Coronavirus: 'Half of A&E team' test positive

Dr Tim RogersonAneurin Bevan University Health Board
Tim Rogerson said he had a "full house" of coronavirus symptoms

About half of A&E consultants and nurses at a major Welsh hospital have tested positive for coronavirus, a doctor there has said.

Consultant Tim Rogerson, from the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, appeared in a video on the Aneurin Bevan health board's Facebook page.

Dr Rogerson is self-isolating and said he had "pretty much a full house" of coronavirus symptoms.

The health board area is one of the worst affected of the UK.

It includes Newport, the Gwent valleys and Monmouthshire.

You may remember some videos we’ve shared over the past few weeks of our A&E Consultant, Dr Tim Rogerson, about his experiences of life on the frontline in the current situation... Here we have another message from him, but this time, he is the poorly one. Self-isolating at home after catching Coronavirus himself and then unknowingly passing it onto his son, Tim now shares his experience of contracting the virus and urges us all to stay home over the Bank Holiday weekend. Wishing him a speedy recovery! #StaySafe #StayAtHome #ProtectTheNHS #SaveLives

Posted by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board on Saturday, April 11, 2020
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original post on Facebook

Dr Rogerson said: "We're probably up to around 50% of the consultant workforce at the Gwent in A&E, who have swabbed positive for coronavirus.

"And a similar percent in our nursing team - which is probably inevitable, but it is proving a challenge when it comes to staffing the department, when we are facing these numbers coming through."

He added: "All staff on the various front lines are putting themselves into harm's way when we're dealing with patients who have coronavirus symptoms."

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