17 mourners infected at funeral of suspected coronavirus victim

Days before the United Kingdom was put under lockdown, family members gathered for a funeral in Yardley Wood. The wake was held to mourn the loss of 86-year-old Sheila Brooks. Within days of the funeral, family members stated showing symptoms of COVID-19. Brooks' 65-year-old niece, Susan Nelson, passed away soon after the funeral. Since her passing, at least 16 other family members have been showing symptoms of the disease and are in quarantine.

Brooks was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham in February when she fell ill. The elderly woman passed away at the hospital on February 9. Over a month after her passing, the family held her funeral on March 13, days before the lockdown was announced. It is suspected that the pensioner passed away due to COVID-19.

By March 16, Brooks' niece Susan already started showing COVID-19 symptoms. The retired sandwich shop owner from Halesowen, West Midlands was also admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Eventually, Susan died in the same ward as her aunt. Following her death, more members of the extended family started showing COVID-19 symptoms.

Susan's 34-year-old daughter, Amanda Nelson, is one of the family members in isolation after falling ill. An NHS business support manager, Amanda is worried about her 67-year-old father Robert, who suffers from Addison's Disease. From her 21-year-old cousin to her 88-year-old great-uncle, Amanda claims multiple family members are showing symptoms of the disease.

Before Susan passed away at the hospital, she was allowed to have only one visitor by her side. Carl Nelson told The Mirror that he was unable to visit his mother in the hospital even though he was ready to travel from Cleckheaton, Yorkshire. Carl is one of the family members who has not been ill since the funeral. The hospital asked Carl to avoid coming in contact with Susan, as she too was suspected of being infected with the novel coronavirus. Amada was too ill to be by her mother's side. Robert was by Susan's side when she passed.

Carl pointed out that after Susan's death, they have not been able to have a funeral for her. He said that many people will not have anyone by their side when they die if the virus continues to spread across the nation.