Coronavirus – Nurse, 70, who served 44 years with NHS is 15th medic to die as family blames lack of protective equipment

“She loved her job and she loved her patients.”

Melissa added: “We don’t know for sure when she contracted it, but she was working without protective equipment. We’ve accepted it, she was doing what she loved.”

She was completely dedicated to her work, that’s what she was doing until the moment she was taken ill.

Melissa Ong

It comes after another nurse having tragically died from coronavirus.

Rebecca Mack, 29, was the 14th front line NHS medic killed by the virus after she tragically died at home on Sunday.

Her heartbroken mum Marion has now revealed Rebecca had told her and dad Alan she was "feeling better" at around 6pm on Sunday.

His death comes after heart surgeon and dad-of-two Jitendra Rathod, who worked at the University Hospital of Wales, died on Monday morning in Cardiff after testing positive for Covid-19.

The dad-of-two was described as an "incredibly dedicated surgeon" who cared deeply for his patients and was highly regarded in the medical profession in Wales.

Elsewhere, a British Pakistani GP based in east London died in hospital on Monday after it is believed he developed coronavirus symptoms.

According to The News International, a newspaper in Pakistan, Dr Syed Haider had been receiving treatment at Queen's Hospital in Romford where he passed away.

A staff member at the Valence Medical Centre in Dagenham, east London - where Dr Haider worked, confirmed he had died.

The News International said it had spoken to his son, named only as Dr Kumail, who described his father as "a selfless man driven by his passion for his profession".

He added: "Even whilst in hospital breathing his last, he was urging doctors and nurses to pay attention to other patients rather than him. Many at his age would have retired yet his dedication to his profession was immeasurable."

Colleagues of a midwife who died from coronavirus lined the hospital ward where she worked to share their grief.

Lynsay Coventry, 54, died at Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust on Thursday - just a day before long-serving nurse Liz Glanister died in Liverpool.

Two other nurses, five doctors and two healthcare assistants have also died in the UK after contracting COVID-19.

John Alagos, 23, is believed to be the youngest British medic to have died from the deadly bug - collapsing after a 12 hour hospital shift.

Last week, six children were also robbed of their hero mums as nurses Aimee O'Rourke, 38, and Areema Nasreen, 36, died after treating patients.

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