A man who was diagnosed with E. coli during the recent deadly outbreak told Sky News he feared he would die.
John Daniels, a 66-year-old chartered surveyor, fell ill after he says he ate a chicken and bacon Caesar wrap purchased from Boots in May.
The product was one of those subsequently recalled as a precautionary measure.
The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) continues to investigate the nationwide outbreak of the STEC strain of E. coli.
It has been confirmed one person died among the more than 200 cases of the infection.
Daniels, who lives in Cheshire, spent three days in hospital after being diagnosed and continues to suffer complications.
“I have never felt so much pain, absolutely unbearable pain,” he said.
“What was going through my head, especially when I was on all the IVs and the pain meds weren’t working, was whether this was something more sinister and whether I was actually going to survive.
“There was one night in particular where I was afraid to go to sleep because I thought ‘I’m not going to wake up’.”
The outbreak was linked to lettuce. Archive photos
Dozens of products have been removed from shelves as a precautionary measure following the UKHSA identified lettuce in sandwiches and wraps as a potential source of infection.
The STEC strain of E. Coli is particularly nasty and nearly half of the people confirmed to be infected have been admitted to hospital.
Daniels said he was interviewed by UKHSA while in hospital and has now asked lawyers to investigate his case.
“It should be safe for the general public to go to a store and buy a sandwich that doesn’t cause serious illness or, in some cases, worse,” he said.
“The public needs to know that we cannot allow our food supply to be affected in this way.”
Sandwich maker Greencore told Sky News it had no comment.
Boots says FSA tests did not find E. coli in any of its products
In a statement, a Boots spokesperson said: “In response to the Greencore product recall on 14 June 2024, Boots has taken the precautionary step of recalling a number of its sandwiches and wraps.
“There have been no positive STEC E. coli results in any of the testing of our products carried out by the Food Standards Agency.”
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The number of reported cases is falling, according to the UKHSA. The person who died in May had underlying health conditions.
A “complex investigation” continues to identify the root cause of the outbreak so that steps can be taken to prevent a recurrence.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
