‘Every pore on my body opened’: British victim describes what it’s like to have coronavirus as he’s treated in Japan after catching virus on infection-riddled ship the Diamond Princess as two other passengers DIE
David, 74, and Sally Abel were diagnosed with killer coronavirus onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship
Mr Abel, from Northamptonshire, said: ‘Every pore on my body opened and I was wheelchaired to our room’
Japanese man and woman in their 80s who were quarantined on the ship have died after contracting the virus
Fears now mounting for hundreds of passengers left, and those who have left the ship after testing negative
The man, 87, and woman, 84, both had underlying conditions and had been removed on February 11 and 12
More than 620 passengers aboard ship have been infected and vessel has been quarantined since February 3
Disease expert has branded the Diamond Princess quarantine a ‘major failure’ and ‘completely inadequate’
Do you know anyone still onboard the ship? Email stephen.matthews@mailonline.co.uk or ring 020 361 51181
By STEPHEN MATTHEWS HEALTH EDITOR
DAILYMAIL.COM
20 February 2020
A British coronavirus victim diagnosed onboard the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship has today revealed what it is like to be infected with the deadly virus in a message from his hospital bed in Japan.
David Abel, 74, described collapsing at a Japanese hospital and being put in a wheelchair after he became one of 634 people to catch coronavirus on the vessel where the disease is rapidly spreading among the remaining 1,700 on board.
The virus poses a significant threat to the Abels due to their age and the fact Mr Abel is diabetic, because elderly and sick people with compromised immune systems are most at risk of serious complications.
The couple, from Northamptonshire, will also miss out on the Government’s evacuation flight sent to rescue British passengers from the cruise liner tomorrow evening – four days after the US airlifted 340 passengers and a day after Australia, Canada, Israel and Hong Kong evacuated hundreds of their citizens.
At least 70 Britons abandoned on the disease-ridden ship will be among the last passengers to leave the Diamond Princess on the rescue flight home to the UK tomorrow evening.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab today confirmed the long-awaited airlift from Tokyo for UK nationals still onboard the gigantic vessel – while Brits confirmed to have the virus will be treated in Japanese hospitals and won’t be flown home until they recover.
The US, Australia, Hong Kong and Israel have evacuated around 610 passengers between them, while Canada, Italy and Israel announced repatriation plans before Britain even mentioned a possible airlift. It is thought the British flight will land at MoD Boscombe Down near Salisbury, Wiltshire.
It comes after two Japanese passengers on the Diamond Princess became the first to die – an 87-year-old man and 84-year-old woman who had underlying conditions and were taken off the ship for treatment last week.
In a Facebook post documenting his ordeal with coronavirus, Mr Abel said: ‘We arrived in lovely hospital a couple of hours ago. Taken by ambulance blues and twos the entire journey.
‘Outside the hospital I came over a bit weird and nearly passed out. Every pore on my body opened and I was wheelchaired to our room. Full health inspection and now we know what’s going on.’
Mr Abel, who begged the Government to evacuate him before he caught the virus, revealed both he and his wife have also caught a cold and will have chest X-rays and urine tests tomorrow.
But he added: ‘We are both in the best place! They do know what they are doing and our two nurses are gorgeous. Sally likes the Dr too.’ The couple will need to test negative three times before they are released.
More than 75,000 people across the world – including at least 634 on the Diamond Princess have now caught the virus. Almost 2,130 patients have died.
Almost two thirds of the 2,600 passengers who were originally on the Diamond Princess have already been evacuated and more will leave today. In total, 2,000 people have left the ship so far and approximately 1,700 remain including crew.
Those who remain aboard are increasingly likely to catch coronavirus as experts warn it’s an ideal breeding ground for the virus thanks to a bungled quarantined process.
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