Inquest into death of Wigan wife after Covid-19 vaccine

Michelle Barlow, who was just 51, died at Wigan Infirmary on March 23 this year
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The inquest into the death of a Wigan woman who died a few weeks after having a Covid-19 vaccine has been opened.

Proceedings looking into the death of Michelle Barlow, from Orrell, got under way at Bolton Coroner’s Court on Wednesday with senior coroner for Manchester West Timothy Brennand presiding.

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A date of November 25 has provisionally been set for a full hearing.

Ian Barlow, from Orrell, with a picture of his late wife MichelleIan Barlow, from Orrell, with a picture of his late wife Michelle
Ian Barlow, from Orrell, with a picture of his late wife Michelle

Michelle, pictured with Ian, who was just 51, died at Wigan Infirmary on March 23 this year.

Her death has left her widower Ian, 56, with many questions about what happened to his wife in the final weeks of her life.

Michelle had a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine against the novel coronavirus on March 7.

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Just over a week before she died she began to feel ill, firstly with diarrhoea and an upset stomach and then with feeling sick.

She was admitted to Wigan Infirmary with low platelets on March 20 but despite the best efforts of the medical staff she continued to deteriorate and died on March 23.

Ian previously told the Wigan Observer he fears Michelle is one of the people who have ended up with severe blood clots after having the AstraZeneca vaccine.

This suspicion has particularly shocked him as her symptoms did not particularly point to this and there was no indication at all that Michelle, who worked as a civil servant at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), was at risk of clotting.

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National authorities have said severe blood clots after having the AstraZeneca jab are extremely rare, while health organisations in the borough have offered Ian their condolences.

Ian said Michelle experienced the flu-like symptoms which are quite common after having the jab but then she became ill again on Mother’s Day.

A doctor gave her anti-sickness tablets when she started feeling nauseous and these helped for a couple of days but she then got worse once more.

An inquest is a judicial enquiry into the nature of someone’s death and seeks to answer four questions: who the deceased was and when, where and how they came by the nature of the medical cause of death.

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After hearing evidence the coroner will come to a conclusion and record the details that are necessary for the death to be registered.

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