‘One last Christmas’: after six decades together Covid claims husband and wife in same week

After six decades together, Victorian couple Jeanette and Michael Ryan died from Covid a week apart. Photograph: Ellen Smith/The Guardian

From the moment they met to their final days in hospital together, Jeanette and Michael Ryan’s relationship was a love story. For six decades they were dedicated to each other, and both tested positive to Covid-19 on New Year’s Eve.

They were admitted to hospital in the regional Victorian city of Shepparton 10 days later. Michael was 84 when he died on 15 January. His wife followed him exactly a week later, aged 82.