COVID-19 patient in hospital regrets not getting vaccinated

A bakery owner receiving treatment in the intensive care unit in northwestern Turkey regretted not having his COVID-19 jab in time, urging others to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Feeling unwell, Mehmet Özturk, 43, went to a hospital in Sakarya province and was diagnosed with the disease. He was referred to the state hospital in Düzce district after his condition worsened.

Receiving treatment for the past two weeks, Özturk said the illness was severe and that he was having trouble breathing.

"I request all to get vaccinated. I made a great mistake in this regard. I will drive people to the hospital so they can get vaccinated right after I am discharged," he added.

Turkey has so far administered nearly 107 million coronavirus vaccine jabs since the country launched an immunization drive early this year. More than 53 million people have got at least one dose whereas 43 million others have been fully vaccinated.

More than 10 million people have received the third dose of booster shots.

Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed over 4.73 million lives in at least 192 countries and regions, with over 231.2 million cases reported worldwide, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University.