Watch moment coronavirus patient is discharged from Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital after six months

Paul Barber thanked the ‘amazing team’ who had looked after him during his six-month stay at the Glossop Road hospital.

Paul said: “I have been given the best care in the world, I couldn’t have asked for more.

"Every single person involved across Sheffield Teaching Hospitals has been absolutely fantastic.

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Paul says that he and his family will be ‘forever grateful’ to the doctors and nurses who cared for him – and issued a plea to other people to take the deadly virus seriously after the Prime Minister said a second wave of Covid-19 was underway in the UK.

"After having being so sick, I really want to urge people not to be complacent about this deadly virus, please follow the rules which are there to help limit the chance of it spreading,” Paul said.

"Wash your hands, follow the rule of 6, wear the face covering, it does make a difference.

"Believe me the impact of Covid-19 is not something to take lightly.”

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Dr Danielle Cohen, consultant in infectious diseases at Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Hallamshire, said: “It is an absolute joy to see Paul make such an amazing recovery after being so sick with Covid-19 in March.

"Paul was on a ventilator for 72 days when he was at his sickest, so to see him how he is today is simply wonderful,” she added.