The Story Of Emeka Nyack Who Died Of Coronavirus He Got As A Bus Driver In Britain

The grieving mother of a London bus driver who died alone of COVID-19 said her son had taken no risks but was simply ‘doing the job he loved’ to help people get to work.

Emeka Nyack, 36, who drove the number four bus from Blackfriars to Archway succumbed to the disease at the end of March after fighting it for two weeks.

His mother, Anne, said Emeka, a father-of-one, whose father is originally from Nigeria, had stayed at home as much as possible to try to avoid coronavirus, but was worried about the lack of protection he was given while driving.

In an interview with Daily Mail of UK, she said: “My son didn’t go out anywhere that was risky. He just went from home to work and back again. It was a mundane routine but he loved it and did it in a professional way.

“He didn’t choose to be out there risking his life like some idiots who ignore the warnings. He was doing the job he loved to help the country get through this.”

She said the family had been desperate to stay with him in his last moments, but were not allowed.

“He died on his own, with nobody to hold his hand,” she said.”‘When he collapsed, the paramedics threw us out of the room, we weren’t even able to say goodbye. My son’s not going to have parents’ evening any more. It’s just so sad.”

Before his death, Mr Nyack – who suffered from mild asthma – had told colleagues that he was worried about the poor hygiene on the buses and the lack of protection for staff.

Drivers were sent to work with no masks or gloves and the vehicles were not cleaned properly, he claimed.

Mrs Nyack, 62, said she wrote to her son’s employers, Metroline, last month, warning them of the danger and begging them to address these concerns. But although she received a supportive reply, no action was taken.

And she claimed London Mayor Sadiq Khan should have done more to offer protective equipment to drivers – and had not even been in touch to offer his condolences.

“Sadiq Khan should have protected my son. I hold him responsible for what happened,” she said. “I want to state that quite clearly, in bold letters.

It’s just devastating that these drivers work so hard serving the public, taking NHS staff to work, and they are sent to risk their lives in dirty buses with no protection.

“The mayor’s own father was a bus driver. I just don’t understand how he can fail to protect the people who keep our country going.”

Mr Nyack was rushed to hospital last month with coronavirus and put into an induced coma. He appeared to recover and was released to recuperate at home, but collapsed and died last Saturday.

Eight bus drivers have died of coronavirus so far in London, as well as another in Bristol.

The victims included Said Musse and garage supervisor, Paul Aheto, both of whom were employed by Metroline, which has been criticised for its poor safety provisions.

His partner Tamara Carrick, 30, who is mother to their seven-year-old son Makiah, said Emeka was worried about money, so had gone to work even though he was concerned about covid-19.

“He woke up with a temperature and said he felt a bit ill. In the next few days his temperature went up and down and he started to get really breathless,” she said.

Mr Nyack was taken to Lister hospital in Stevenage on March 21. Hospital records reveal he was categorised as ‘high risk for covid-19 due to his occupation (London bus driver).’

Over the following days his condition worsened, and on the 24th he was placed in an induced coma. Three days later he seemed to recover and was discharged from hospital.

“He was doing fine,” Ms Carrick recalled. “Last Saturday, four days after he was discharged, he was having a bath and talking and chatting through the door. Then he suddenly felt light-headed and tired.

“He went into the bedroom and lay on the bed, getting really worked up and scared. He said he needed to go back to hospital so an ambulance was called.”