Queen Elizabeth shares her COVID experience; 'It does leave one very tired and exhausted, doesn't it?'
April 11, 2022, 8:56 am

Queen Elizabeth shares her COVID experience; 'It does leave one very tired and exhausted, doesn't it?'

Queen Elizabeth-Britain's Queen Elizabeth/Shutterstock

The Sky News reported, the Queen has revealed she was left "very tired and exhausted" by her bout of COVID-19 during a virtual meeting of hospital staff in London.

Her Majesty tested positive for the virus in February and had what Buckingham Palace described as "mild cold-like symptoms".

Speaking at the virtual official opening of the Queen Elizabeth Unit at Royal London Hospital, the Queen said of coronavirus: "It does leave one very tired and exhausted, doesn't it? This horrible pandemic. It's not a nice result."

The Queen, 95, was speaking to Asef Hussain, one of 800 people treated at the north-east London hospital, which was built in five weeks during the pandemic to meet demand.

Mr Hussain was the third member of his family to go to hospital with COVID-19 when he fell ill in December 2020.

His brother died, followed by his father, who passed away while Mr Hussain was on a ventilator.

The Queen marks the opening of the Royal London's Queen Elizabeth Unit
The Queen, as Patron of the Royal London Hospital, has paid tribute to NHS key workers, hearing about their experiences of working on the front line of healthcare during the pandemic. Her Majesty also marked the official opening of the hospital’s Queen Elizabeth Unit, which is one of the biggest critical care units in the country; the 155-bed Unit was built on the 14th and 15th floors of the hospital in just five weeks, in response to surging patient numbers due to the outbreak of Covid-19. The team at The Royal London Hospital quickly adapted to meet the scale and demands of the challenge before them, and The Queen spoke to staff who cared for over 800 critically ill patients on the unit, and their families. Speaking from The Queen Elizabeth Unit, the NHS staff described the difficulties of caring for patients who could not receive physical visits from their loved ones, and their own sacrifices of leaving their families at home, in order to do their vital jobs safely.
Posted by The Royal Family on Sunday, April 10, 2022

He told the Queen that his wife, Shamima, called 999 after he struggled to catch his breath.

He said: "I remember waking up one morning and just finding it really, really difficult to breathe."

"I remember waking my wife saying that I feel like there's no oxygen in the room. I remember me sticking my head out the window, just trying to breathe, trying to get that extra oxygen."

Queen Elizabeth recovers to carry out virtual engagements

Mr Hussain was on a ventilator at the hospital for seven weeks and is still recovering from the illness, only having recently stopped using a wheelchair.

His wife told the Queen that there were 500 friends and family from across the world praying for her husband, to which the monarch joked: "So you have a large family, or a large influence on people?"

The Queen listened to other stories from patients and staff, with one nurse telling her: "We held their hands, we wiped their tears and we provided comfort."

Senior sister Mireia Lopez Rey Ferrer, who has worked in the hospital since 2008, described her team's commitment to their patients.

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She said: "As nurses we made sure that they were not alone."

"It felt at times that we were running a marathon with no finish line."

"I look back to the last 18 months with great pride, pride not only in the care we provided to each and every single patient, that was in one of our hospital beds, but pride in each member of staff that every day they left their families at home despite their fears and worries and they came to work."

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The Queen also spoke to the construction team that built the unit on the hospital's 14th and 15th floors, telling them: "It is very interesting, isn't it, when there is some very vital thing, how everybody works together and pulls together - marvellous isn't it?"

When members of the team said it was the "Dunkirk spirit", Her Majesty replied: "Thank goodness it still exists."

Source: skynews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.