100,000 human stories, one shared grief – the UK’s COVID crisis

The sight of a single coffin during a funeral service is hard enough. Debbie Mountjoy and her family experienced the pain of three loved ones laid side-by-side in caskets.Her mum Gladys and two brothers Dean and Darren died less than a week apart after contracting COVID-19 in South Wales towards the end of last year. Debbie’s heart-breaking story and grief is shared by families here and around the world.On Tuesday, it was confirmed the number of people to die with COVID-19 in the UK had surpassed 100,000.On this edition of the Sky News Daily podcast with Dermot Murnaghan, we are joined by Debbie and her wife Tina as they keep the memory of their loved ones alive and urge people to abide by coronavirus rules. Also, Professor Lorraine Sherr talks to Dermot about collective grief, coping with loss and the psychological legacy of the pandemic.If you need to talk to someone following the death of a loved one, you can call the charity Sudden for free on 0800 2600 400 or the Samaritans helpline can be reached on 116 123 (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola EyersPodcast apprentice – Lauren PinkneyInterviews producer - Tatiana AldersonArchive - Simon WindsorArchive - Rob FellowesMusic - Steven Wheeler