Darts player mourns wife of 48 years who has died from coronavirus as he warns others to ‘take this virus seriously’
- Heartbroken Geoff Martin, from Cheshire, said his wife Sally had died from virus
- Semi-professional darts player wrote that the pair had been married for 48 years
- As many as 177 people have died from coronavirus in the UK, with 4,000 cases
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
A darts player who lost his wife of 48 years to coronavirus has warned others to take the virus seriously.
Heartbroken Geoff Martin, from Warrington, Cheshire, wrote on Twitter that his wife Susan had died from the disease on Thursday night.
There have been 177 deaths due to coronavirus in the UK so far and almost 4,000 cases, although the actual number is thought to be higher.
Heartbroken Geoff Martin, from Warrington, Cheshire, wrote on Twitter that his wife of 48 years, Susan (pictured), had died from coronavirus on Thursday
The semi-professional darts player wrote on Twitter: ‘Not many people will see this tweet.
‘But it is with a heavy heart I must announce that my wife of 48 years, Susan, lost her battle against the deadly coronavirus on (Thursday) night.
‘I’m devastated. Please everybody take this virus seriously, that’s all I ask. Take care, everyone.’
The tweet was shared more than 100,000 times on social media.
Liverpool FC, which is Mr Martin’s favourite football club, responded, writing: ‘Our deepest condolences.’
Mr Martin’s twitter account also describes him as a Black Eyed Peas fan and crossword lover.
Mr Martin (pictured) urged people to be careful and treat the virus seriously
Craig Ruston, in his 40s, is thought to be the youngest person in the UK to have died after testing positive for coronavirus.
The father-of-two from Kettering, Northamptonshire, died on Monday following a chest infection. Mr Ruston was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2018, when he was 42 years old.
The government has repeatedly appealed for people to take simple precautions such as washing their hands, in order to stop the disease spreading.
Boris Johnson ordered the closure of all pubs, bars, cafes and gyms last night across the country in an attempt to get people to stay indoors and halt the virus’s spread.
Many hospitals are already reportedly overwhelmed and struggling to cope with the outbreak.
Northwick Park hospital in Harrow, London, declared an emergency on Thursday after it ran out of beds in its critical care unit. This was lifted 24 hours later, when patients were transferred to other hospitals.
Barnet, Lewisham and Greenwich, Epsom and St Helier, North Middlesex and Hillingdon, are all reportedly struggling to deal with the influx of patients.