LBC’s Theo Usherwood reveals how Long Covid has wreaked havoc on his body

LBC‘s Political Editor says Covid has wreaked such havoc on his health that he now no longer has ‘the option’ to pursue the big physical challenges – including running a marathon – that he enjoyed prior to falling ill. 

Theo Usherwood, believed to be 40, told the radio station that he would ‘give every material possession’ he owned to not have contracted the virus. 

In March last year, Usherwood battled pneumonia at the Royal London Hospital and told host James O’Brien yesterday that he’d had a ‘sticky few days’ where his health had deteriorated so badly he was left ‘gasping for air’. 

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Political Editor for LBC, Theo Usherwood, who contracted Covid in March 2020 told the station in an emotional interview that he would ‘give every material possession’ he owned to not have contracted the virus

The broadcaster interviewing London Mayor Sadiq Khan, left, before falling ill with Covid in March last year. 16 months on, Usherwood told LBC that he had been robbed by the virus of being able to take on the kind of big physical challenges – including running a marathon – that he had done in his thirties

More than a year on, Usherwood, who is married to wife Romella, with whom he shares a son, Kofi, told the station that he’s fascinated by people who say think they won’t be affected by the virus because they’re in good health. 

He said: ‘I’m always fascinated by people who say: because I’m healthy, I don’t need to get the vaccine.’

Detailing how he’d undertaken a marathon and a cycling challenge in his 30s, Usherwood, who had no underlying health conditions, said he was now left with no possibility of doing such strenuous activity because of the long-term impact the virus has had on his health. 

‘I’ve been very fortunate to have run marathons, I did a great cycling trip, I got this job at LBC. I’ve got no option of doing these things in my forties.’

Usherwood told host James O’Brien he was ‘fascinated by people who say: because I’m healthy, I don’t need to get the vaccine’ as he urged young people to take the jab

Writing in The Times shortly after his release from hospital last year, he said his ordeal had started slowly and left him ‘gasping for air’ two weeks later

He urged healthy young people to get the vaccine, saying he would have avoided being admitted to hospital and the long-term effects the virus has had on his health if he’d been able to access the jab. 

‘I wouldn’t have ended up in hospital, I wouldn’t have ended up with pneumonia. You guys – people don’t realise how lucky we are to have it. It’s incredible. 

‘It won’t completely take it away and there’ll still be people who get it, it’s not the complete silver bullet, but it’s so close to being that. 

“I just think ‘why risk it?’ – just get it!”‘ 

Writing in The Times shortly after his release from hospital last year, he said his ordeal had started slowly and left him ‘gasping for air’ two weeks later. 

‘It had crept up on me over the course of 11 days, slowly squeezing the air from my lungs until I was almost unable to breathe. 

‘What had started as all the symptoms of flu — aching limbs, headache, extreme fatigue — had slowly worsened. I had a severe cough, which felt as if a clamp was being applied to my chest, and painful stomach cramps.’ 

Last week, the Government’s advisory panel ruled older teenagers should be given their first dose. Ministers plan to invite them before they head back to schools and colleges in September.