Covid-19: Cornwall hospital worker returns days after caring for dying sister

A hospital worker said she carried on working on the ward where she cared for her sister, who died with Covid-19, as "the fight needed to go on".

Healthcare assistant Andrea Haysman was with Wendy Dennis, 60, when she died at Royal Cornwall Hospital on 8 January.

Her brother-in-law Victor Dennis, 61, also died with Covid-19 on the same ward, two days later.

Mrs Haysman said despite feeling "broken" she wanted to "save as many as I can".

The couple had been admitted to hospital in early January, just days after Mr Dennis, who worked as a community carer, tested positive for the virus.

He died on 10 January - the same day Mrs Haysman returned for a night shift.

"Trying to stay totally professional when inside you were totally breaking, it really was the hardest thing I ever had to do," she said.

She added: "I went back to work because the fight needed to go on, people still needed help and the team that worked on our ward, well the hospital together, we are much stronger."

In a text message to her other sister, Sonia Lawrence, she wrote: "Inside I feel broken, but people still need help to fight this and I want to help my work colleagues to save as many as I can.

"It's something I feel I've got to do."

Mrs Lawrence said: "Words could not express how proud I feel to say that Andrea is my sister."

She added the family felt "very privileged" Mrs Dennis was being cared for by a loved one as she died.

"She had the advantage of being there and my sister had the advantage of having her there, because so many don't."