Coronavirus: NHS nurse died in self-isolation after catching Covid-19 while treating patient
1 April 2020, 18:46
An NHS nurse died at home in self-isolation after he caught coronavirus while treating a patient without any protective equipment, his family and colleagues have said.
Police officers had to break down a door to retrieve the body of dad-of-seven Thomas Harvey after he collapsed on Sunday morning.
The 57-year-old grandad, who worked at Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford, east London, had spent weeks "fighting for his life" after developing symptoms including a cough, shortness of breath, weakness, and aches and pains all over his body.
A colleague claimed Mr Harvey wasn't given personal protective equipment (PPE) such as a mask at work, and he didn't know if he was infected with coronavirus because he wasn't given a test.
The healthcare assistant, who lived in Hackney, had three grandchildren, was married to his wife Marcia for 22 years, and worked for the NHS for over 20 years.
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An online crowdfunding campaign has been launched to raise money for his family.
The GoFundMe page was set up by his former colleague, with the page reading: “We are raising money for the late Thomas' family, to help with funeral expenses and to move on after he was suddenly taken away by the Covid19.
“Thomas was a devoted member of the NHS for over 20 years and loved his job to the fullest. He looked after all his patients to the best of his ability and was loved by many. He was a cherished colleague, a husband, a father, a grandfather and a best friend.
“Unfortunately after treating a Covid19 patient on his ward, he contracted the virus and passed away suddenly after fighting for his life for nearly 2 weeks. Thomas leaves behind his wife of 22 years, 7 children and 3 grandchildren.
“Please help us raise money to help is family get through this difficult time.”
This comes as the Department of Health also said that, as of 9am on Wednesday, a total of 152,979 people have been tested of which 29,474 tested positive.
