Tom Moore, the 100-year-old World War II veteran who captivated the British public in the early days of coronavirus pandemic with his fundraising efforts, he was hospitalized with COVID-19, his daughter said on Sunday.
Hannah Ingram-Moore revealed in a statement on Twitter that her father, widely known as Captain Tom, was admitted to Bedford Hospital because he needed “additional help” with his breathing.
She said that in the past few weeks her father had been treated for pneumonia and that he had tested positive for coronavirus last week.
She said he was being treated in an infirmary, not an intensive care unit.
DYLAN MARTINEZ / REUTERS
“The medical care he has received in recent weeks has been remarkable and we know that the wonderful staff at Bedford Hospital will do everything they can to make him comfortable and, hopefully, return home as soon as possible,” she said.
Moore became a symbol of hope in the first weeks of the pandemic in April, when he went 100 rounds in his garden in England for the National Health Service to coincide with his 100th birthday. Instead of aspiring for 1,000 pounds ($ 1,370), he raised about 33 million pounds ($ 45 million).
Moore, who rose to the rank of captain while serving in India and Burma during the war, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in July for their fundraising efforts.
Best wishes came from everywhere, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who tweeted that Moore had “inspired the whole nation, and I know we all wish you a full recovery”.