Daughter’s heartbreak as elderly mother dies alone after she is put in coronavirus isolation ‘just in case’
- Caroline Hopton, 57, said she was not even allowed to hold her mother’s hand
- Her cause of death is not known, but 36 people have died from infection in UK
- Ms Hopton said mother was admitted on Saturday morning but died last night
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
An autism campaigner today revealed her devastation after her mother died alone in a coronavirus isolation unit just one day after being admitted.
Caroline Hopton, 57, of Windsor, Berkshire, said she was not even allowed to hold her ‘dearest’ mother’s hand in her final moments as she died yesterday.
Her cause of death is not yet known, but at least 36 people have now died from the infection in Britain, with a total of 1,543 cases recorded in the country so far.
Caroline Hopton said she could not even hold the hand of her ‘dearest’ mother (pictured)
Ms Hopton, the founder of The Coast to Coast Foundation For Autism, tweeted: ‘Covid-19 stopped me holding my dearest mum’s hand in her final moments last night.
‘She died alone in isolation after being admitted early Saturday AM and was put in isolation ‘just in case’. It made losing her even more devastating. How many other families will go through same?’
Responding to questions from her Twitter followers, she added that she was prevented from seeing her mother by the unnamed hospital.
Ms Hopton added: ‘However they called and said we could come ‘at our own risk’ when she rapidly deteriorated at around 1.30am.
‘I left and got a puncture on the way. My sibling arrived and masked, suited and booted but she had already passed.’
Caroline Hopton, of Windsor, is the founder of The Coast to Coast Foundation For Autism
Her tweet was liked more than 14,000 times and retweeted 2,000 times after being posted at 7.45am this morning.
She later added: ‘Folks! I can’t thank everyone enough for all the heartwarming messages. You have all really helped me today.’
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson today set out the need for ‘drastic action’ to tackle the ‘fast growth’ of coronavirus.
The Prime Minister said that according to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) ‘it looks as though we are now approaching the fast growth part of the upward curve’ in the number of cases.
‘Without drastic action cases could double every five or six days,’ he said.
Mr Johnson said ‘if you or anyone in your household’ had one of the two symptoms – a high temperature or continuous cough – ‘you should stay at home for 14 days’.
The Prime Minister said people should start working from home ‘where they possibly can’. ‘You should avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other such social venues,’ he said.
It comes as there was confusion over exactly what elderly people will be asked to do going forward, after Health Secretary Matt Hancock said yesterday they will be asked to stay at home for a very long time.
Today, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said people over the age of 70 will be asked to self-isolate ‘as and when the moment is right’ – but that they would still be able to go outside and ‘walk the dog’.
At least 36 people have now died in the UK after being diagnosed with coronavirus, after Wales confirmed its first death.
The patient, who was in their sixties and had underlying health conditions, died at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.
Across the UK, 1,543 people have now tested positive for the infection, up from 1,372 at the same time yesterday. However, many thousands more are estimated to have been infected.