A HEARTBROKEN wife has told how she was unable to say goodbye to her “wonderful and kind” husband after he died battling serious illness.

Motorbike fan Carl Waters was rushed to Southend Hospital after medics feared he had contracted coronavirus because of symptoms affecting his throat and chest.

He was put on a ventilator in intensive care and was separated from his loved ones as doctors believed he was carrying the virus.

Subsequent tests returned negative results but by the time they came, it was too late for wife Alex to say goodbye.

A coroner later ruled the 55-year-old, from Canvey, had died suffering from bacterial disease streptococcus, sepsis and multiple organ failure.

Mrs Waters said: “He was fit and healthy before all this and didn’t have any health problems.

“On March 13, he had a sore throat but we just put it down to man flu, by the Saturday he was feeling worse and on the Sunday I called for an ambulance as I was very worried about him.

“His chest was bad and he was delirious. Paramedics told me he was seriously ill and that he would be taken to Southend Hospital and that I couldn’t go with him.”

The 51-year-old added: “I called the hospital later that day and was told he’d been put on a ventilator - I was petrified and just wanted to be with him.

“By the Tuesday I had a call from Public Health England to say they had found the bacterial disease in his blood.

“By the Thursday I had a call to say a test for coronavirus had come back negative but that doctors didn’t believe this so they were going to do another test.”

On March 22, Mrs Waters received a call to say her husband had deteriorated and, under the circumstances, she and one other person could visit.

Sadly, when she and her eldest daughter arrived at the hospital, they were told Mr Waters had died.

The grieving wife, who has only praise for Southend Hospital’s care and actions, added: “When we finally saw him it was horrific, it didn’t look like him at all.

“I am a nurse but nothing prepares you for that. He was wonderful and kind and had a brilliant sense of humour.”

“He loved motorbikes and his family and we met through our love of tattoos.”

The family is hoping to hold a celebration of his life in August and also plan to raise money for the UK Sepsis Trust.