British coronavirus couple’s family reveal quarantined pair are struggling with their mental health

British couple David and Sally Abel, from Northamptonshire, are struggling with poor mental health in a Japanese hospital after cruel online trolls accused them of ‘milking it’.

The pair, who were on the Diamond Princess cruise for their 50th wedding anniversary, were both been diagnosed with pneumonia before being moved to a hospital.

It comes as a Japanese man in his 80s from the coronavirus-infected cruise has died, bringing the death total from the liner to three.   

British couple David and Sally Abel, from Northamptonshire, are struggling with mental health in a Japanese hospital after cruel online trolls accuse them of ‘milking it’ 

The British couple told their son Stephen Abel that they had already been struggling to socialise after being stuck in a room for two weeks, before going the hospital where they now feel ‘even more confined’. 

In a video live-streamed on YouTube, Stephen and wife Roberta said they have been dealing with ‘nasty’ online trolls and urged people watching their videos to ‘be kind’.

‘It is sad to hear the few people who have decided to troll them and be quite nasty. If don’t have anything nice to say and you can’t be kind, don’t say anything at all because we don’t want to hear it and we don’t want them to see it,’ Roberta said.

Stephen added: ‘To address the trolls who say we’re milking it – we really are not milking it.’ 

The couple went on to explain how disconnected sociable David is feeling having been blocked off from the outside world. 

‘It’s really tough being so disconnected for the outside world. He’s Mr sociable. He’s struggling with not being able to socialise in his normal ways. 

‘Because mental health is a huge thing in a situation like this, mental it’s hard form. They’ve been stuck in a room for two weeks on a cruise which is tough already and the you’re moved to a hospital and you’re even more confined.’ 

The British couple told their son Stephen Abel that they have been struggling to socialise after being stuck in a room for two weeks

The British couple told their son Stephen Abel that they have been struggling to socialise after being stuck in a room for two weeks

Roberta Abel said yesterday that her and Stephen have seen the CT scans of the Abels’ lungs, showing Mrs Abel with mild pneumonia and Mr Abel’s acute pneumonia. 

Stephen even tweeted President Donald Trump in a desperate bid to get his parents out of their ‘prison-like’ Japanese hospital.

He posted: ‘@realDonaldTrump need help getting my mum and dad out of Japan with Coronavirus. UK government are not helping us.

‘They say Japanese hospital is like a prison. Can you help? My folks are big trump supporters.’

A third passenger from the coronavirus-infected Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan died on Sunday, according to authorities

A third passenger from the coronavirus-infected Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan died on Sunday, according to authorities

He also said in a YouTube video that the pensioners were left in a hospital room that has no shower or bathing facilities, and only provided with basic paper towels.

‘They haven’t eaten properly. Neither of them can eat the food,’ he said. 

A second update, on Saturday, looked more positive. Stephen said that the pair were communicating better with a new doctor. 

‘That is really reassuring and has done a lot for their mental well-being,’ Stephen said. 

The update comes as the health ministry confirmed the death of an elderly Japanese man on its website, days after an elderly couple also died. 

The Japanese government is facing growing questions about whether it is doing enough to stop the spread of the virus, which originated in China and has killed more than 2,400 there. 

The issue is all the more pressing since Tokyo is preparing to host the 2020 Summer Olympics in July.

Stephen Abel also posted a video update on the couple's YouTube channel alongside his wife Roberta on Friday night and Saturday morning

Stephen Abel also posted a video update on the couple’s YouTube channel alongside his wife Roberta on Friday night and Saturday morning

Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said he would hold a meeting of experts on Monday and formulate a basic policy for addressing the disease on Tuesday.

Kato apologised on Saturday for allowing an infected woman to leave the Diamond Princess, which has been quarantined in Yokohama since February 3rd.

The woman came ashore on Wednesday but then tested positive for the disease on Saturday in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo.

Kato said on Saturday that officials had failed to properly test 23 people who disembarked the ship, and his ministry was trying to contact them to be retested.

Stephen Abel posted on Twitter late last night to President Trump in a bid to help get his parents out of the Japanese hospital

Stephen Abel posted on Twitter late last night to President Trump in a bid to help get his parents out of the Japanese hospital 

The ship is owned by Carnival Corp and was originally carrying some 3,700 passengers and crew representing more than a dozen nationalities.

Some nations have flown their citizens home to undergo additional quarantines. 

Japanese authorities have allowed some other passengers to leave, prompting concerns they could be spreading the virus in Japan.

There have been 634 infections on the ship, according to national broadcaster NHK. Those cases represent the largest concentration of the illness outside China. 

It comes after an evacuation carrying 32 British and European passengers who were on the coronavirus-riddled Diamond Princess landed in Britain.

David posted a picture of his wife, Sally, also getting treated. She was also taken off the cruise after she tested positive

David posted a picture of his wife, Sally, also getting treated. She was also taken off the cruise after she tested positive

The amount of people flying back to Britain is less than half of the 78 UK nationals who were trapped on the doomed vessel as officials admitted some refused to get on the plane. 

The couple were on the cruise for their 50th wedding anniversary when it was placed into quarantine. 

Although they were originally in a hospital just 90 minutes from the coronavirus-stricken cruise ship, Mrs Abel called her son in the middle of the night to say the couple were suddenly being moved to a different ‘three-star’ hospital.

It took seven hours for the family to track down which hospital they had been taken to.