Now Alasdair is resting up and taking things “step by step” as he recovers from coronavirus.

After his ordeal, he is relishing the possibility of a vaccine being introduced and is urging people to stick to the rules.

He added: “I would absolutely take a vaccine now. I’d take everything that is going just now. Before I caught coronavirus, I had the flu vaccine and for the first time ever I was vaccinated for pneumonia – even that might have helped me beat this.

“But I would have no fears of taking one for coronavirus.

“The best thing we can all do is stick with the rules as much as possible and take on board what the scientists are saying.”