Coronavirus nurse, 23, who died at home after 12 hour shift ‘did not have proper protective kit’

The mother of an NHS nurse who died of coronavirus after a 12-hour shift has said that he was not wearing the right protective clothing at work.

John Alagos, 23, returned home on Friday after a night shift at Watford General Hospital and complained of a headache and a high temperature throughout the night. He later lost consciousness and died.

He is the third nurse and the youngest British medic thought to have died from Covid-19.

His mother Gina Gustilo, 50, claimed the hospital did not let John go home as they were short on staff – so he stayed on shift despite his apparent symptoms.

‘I asked “why didn’t you come home?” He said he had asked other staff but they said they were short of staff and they did not let him go,’ his mother told the Mail on Sunday.

‘I said, “OK, take some paracetamol.” After a few minutes, I found him turning blue in his bed.’

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Ms Gustilo said that her son’s colleagues had told her he was not wearing ‘proper’ protective clothing.

‘They wear PPE, but not totally protective of the mouth. They wear the normal masks,’ she said.

Watford General Hospital said in a statement that it would ‘never expect anyone to remain a work if they were showing these [Covid-19} symptoms’.

‘We have always kept our staff updated on the latest PPE guidance to make sure they have the right level of protection,’ the statement read.

A spokesperson said: ‘John was very popular and will be missed greatly.’

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