A MEMBER of staff at a UK railway station has died from coronavirus after being spat at by a member of the public while on duty.
47-year-old Belly Mujinga, who was born in Democratic Republic of Congo but who has lived in the UK since 2000, worked in the ticket office of Victoria Station in London.
She fell fatally ill after she and another female colleague were spit and coughed at by a man who claimed he had coronavirus.
Within days of the assault, which took place on 22 March, both Ms Mujinga and her colleague became ill and subsequently tested positive for the virus.
Ms Mujinga grew critically ill and was taken to Barnet Hospital for treatment where she was placed on a ventilator, but passed away on 5 April.
She leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter.
The Transport Salaried Staffs Association, Ms Mujinga's union, say she was left shaken after the assault and asked her workplace, the Govia Thameslink Railway, not to send her back outside to deal with customers face to face as she had an underlying health condition, which her workplace were aware of.
The union alleges that both women were told to return to work, and they did so. Neither were given PPE.
Her doctor declared her too ill to work on 25 March.
Just ten people were allowed to attend her funeral.
Belly Mujinga died from coronavirus after she was spit on while at work (Image: Family Handout)Her devastated husband, Lusamba Gode Katalay, told the Press Association how his wife was assaulted by a man who walked up to her and spat in her face before claiming to have coronavirus.
“The man asked her what she was doing, why she was there, and she said they were working," Mr Kataly said.
“The man said he had the virus and spat on them. They reported it to their supervisor. Belly came home and told me everything."
She was taken to hospital via Ambulance on 2 April, which was the last time her family saw her.
“We just said ‘Be good,’ and that God is in charge," Mr Katalay said.
“We did a WhatsApp video in hospital, but then I didn’t hear from her again.
"I thought she might be asleep, but the doctor to phoned me to tell me she had died.”
She was “a good person, a good mother, and a good wife”, he said.
The TSSA General Secretary, speaking on Ms Mujinga's tragic death, said:
“We are shocked and devastated at Belly’s death. She is one of far too many front-line workers who have lost their lives to coronavirus.
"The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock recently announced that £60,000 would be paid to the survivors of health and care workers who die as a result of the pandemic. Our view is that this compensation should be extended to the families of all front-line workers who perish trying to keep our country and vital services going.
"Sadly, Belly’s is just one of many family tragedies where children have had their parents taken away from them.
"However, there are serious questions about her death, it wasn’t inevitable.
"As a vulnerable person in the ‘at risk’ category and her condition known to her employer, there are questions about why GTR didn’t stand her down from front line duties early on in this pandemic.
"The assault she suffered at work was scary and we do not think the company treated it seriously enough."
