Covid: Nurses who died probably caught virus at work

Two nurses who died with Covid probably became infected at work, an inquest has concluded.

Gareth Morgan Roberts fell ill days after the first lockdown began in March 2020 and died on 11 April.

Dominga David died on 26 May 2020 after being sent home ill from Penarth's Llandough Hospital on 31 March.

Coroner Graeme Hughes said it was "more likely than not" both were exposed to the Covid-19 virus while at work and ruled they died of industrial disease.

"On the balance of probabilities, exposure more likely happened at work and infection happened as a result of that exposure," Mr Hughes told the inquest at Pontypridd Coroner's Court.

The family of Mr Roberts had argued for a conclusion of death by industrial disease, while the health board had made the case for ruling both deaths were from natural causes.

Mr Roberts retired in 2015 after working in the NHS for more than 40 years, but returned to work casual ward shifts.

He told colleagues he did not want to work on a Covid ward at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff because of his age and due to him living with diabetes.

He also cared for his grandson and told a colleague Jodie Davies he could not risk it.

He was working 12-hour shifts in Cardiff in the days leading up to March 25 when he fell ill - two days after the UK announced its first lockdown.

Colleagues described Mr Roberts as "hard-working" and someone "who never let anyone down".

His family said in a statement he was a "much-loved husband, father, and grandfather" and "one of the heroes of the pandemic".

"Gareth touched so many lives, and when he died we received over 1,800 cards of condolence," they said.

Ms David, originally from the Philippines, died on 26 May, almost two months after becoming infected with Covid.

She had been working long shifts at the Llandough Hospital in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan.

Her ward manager, Jane Linton, who gave evidence during the week-long hearing, described her as "a fantastic person and a brilliant nurse".

Ms David, 63, had pre-diabetes but was in otherwise good health and died from complications such as an ischemic bowel, arising from Covid-19, the inquest found.

Coroner Mr Hughes said: "It is more likely than not that she (Ms David) was exposed to the Covid-19 virus at work, was infected as a consequence, and died due to complications of acquiring the disease."

The inquest was told when Mr Roberts and Ms David caught Covid, ward nurses in the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board only used PPE while directly treating patients.

It also heard also shift handovers took place in small cubicles where people did not wear masks. At the time, patients were also not routinely swabbed for Covid.

Helen Whyley, director of the Royal College of Nursing in Wales, said in a statement after the inquest: "We were very concerned about the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and guidance on its use, in healthcare settings in Wales during the Covid-19 pandemic."

She said union members were concerned about the lack of PPE in a survey of May 2020.

The coroner, Mr Hughes, concluded that Mr Roberts died from Covid-19 and that his type 2 diabetes had contributed to his death.

He concluded Mr Roberts and Ms David, who lived in hospital accommodation, both died as a result of industrial disease.