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Bereaved family members who lost three family members to Covid-19 in five days have been targeted by social media trolls who claim the virus is a hoax.
Gladys Lewis, 74, of Pentre, South Wales, died at Royal Glamorgan Hospital on October 29. His 44-year-old son Dean Lewis was found unconscious at his home in nearby Treorchy the next day and pronounced dead shortly thereafter. His younger brother Darren, 42, died in the same hospital as his mother on Monday.
All three had tested positive for coronavirus before they died and their death certificates indicate that Covid-19 is the cause. However, after news of the family’s tragedy was posted online, some social media users refused to accept that they had died of coronavirus.
There were also comments asking what underlying health conditions they had, with some suggesting that their diet and lifestyle had been a factor in their deaths.
Dean’s wife, Claire Lewis, told Channel 4 News that people who think Covid is a conspiracy need to “be smart.”
“The comments that we have seen I try to leave them blank as much as possible because people are cruel,” he said. “There have been some amazing comments where people have been supportive and even strangers have said how sincere they are. But for the people who are trolling, I feel sorry for you because I hope it doesn’t happen to you. “
David Lewis, Gladys’ husband of 44 years, echoed Claire’s comments. He urged people to “believe this is real” and said that “if they lose what we have lost, they will suffer.”
David described his wife as a wonderful woman who was a devoted mother, a grandmother of 13, and a great-grandmother of four. When asked about Dean and Darren, David said, “What can a father say when he has lost two sons? Love you very much. It is devastating. I don’t know how I’m going to get over it. “
Their daughter, Debbie Mountjoy, said the comments on social media broke their hearts: “I just hope none of them have to go through something like us and hundreds and thousands of other families have had to go through Covid-19.
“They want to spend a couple of minutes with me, my dad, Claire, Claire’s children and my children to see the devastation that we are going through as a family. Spend five minutes with us and they’ll know it’s real. “
Debbie described Gladys as “the best mother and grandmother anyone could ask for,” and Claire said that her husband had a heart of gold and adored his family. Darren was “the most adorable and happiest man,” the family said.
The family is not sure how their loved ones contracted the coronavirus. Darren, who had Down syndrome, had not left his home since February except to attend hospital appointments. His mother, who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema, had also protected herself, and Dean only went out once a week to shop for his parents.
Ten other family members, including Debbie, David and Claire, have also tested positive for coronavirus and have self-isolated.
“We were scared of the virus anyway,” Debbie said. “But now we are absolutely terrified … I’m so scared to lose all three that I’m going to lose my dad or someone else.”
