Covid victims not surprised by inquiry findings

Gisella Casciello-Rogers' father Guiseppe died in his care home after contracting Covid-19

People from the South East who were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic have said they are not surprised by the initial findings of the inquiry into how it was handled.

On Thursday the report said there were more deaths than there should have been because of a lack of preparation.

Gisella Casciello-Rogers from Hove, East Sussex, lost her 95-year-old father Guiseppe to Covid, when he contracted it in his care home.

She said: "I just feel really sad, not just for myself but for thousands and thousands of people that were affected."

She said watching television reports about the inquiry's findings made for unpleasant viewing for her.

"At the time I did everything I could to let it be known that these people were not being looked after and protected in the way that they should have been.

"It's hard to watch something like that on TV five years later. We're justified in what we felt."

Grisella Casciello-Rogers said it is hard for her to hear the inquiry's findings

Karen Mannering, from Herne Bay in Kent, was six months pregnant with her son Tyson when she caught Covid, developing pneumonia in both lungs.

A video she posted online at the time pleading for people to stay home went viral.

On hearing the inquiry's conclusions, she said: “It’s not really a surprise. You could tell they were overwhelmed and under prepared.

“Quite often they couldn’t come and see me because they were short of their PPE and you could see no-one knew what they were really doing.

Sometimes I even had to advise the doctors how to strip down from their PPE.”

Karen Mannering was not surprised by the report's findings

By the end of 2023, 235,000 people had died from Covid across the UK.

The report recommends a number of changes, including a new independent body to advise on civil emergencies and tests on pandemic preparation plans every three years.

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.