A BRIT wife today admitted she stayed up at night watching her husband breathe in fear he could die after the couple tested positive for coronavirus while on a virus-riddled ship.
Sally and David Abel developed pneumonia after becoming trapped onboard the Diamond Princess cruise with 3,700 other passengers.
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The highly contagious bug ripped through the cruise ship's population last month – with the vessel forced to stay docked outside of Japan as authorities desperately tried to figure out what to do.
Both Sally and David, 73, tested positive for coronavirus as they were left in limbo before eventually being taken to a local hospital for treatment.
But after weeks of hell, the couple from Northamptonshire have been able to return to the UK.
Speaking from their home today, Sally told Good Morning Britain she had been left terrified as her husband of 50 years could die from the deadly bug that has so far claimed the lives of almost 8,000 people globally.
She said: "I didn't think he was coming home, he was extremely bad.
"They diagnosed him with acute pneumonia as a side effect from the virus and he was basically giving up.
"I sat up most of the night just watching him breathing because I didn't think he was coming back."
But thankfully, the couple both recovered and were able to return home.
The couple were on the cruise for their 50th wedding anniversary when it was placed into quarantine just off the port of Yokohama.
Tragically, a Brit man who contracted coronavirus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship died.
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While they are at home, it is understood the couple are in isolation to protect their family and friends.
And David added: "If we all take responsibility, this will be over as quickly as it arrived.
"That might be naive of me to say that but as a country, it we pull together it really will disappear more quickly than we have ever imagined."
It comes as Boris Johnson this week introduced drastic measures in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.
So far, 55 people have died in the UK after testing positive from the bug while 1,950 cases.
The youngest victim was last night named as Craig Ruston, a 45-year-old who had motor neurone disease.
The spread of the virus has sparked panic buying across the UK with fears that severe social restrictions will last months.
And just one day on from the PM warning the nation to avoid pubs, theatres, restaurants and all social gatherings, he announced that more extreme measures are on the way in the coming days.
Officials believe 55,000 Britons may have the virus — more than five times last Thursday’s estimate.
Meanwhile Chancellor Rishi Sunak wrote a £350billion cheque to keep families and businesses afloat during the coronavirus crisis and pledged: "We will do whatever it takes."
Apart from mortgage breaks, it will provide loans of up to £25,000 and a year’s relief from business rates for shops, pubs and restaurants and millions more for bigger businesses.
Billions of pounds will also be pumped into the NHS.
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