‘Real possibility’ that Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill, who died in February, was early victim of coronavirus

Late musician’s widow, the author Catherine Mayer, says he might have been infected last November

Andy Gill’s February death may have been caused by coronavirus, his widow, the author and activist Catherine Mayer, has suggested.

The late guitarist completed a tour of Asia with his band, Gang of Four, in November 2019, and died on 1 February.

In January, Gill was admitted to hospital after developing a “respiratory illness”, with the cause of death officially listed as pneumonia and organ failure.

Writing on her website, Mayer revealed that Gill had suffered several of the symptoms of the deadly disease, including low oxygen, lethargy and diminished appetite.

“Andy thought it unlikely he had come into contact with [coronavirus],” she wrote, saying that doctors had asked Gill whether he travelled to Wuhan, the city where many scientists believe the virus originated. “Gang of Four’s tour had taken the band only to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.”

Gang of Four’s tour manager had also suffered “respiratory distress”, which his doctor believed was caused by Covid-19.

One of Gill’s doctors told Mayer: ”Once we learned more about Covid-19, I thought there was a real possibility that Andy had been infected by SARS-COV-2​.”

Though the medical team ran tests on Gill that showed no trace of the virus, they emphasised to Mayer that this was far from a definitive answer.

“This is not, the specialist explained, a definitive answer. By the time of Andy’s admission into hospital, he had been ill for weeks,” she wrote. “The virus could have already left his body, but triggered immune complications.”

Wrote Mayer: “We may never find out whether Covid-19 killed Andy, yet I will always know, in indelible detail, how he died. I will always know, intimately, how Covid-19 kills, the suffering it causes and the unbearable stillness that follows.”