Care home boss who exposed full horror of coronavirus in video diary reveals 16 of her residents have died from it
A CARE home boss who exposed the full horror of coronavirus in a video diary has revealed that 16 of her residents have now succumbed to the disease.
Nicola Richards warned earlier this month that supplies of personal protective equipment were getting “dangerously low” as 39 of her residents and staff fell ill.
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Her grim update came as the World Health Organisation said those in long-term care facilities account for up to half of Europe’s coronavirus-related deaths.
Nicola, who recorded the diary for Sky News, is director of Palms Row Healthcare in Sheffield.
She said in her video diary, recorded earlier this month: “There’s a lot of panic, unrest, apprehension, concern around.
“We’ve got staff really fretting about this.
“Words cannot describe how difficult it is on the front line.
“The impact has been something else.
“We’ve never been faced with anything like this.
“The challenges have increased daily.”
Nicola said infection rates at the firm’s three care homes in the city have slowed in the past week, but still urged authorities to provide more help.
She added: “We do stress that we need this help now and that other providers need the support we have been lacking during the last month."
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The WHO admitted a “deeply concerning picture” was emerging of the bug’s impact in care homes.
Its regional director for Europe, Dr Hans Kluge, said: “According to estimates from countries in the European region, up to half of those who have died from Covid-19 were resident in long-term care facilities.”
He added that 50 per cent of the world’s Covid-19 cases — more than 1.2million — have been in Europe, and they have resulted in more than 110,000 deaths.
Stopping IVF 'was so hard'
A FERTILITY watchdog boss said halting all IVF during the outbreak was the “most difficult decision” in its 30-year history.
Sally Cheshire, head of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, said safety and shortages of key staff and equipment were behind the decision.
“We have huge sympathy for the thousands of patients who are not able to continue treatment,” Mrs Cheshire said.
“We are working on an exit strategy to allow treatment once restrictions are lifted,” she added.
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