Bereaved wife shares experiences with Covid-19 inquiry

Jenny Fowler was not able to be with her husband, Alan, when he died from coronavirus at hospital in Luton

A woman whose husband died during the global pandemic has shared her experiences at a session for the Covid-19 inquiry.

Officials have been at the University of Bedfordshire in Luton this week to hear from members of the public as part of the “Every Story Matters” project.

Jenny Fowler, whose husband Alan had dementia, said the restrictions meant he died without family in hospital in 2021.

She said: “Why couldn’t I be there and just hold his hand with a glove on?”

The drop-in sessions on Monday and Tuesday formed part of a wider consultation across the country, shaping the inquiry's response to the pandemic.

More than 40,000 people have already anonymously shared their story.

Prime minister at the time of the pandemic, Boris Johnson, previously told the inquiry he was "sorry for the pain and suffering" households across the UK felt.

He insisted the government did its "level best" to respond to the virus.

Alan Fowler died at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital after contracting Covid-19

Ms Fowler told the BBC her husband was living in a care home when he was admitted to the Luton and Dunstable Hospital around Christmas 2020 with suspected pneumonia.

“I remember him not understanding. He was so confused - we all had masks on. I couldn’t go in to see him or cuddle him. We chatted online but he didn’t really respond."

Mr Fowler caught coronavirus and quickly deteriorated.

"I asked if I could go in there but they said 'no, the air is full of Covid," said Ms Fowler.

As her son tried to make his way up from London, Mr Fowler died.

Ms Fowler said the family did not know if her husband died alone and could only hope someone was sat there with him

She added: "The funeral was very limited, We couldn’t have a wake. My aunty was standing outside in the rain. It was a horrible time."

Thapelo Moloantoa says he was not ready for the loneliness that came with self-isolating

Thapelo Moloantoa said he felt like he was in a "sci-fi movie" when he had to self-isolate after he contracted the virus.

The Luton resident recalled how people were so afraid that when he visited a pharmacist to get some antibiotics, the receptionist shut down the shop and would only speak to him through a window.

Mr Moloantoa explained that not being able to work at the school that employed him left him reliant on a food bank.

"Furlough payments took a while to come through and it wasn't as much as I expected," he said.

"I wasn't ready for the isolation...the complete cut-off from society."

The public Covid-19 inquiry is visiting Luton this week as part of a tour to hear stories from the public.

The Covid Inquiry secretary, Ben Connah, said he every story would be collated, analysed and then entered into a report as evidence.

"I'm hoping people will come down, meet the team, find out about the inquiry and share their experience with us," he said.