CARDIFF, Wales – Viewers of ITV’s new three-part drama were left in shock after the first episode aired on Monday night. The series, titled Breathtaking, follows one doctor’s experience from the pandemic’s outbreak, showcasing the harsh reality of working on the frontline as the coronavirus spread across the country.
Based on a book written by Dr. Rachel Clarke, the series includes fictionalized parts but is grounded in the real experiences of doctors who worked through the pandemic in the UK. It encompasses the challenges of dealing with a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), staff shortages, and insufficient hospital beds. Dr. Clarke aimed to tell “the UK’s human story of Covid,” shedding light on the struggle doctors faced while trying to care for the sick and dying people and protect themselves on a daily basis.
Cases began to surge in March 2020, and the resulting human cost of Covid was devastating. Many frontline healthcare workers unfortunately lost their lives as a result of caring for those infected with Covid.
The Office for National Statistics recorded a total of 447 deaths involving coronavirus among healthcare workers in Wales between March 9, 2020, and February 22, 2022, with 331 being women and 136 men. These figures are for residents in Wales aged between 20 and 64.
The statistics also show that Covid-19 deaths had a bigger impact on female healthcare workers in both England and Wales than men, despite the general population seeing more deaths in men than women.
Overall, there were 12,395 deaths involving Covid registered in Wales from March 2020 to December 2023. The numbers highlight the significant impact the pandemic had on healthcare workers and the general population in the region.