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Chloe Middleton: death of 21-year-old not recorded as Covid-19

<span>Photograph: Facebook</span>
Photograph: Facebook

The death of 21-year-old Chloe Middleton – the UK’s youngest coronavirus victim, her family believe – has not been recorded in the official toll because of confusion about how she died, the Guardian can reveal.

Middleton was taken to Wexham Park hospital in Slough last Thursday after having a heart attack. Attempts to resuscitate her failed and she was pronounced dead soon after arriving, a source said.

A Berkshire coroner said the death was related to Covid-19 after being told Middleton had a cough, the source said. But this surprised medics at the hospital, who have not recorded it as a coronavirus incident.

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As a result of the hospital’s view, the death has not been recorded among the NHS tally of UK coronavirus fatalities.

A Facebook post by Middleton’s aunt claiming she had no underlying health issues has since been deleted. Her family has been subjected to online abuse and accusations of spreading alarmist news about her death.

An NHS source said this was unfair. “They have been given the information officially from the coroner that this is [a] Covid death,” they said. “And that’s their understanding of it.” But the source said the coroner’s move “raised eyebrows” at the hospital because she had not tested positive for the disease.

Symptoms are defined by the NHS as either:

  • a high temperature - you feel hot to touch on your chest or back

  • a new continuous cough - this means you've started coughing repeatedly

NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days.

If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.

After 14 days, anyone you live with who does not have symptoms can return to their normal routine. But, if anyone in your home gets symptoms, they should stay at home for 7 days from the day their symptoms start. Even if it means they're at home for longer than 14 days.

If you live with someone who is 70 or over, has a long-term condition, is pregnant or has a weakened immune system, try to find somewhere else for them to stay for 14 days.

If you have to stay at home together, try to keep away from each other as much as possible.

After 7 days, if you no longer have a high temperature you can return to your normal routine.

If you still have a high temperature, stay at home until your temperature returns to normal.

If you still have a cough after 7 days, but your temperature is normal, you do not need to continue staying at home. A cough can last for several weeks after the infection has gone.

Staying at home means you should:

  • not go to work, school or public areas

  • not use public transport or taxis

  • not have visitors, such as friends and family, in your home

  • not go out to buy food or collect medicine – order them by phone or online, or ask someone else to drop them off at your home

You can use your garden, if you have one. You can also leave the house to exercise – but stay at least 2 metres away from other people.

If you have symptoms of coronavirus, use the NHS 111 coronavirus service to find out what to do.

Source: NHS England on 23 March 2020

Middleton’s mother, aunt and boyfriend have not responded to the Guardian’s requests for an interview. Berkshire’s three coroners have also not responded to requests for comment.

But later, a spokesman for Reading council issued a statement on behalf of the coroner’s office, which said: “Chloe died at Wexham Park Hospital on the 19 March 2020. The case was reported to the Berkshire coroner’s office. Her death was very sad but as she had a natural cause of death, involvement by the coroner was not required and the hospital issued a death certificate.

“There was no postmortem examination or inquest. We must now respect the privacy of her family and cannot provide any further information.”

The youngest official victim in the UK is thought to be 28-year-old Adam Harkins Sullivan, a painter and decorator from Camden, north London, who died at University College hospital in London on Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for the hospital confirmed that a 28-year-old man had died on 24 March after testing positive for the virus. “He died with Covid-19. I cannot tell you whether that was the reason he died,” she said.

Harkins Sullivan was being treated in an isolation ward with other patients who had also tested positive for the virus. Speaking to the Camden New Journal, his mother, Jackie Harkins, said: “We are all just in shock because he was only a young man. He was healthy – you didn’t have to tell him to eat his greens. He was always like that.

“He went into hospital with viral pneumonia, but other than that he was healthy. People have got to start taking this seriously.”

She said her son was taken to hospital in an ambulance last week after he reported breathing difficulties and a temperature of 39.9C.

She said: “He was ringing us that day and at night. Then he rang at 1.15am and said [they] wanted to put him into an induced coma, they wanted to help him breathe.”

She added: “Before Adam died, I did get to see him, because it was the end and his last moment. He was in a room with other people with coronavirus. They come and put gloves and an apron on you. He was virtually dead and it was just a machine keeping him alive. I was talking to him, telling him: ‘You’re at UCH. You need to fight.’ He flatlined. He flatlined again, and then again. And I knew there was no coming back.”

Last Sunday the NHS suggested an 18-year-old male had died from coronavirus, but it has since emerged the teenager had tested positive for the disease in a hospital in Coventry but died from an unrelated condition.