A nurse who was on the frontline of the coronavirus battle has died after she tested positive for the deadly bug.
Mum-of-three Areema Nasreen, 36, had been on a ventilator at Walsall Manor Hospital after developing a temperature, body aches and a cough.
Areema, who had worked for the NHS for more than 16 years, then tested positive for Covid-19. She is reported to have died in the early hours of today.
She is the youngest NHS worker to die from coronavirus so far during the outbreak.
Areema's sister said she was 'fit and healthy' before the diagnosis with no underlying conditions.
The 36-year-old, from Walsall, is reported to have first taken ill in mid-March and by March 22 she was reported to have been on a ventilator.
Devastated friend Rubi Aktar paid tribute to Areema on Facebook.
She wrote: "She was the most loveliest, genuine person you could ever meet, she went above and beyond for everyone she met.
"I’m so grateful that I had the honour to call her my best friend, she saw me at my best and my worst and accepted my every flaw. I am so broken that words can’t explain.
"I can’t believe I will not see your smile again.
"You made me the nurse that I am today, with your support, motivation and inspiration I am the nurse that I am today and I hope I can do you proud Areema.
"I love you so much and I will never forget you. You had so much to live for, I am sorry you didn’t get to see your kids grow up and I’m sorry that you didn’t get to complete your career".
A relative told Birmingham Live: "The immediate family are devastated. Everyone is in shock this morning.
"She was always so full of life. She was devoted to her job as a nurse, she absolutely loved it.
"She passed away doing what she loved.
"I'm really sad for the rest of the family, she was a fantastic person."
The chief executive at the NHS trust where nurse Areema Nasreen worked has paid tribute to her.
Richard Beeken, CEO of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, said: "I would like to pay tribute to Areema Nasreen who sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning.
"Any death is devastating but losing one of our own is beyond words.
"Areema was extremely committed to her role as a staff nurse on the acute medical unit at Walsall Manor Hospital. She was a professional, passionate nurse who started at the trust as a housekeeper in 2003 before working hard to gain her nursing qualification in January 2019.
"Her dedication to her role and her popularity amongst her colleagues is obvious to see with the outpouring of grief and concern we are seeing around the organisation and on social media.
"We will do everything that we can in the coming days and weeks to support those that need it.
"Her vocation in nursing was clear for all to see and she always said that she was so blessed to have the role of a nurse which she absolutely loved because she wanted to feel like 'she could make a difference' - and you did, Areema, you will be very sadly missed."
Areema, who worked as a staff nurse at Walsall Manor Hospital’s Acute Medical Unit, had previously said she'd wanted to be a nurse since she was a teenager, after caring for her nan who suffered a stroke.
She explained: “I just wanted to be able to look after people, particularly those who are elderly and vulnerable.
"I cry every morning because I am so happy that I have finally realised my dream of becoming a nurse."
She is the sixth confirmed death of an NHS worker from coronavirus.
The other five are:
- 68-year-old Dr Alfa Sa'adu who worked for the NHS for 40 years in hospitals across London.
- Mental health nurse Thomas Harvey who died after contracting the deadly bug from a hospital patient at Goodmayes Hospital in north London. He was a father of seven.
- Dr Amged El-Hawrani, 55, was an ear, nose and throat specialist and worked as a consultant at Queen's Hospital, Burton.
- Dr Habib Zaidi, 76, is thought to have been the first doctor in the UK to have been killed by the bug. He died 24 hours after being taken ill.
Dr Adil El Tayar, 63, is thought to have contracted the illness while working in the A&E department at Hereford County Hospital. His family said he had no idea the patient he was treating had coronavirus.
There are now more than 1m confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide.
There are 33,718 confirmed cases in the UK and there have been 2,921 deaths with those figures expected to rise in the coming days and weeks.
