Coronavirus: Ignoring Covid-19 advice is 'lottery with death'

Anne Blythe, centre, with her daughters Candice Blythe, left, and Linsey Lynch

Two grieving daughters have made an emotional plea for people to stay at home, warning them not to "play a lottery" with death.

Anne Blythe, 58, died on Friday with a stranger holding her hand as her relatives were banned from visiting.

She had been admitted to hospital in Harlow, Essex, eight days earlier with coronavirus symptoms.

Her daughter, Candice, said: "I wouldn't want anyone to go through the pain I'm going through."

She made the plea in a Facebook video in which she appealed to people to follow the government's lockdown guidelines.

"There are still people not taking it seriously. I want to show people what happens when your loved one gets it and gets taken away," she said.

Her sister, Linsey, said: "It's like playing a lottery you don't win. They are in a lottery where they are not dicing with their own lives, but dicing with somebody else's."

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Ms Blythe said the situation was even harder as the sisters could not grieve with their family because they were in isolation.

Urging people to think of their own loved ones, she added: "Stay indoors, for God's sake."

The family said they did not know how Mrs Blythe contracted coronavirus, as despite back problems and asthma, she rarely left the house. No relatives have shown symptoms.

Condition deteriorated

The mother-of-three said on 20 March she felt "razorblades in [my] throat", and several days later was taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow.

She was being treated there when her condition deteriorated on Friday and she died.

The last time Ms Blythe saw her mother she was being taken away in an ambulance, but she was unable to go with her.

Anne Blythe died on Friday after contracting Covid-19

"The last picture I have of my mum is of her with my dressing gown on, the oxygen mask on and just waving at me," she said.

"That image is going to stay in my mind for the rest of my life."