(The Guardian) – My sister Karina has died at the age of 48. She tested positive for coronavirus early last week and it quickly attacked her stomach, her lungs and her kidneys. When she was admitted to hospital the carbon dioxide levels in her blood soon began to rise, a worrying sign.
On Saturday we all variously FaceTimed her to tell her how much she meant to us and tried to raise one more of her life-affirming laughs, desperately scanning the screen for any sign of responsiveness, any sign of hope.
By then, however, we knew that she was only being kept alive in hospital by her BiPap (bilevel positive airway) machine and on Sunday lunchtime we were, with great kindness and tact, told we should say our final virtual goodbyes. CONTINUE