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.

Retired nurse Mr Roberts, who worked casual ward shifts, told colleagues he did not want to work on a Covid ward at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

This was because the 65-year-old, from Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf, cared for his grandson and had diabetes.

The inquest was told when Mr Roberts and Ms David, 63, caught Covid, ward nurses in the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board only used PPE while directly treating patients.

The court also heard also shift handovers took place in small cubicles where people did not wear masks.

And at the time, patients were not routinely swabbed for Covid.

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