KATE Garraway has told an ICU doctor not to 'feel guilty' for keeping loved ones away from their sick relatives in hospital during the pandemic.

The Good Morning Britain host, whose husband Derek is still in intensive care after contracting coronavirus, told Dr Jim Down that she and others in the same boat "understand".

Kate has not be able to see Derek since Christmas due to strict visiting rules, but was quick to reassure the told the medic during Thursday's show.

The mum-of-two drew on her own personal experience while talking to Dr Down about his book, which gives a first-hand account of his experiences on the front line.

Kate said: "You do talk about feeling guilt for separated relatives and having to try and explain to them why they couldn't be there, and why you often couldn't get back to them.

"Just as somebody who is on the other side of those phone calls, you shouldn't feel guilty because we do understand what you're up against."

Kate's husband Derek contracted coronavirus in March last year and remains in a serious condition. Subsequent complications left him in a coma.

Last month, Kate opened up about how tough it has been after the second wave of the pandemic sparked tighter restrictions at hospital once again.

"I haven't been able to see him since Christmas, we're back into situation of looking at strangers in masks," she told GMB viewers.

"That’s the situation for everybody at the moment. It’s tough.

"When you’re someone like him, dealing with a consciousness problem and trying to emerge, I can't help but fear it’s not helpful. There’s no end in sight to that. There’s no one to blame or be angry with. It’s tough."

Kate recently said she was struggling to cope being the sole parent to her children, Darcey, 14, and 11-year-old William.

Speaking to Good Housekeeping Kate admitted: "“I’m not sure I am coping! I honestly don’t know how single mums do it; it’s just so hard.

"A lot of the time I find myself thinking, ‘What would Derek say?’ and ‘What would Derek do?’"

She added that she was being helped through the parenting side of things by her Good Morning Britain co-star Ranvir Singh.

Kate explained: "I’m lucky that I’m being supported by lots of friends, too, and Ranvir has been really helpful because she’s been operating as a single mum since her son, Tushaan, was very little.

"I asked her, ‘How do you do it?’ and she said, ‘You just have to accept that you can’t do everything.’”

Kate's co-star Piers Morgan previously told how doctors have warned Kate that her husband "may never come out of his coma".

He told viewers: "We know from our colleague Kate Garraway, whose husband is still in a coma from Covid… He may never come out of that coma.

"She's been told this, and it's heartbreaking. It has hit right here on our show."

Source: Read Full Article