BBC Hospital viewers left 'heartbroken' as COVID-19 patient, 73, dies after saying he was 'determined' to beat the virus

BBC Hospital viewers were left heartbroken after a coronavirus patient, 73, who was 'determined' to beat the virus tragically died after four weeks in hospital. 

Speaking on tonight's BBC2 documentary Hospital: Fighting Covid-19, Stanley told how he was 'determined' to beat the virus, while his wife Sonia added she had 'enormous faith' her husband would make it through. 

Stanley, who was hopeful of his recovery, had spent three weeks on 15 litres of oxygen in the ward, while expressing fear over transferring to the intensive care unit of London's Royal Free Hospital.

The heart-wrenching story struck a chord with viewers at home, with one tweeting: 'In tears. Heartbreaking,' and a second adding: 'If you are in doubt about how serious COVID-19 is then watch Hospital and get everyone you know to watch it #StayHome.'

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BBC Hospital: Fighting Covid-19 viewers were left heartbroken after it was revealed that Stanley (pictured in hospital), 73, who was 'determined' to beat coronavirus tragically died after four weeks in hospital

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During the heartbreaking episode, Stanley's wife Sonia (pictured) said that she had 'enormous faith' her husband would make it through

Taking to Twitter during the hard-hitting documentary, one viewer simply wrote: 'Heartbreaking' (pictured)

A third wrote: 'So sad to learn that Stanley died. So sad,' while a fourth penned: 'There are no words. RIP Stanley, and all victims of this hideous and unpredictable disease.' 

BBC cameras followed patients and staff at the hospital - which is a world leader in treating infectious diseases and one of the first trusts in the UK to receive COVID-19 patients - in the days after the start of the government lockdown in March.

Stanley spent three weeks on the ward suffering with severe breathing difficulties, and was having the maximum amount of oxygen - 15 litres per minute - the ward was allowed to give him. 

However, Stanley was hopeful he would make a recovery, and became emotional when consultant physician David Levy told him his breathing was improving. 

'The breathing is not very good', Stanley said. 'You have to be determined, because if you're not determined with it you're going nowhere. So I just want to go forward, please God and get out of here'.  

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Stanley (pictured in hospital) spent three weeks on the ward suffering with severe breathing difficulties, and was having the maximum amount of oxygen the ward was allowed to give him

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During the episode, Sonia (pictured) was preparing to spend her first Passover along in her home after video calling Stanley

One viewer who tuned in wrote: 'In tears. Heartbreaking,' while a second added: 'That was hard to watch' (pictured)

Stanley's wife Sonia was seen preparing to spend her first Passover alone in her home, after video calling her husband. 

'It's very difficult', Sonia said. 'But at least he was sitting up and he was chatting, we haven't had that at all. It's been very emotional. We've had lots of crying.'  

With Stanley appearing to be improving, doctors wanted to reduce his oxygen levels, but to do this safely, Stanley had to have 90 per cent saturation of oxygen in his blood stream.

After testing his blood stream and finding his saturation level was at 87 per cent, Stanley was placed back on the maximum oxygen level in the ward, with doctors fearing he may be headed to the ICU -  where the mortality rate was 50 per cent. 

Stanley explained: 'The threat was if you can't take fifteen, we're going to take you into a different part of the hospital, put you on another kind of machine and that's no good. You know what I'm talking about, ICU. God forbid.'  

After a bad deterioration overnight, Stanley's saturation level dropped to 68 per cent, meaning he would have to transfer to the hospital's intensive care unit.  

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Sonia (pictured) was allowed to spend an hour by her husband Stanley's side in full PPE before he passed away

Others took to social media to urge the nation to continue to stay at home amid the coronavirus pandemic (pictured)

After speaking with the hospital, wife Sonia said: 'He's not responding well at all, when I said today, "is it still a question of day by day?" they said, "no it's hour by hour."

'It's a terrible disease. It's not just my husband it's thousands of people. It's just horrendous.

'We have every strength that he can fight his way through this, we're all behind him and we'll have to see how it goes. I have faith, I just hope that God has the right plan for him. We have just got to hope and pray that we get the right result that we want.'

At the end of the programme, viewers were told that Stanley had tragically passed away, after spending nine days in the intensive care unit. 

His wife Sonia was allowed to spend an hour by his side in full PPE before he died.