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Every day thousands of NHS workers bravely head to the frontlines to fight the battle against coronavirus as the pandemic sweeps the UK.
Now, more than ever, medical staff are putting their own lives at risk to save those of their patients.
And Covid-19 has not only taken the lives of thousands of members of the public – but the people battling to save them.
Here are tributes to NHS staff who died after contracting coronavirus from the people who loved and worked with them.
If your loved-one or colleague has died after contracting coronavirus and you would like a tribute to them to be included in this article, please email: uknewsteam@huffingtonpost.com
Anton Sebastianpillai
Anton Sebastianpillai, a doctor who specialised in treating the elderly, died after testing positive for Covid-19.
He had a long association with Kingston Hospital in south-west London, and died four days after being admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit, a spokeswoman said.
The consultant geriatrician, who qualified as a doctor in Sri Lanka in 1967, finished his last shift on March 20.
Dr Sebastianpillai trained at the Peradeniya Medical School in Sri Lanka and qualified in 1967.
In an obituary notice, he was referred to as a “distinguished alumnus”.
Jitendra Rathod
“Exemplary” heart surgeon and father-of-two Jitendra Rathod died in intensive care on April 6.
Colleagues at the University Hospital of Wales where he worked – and passed away – described him as “an incredibly dedicated surgeon who cared deeply for his patients”.
“He was well-liked and greatly respected by one and all,” a statement from the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board read.
“He was a very compassionate and wonderful human being.”
It added: “We will miss him greatly.”
Rathod had worked in the hospital’s cardio-thoracic surgery department since the mid-1990s, returning in 2006 after a brief stint abroad, the board said.
Liz Glanister
Liverpool nurse Liz Glanister – described by the city’s mayor as a “hero in every sense of the word” – died on April 3.
The 68-year-old, who was a long-standing staff nurse at Aintree University Hospital, died at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital after testing positive for Covid-19.
Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson said: “Words cannot express how much a debt of gratitude this city owes to Liz Glanister and her colleagues.
“Liz was a long-serving member of hospital staff who dedicated her life to caring for others and in the true spirt of this city she gave everything she had to make a difference at such a crucial time.
“She was a hero in every sense of the word.”
In her memory, flags at Liverpool Town Hall, St George’s Hall and The Cunard Building were lowered to half-mast on Monday.
All three will be be lit up blue as a tribute to Glanister and her NHS colleagues for the foreseeable future, the mayor added.
Dianne Brown, the chief nurse at the Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: “All our thoughts are with Liz’s family at this time and we offer them our sincere condolences.
“Liz will be sadly missed by all those who knew and worked with her.”
Areema Nasreen
The death of Areema Nasreen, a 36-year-old nurse from Walsall, was confirmed by the NHS on April 3.
The mother-of-three was being treated at Walsall Manor Hospital, where she worked, at the time of her death.
Richard Beeken, chief exec of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, said Nasreen’s vocation in nursing “was clear for all to see”.
Nasreen had started work at the trust in 2003 as a housekeeper, before gaining her nursing qualification in January 2019.
“She always said that she was so blessed to have the role of a nurse which she absolutely loved because she wanted to feel like ‘she could make a difference’ – and you did, Areema,” Beeken said. “You will be very sadly missed.”
Nasreen’s fellow nurse Rubi Akhtar paid tribute to her online, describing her as “the most loveliest, genuine person you could ever meet”.
“She went above and beyond for everyone she met,” she wrote. “I’m so grateful that I had the honour to call her my best friend, she saw me at my best and my worst and accepted my every flaw. I am so broken that words can’t explain.”
She added: “I love you so much and I will never forget you. You had so much to live for, I am sorry you didn’t get to see your kids grow up and I’m sorry that you didn’t get to complete your career.”
Aimee O’Rourke
The mum-of-three passed away at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, where she worked.
The 39-year-old had joined the hospital’s acute medical unit as a newly-qualified nurse in 2017.
On Facebook, her daughter Megan Murphy wrote: “Look at the lives you looked after and all the families you comforted when patients passed away.
“You are an angel and you will wear your NHS crown forever more…”
Ward manager Julie Gammon – who sat with O’Rourke when she was admitted – said the whole team had been devastated by her death.
“She was such a kind and caring nurse, and she had a really special relationship with her patients and colleagues,” Gammon said.
Meanwhile Susan Acott, chief executive of East Kent Hospitals, described O’Rourke as “hard-working, dedicated and hugely popular with staff and patients alike”.
“She gave her all to care for our patients and her commitment was evident for all to see.”
Lynsay Coventry
“Loving, wonderful and caring” midwife Lynsay Coventry died on April 2 after testing positive for Covid-19.
The 54-year-old had been a midwife at the Princess Alexandra Hospital Trust for a decade.
She is understood to be the first serving midwife in England whose death following a coronavirus diagnosis was confirmed by the NHS. She died at the Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust.
In a statement, her family said: “Our hearts are broken at the loss of our loving, wonderful and caring mum, sister, daughter and grandmother.
“We each know how much she loved and cherished us. Her love for us all was unfailing and her strength in the way she cared and supported us will fill our memories.
“What we also know is how proud she was to be an NHS midwife. Lynsay followed her dream and trained as a midwife later in life.”
She was a “well-respected” midwife who supported hundreds of women as they gave birth, they added.
Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, chief midwifery officer for England, said: “Lynsay was clearly a highly regarded midwife whose dedication to women, babies and their families will be remembered and cherished by her own family and her colleagues.
“My deepest thoughts are with them, her children, grandchildren, parents and siblings. ”
Dr Alfa Saadu
The 68-year-old, who migrated to the UK from Nigeria, had been ill with Covid-19 for two weeks before his death, his family said.
Saadu had returned to clinical work after stepping down as medical director of the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust in 2016.
“He was a very passionate man, who cared about saving people,” his son Dani said.
“As soon you spoke to him about medicine his face would light up. He worked for the NHS for nearly 40 years in different hospitals across London.”
He added: “He loved to lecture people in the world of medicine – he did so in the UK and Africa. My dad retired and was working part time at the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital in Welwyn, Hertfordshire, until his passing.
“He was a massive family man and we did everything together. Family came first.
“He left two sons and a wife, who is a retired doctor herself in occupational health.”
Lance McCarthy, chief executive of The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, said: “Alfa was well-known at the trust for his passion for ensuring our patients received high quality care. He was a committed member of the team and is remembered fondly by many.
“His family and friends are in our thoughts at this sad time.”
Thomas Harvey
Healthcare assistant Thomas Harvey – a father of seven – died at home on March 29 after contracting coronavirus.
The 57-year-old had worked at Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford, east London.
Professor Oliver Shanley, chief executive of the North East London Foundation Trust, described Harvey’s death as “a huge loss” for the trust and the NHS.
“Thomas was a longstanding, dedicated member of our intermediate care team. This is a huge loss to both NELFT and the wider NHS,” he said.
However, Harvey’s family have criticised the NHS for the lack of personal protective equipment given to staff before his death, saying he had only been given an apron and gloves.
His daughter Tamira told the BBC: “It’s so sad. I feel like he was let down in so many ways.
“It’s an absolute tragedy and he didn’t deserve to lose his life in the way he did.
“If he had just had the right equipment we wouldn’t be in this predicament and it wouldn’t have escalated in the way it did.”
In a statement to the BBC, Goodmayes Hospital said it was following national PPE guidance, while the department of health said it was working “around the clock” to make sure workers on the frontline had the equipment they need.
Amged El-Hawrani
Amged El-Hawrani, a hospital consultant known for his “dedication and commitment to his patients”, died at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester on March 28.
He was an ear, nose and throat specialist at the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Trust, where colleagues described him as a “valued and much loved colleague”.
His fellow NHS staff have since held a minute’s silence to remember him, while one cycled 250 miles on an exercise bike in El-Hawrani’s name to raise money to support the trust’s staff during the pandemic.
In a statement, a spokesperson for El-Hawrani’s family said he “always put everyone else before himself”.
“We all turned to him when we needed support and he was always there for us. He had so many responsibilities and yet he never complained,” they said.
“Losing Amged is devastating for our family. Life without him is impossible to imagine but together, we will do all we can to honour his memory and live how he would have wanted us to.”
El-Hawrani’s son Ashraf added: “He did not seek the praise and approval of others, he was satisfied by viewing the positive effects of his actions and the wellbeing of his family.
“I am incredibly proud to say that for 18 years of my life, Amged El-Hawrani was my father.”
Dr Habib Zaidi
Dr Habib Zaidi – a GP in Leigh-on-Sea for more than 47 years – died in intensive care on March 25.
His death came the day after he was admitted to Southend Hospital in Essex with worsening coronavirus symptoms.
Zaidi’s family later confirmed he had tested positive for Covid-19.
Dr Jose Garcia-Lobera – GP chair of NHS Southend CCG – called him a “hugely respected, selfless man who dedicated his life to helping others”.
“Dr Zaidi will always be remembered for his significant contribution to local health services through his long career as a GP,” he said. “His loss is deeply felt by his staff, fellow clinicians and the wider community.”
Garcia-Lobera added: “Our thoughts are with his family, who we hope, in time, can take comfort from the incredible legacy he has left behind.”.
Adil El Tayar
Adil El Tayar, a renowned transplant surgeon, died at West Middlesex University Hospital in west London on March 25.
The 63-year-old worked in the NHS for 11 years, before moving to his home country of Sudan to establish a transplant service.
El Tayar returned to the UK in 2015, working as a locum surgeon before his death.
His cousin Dr Hisham El Khidir told the BBC that he had spent his final days in intensive care.
“Adil was someone who was central to our family, who was well-respected by so many people,” he said.
“Since his death on Wednesday I have had hundreds of text messages from his colleagues and friends. He will be sorely missed.”
Meanwhile, fellow transplant surgeon Dr Abbas Ghazanfar wrote a tribute to El Tayar, describing him as a “a very hard-working and dedicated surgeon who gave the precious gift of life to so many people around the world by his excellent transplanting skills”.
“He was an excellent colleague, a truly humble soul and above all a noble human being… His sudden departure has shocked his family and friends.
“He will be remembered by many of his colleagues and patients who knew him as the good person and doctor he was. He will be dearly missed by us all.”
The NHS has yet to confirm that El Tayar tested positive for coronavirus.
If a healthcare worker has died from coronavirus but has not yet been included in this article, it could be because the NHS has yet to confirm they had contracted Covid-19.
