The husband of a British woman who died while on holiday in Bali after contracting coronavirus has spoken out about the care she received, saying he does not believe she would have died had she been in the UK.

Ken Finlayson said he was able to exchange goodbyes “for a few minutes” before his wife, Kimberley Finlayson, who had underlying health conditions, died on the Indonesian island on 11 March.

She had undergone two emergency operations in an Indonesian government hospital before her death. She was one of the first British victims of coronavirus to be named.

Quick Guide What are coronavirus symptoms and should I go to a doctor? Show What is Covid-19? Covid-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it a pandemic. What are the symptoms this coronavirus causes? According to the WHO, the most common symptoms of Covid-19 are fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Some patients may also have a runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion and aches and pains or diarrhoea. Some people report losing their sense of taste and/or smell. About 80% of people who get Covid-19 experience a mild case – about as serious as a regular cold – and recover without needing any special treatment. About one in six people, the WHO says, become seriously ill. The elderly and people with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, or chronic respiratory conditions, are at a greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19. In the UK, the National health Service (NHS) has identified the specific symptoms to look for as experiencing either: a high temperature - you feel hot to touch on your chest or back

a new continuous cough - this means you’ve started coughing repeatedly As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work, and there is currently no vaccine. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system. Should I go to the doctor if I have a cough? Medical advice varies around the world - with many countries imposing travel bans and lockdowns to try and prevent the spread of the virus. In many place people are being told to stay at home rather than visit a doctor of hospital in person. Check with your local authorities. In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.

He told the BBC he believed the “great NHS” would have saved her had she been treated by the hospital local to the family’s home in the UK.

“Myself and my four children are absolutely devastated to lose the most beautiful wife and mother,” he said. “She’s so generous, she’s so full of life, she’s so powerful, courageous, supportive of all of us. I’ve lost half of myself.

“I talked to her. She said that she loved me and we exchanged that for a few minutes and looked into one another’s eyes.”

Finlayson, who tested negative for the virus, cautioned other UK citizens when travelling overseas and urged them to “be strong” for their families in the months to come.

He said: “The lesson for the British public to realise is that if you go to these places then people really mean well but you’re giving up that level of care which we expect and you are playing Russian roulette with your lives if you become critical.

“Mistakes were being made. I don’t believe ... if this had happened in Barnet hospital, I believe our great NHS would have saved Kimberley. I don’t think she would have been anywhere near as critical in the first place.

“Tragically in the UK there will be many people who will suffer, I’m sure, over the months ahead. You need to be strong for your family and the memory of your loved one who died in such tragic circumstances.”

He added there was an irony in the now-familiar phrase “underlying health issues” – referring to his wife, who had diabetes.

“I don’t know many people in their 50s who haven’t received medication, haven’t had some health issues. My wife is the most incredibly generous, loving mum.”

Colleagues of Kimberley, who was from Hertfordshire and the founder of a dental communications company, praised her “passion, creativity and determination”.

An online statement said: “Those fortunate enough to know her will remember a whirlwind of energy and ideas, and an ability to make things happen that few can match.”