Health

NHS nurse dies of coronavirus at hospital where she worked


A 36-year-old NHS nurse, who was believed to have had no underlying health issues, has died after contracting coronavirus.

Areema Nasreen died shortly after midnight on Friday in intensive care at Walsall Manor hospital in the West Midlands, where she had worked for 16 years.

Nasreen, who has three children, and was from Walsall, developed symptoms of coronavirus on 13 March, including aches, a high temperature and then a cough. She tested positive for the virus last Friday.

What is Covid-19?

It 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.

How many people have been affected?

China’s national health commission confirmed human-to-human transmission in January. As of 31 March, more than one million people have been infected in more than 170 countries, according to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

There have been over 50,000 deaths globally. Just over 3,200 of those deaths have occurred in mainland China. Italy has been worst affected, with over 13,900 fatalities, and there have been over 10,000 deaths in Spain. The US now has more confirmed cases than any other country – more than 245,000. Many of those who have died had underlying health conditions, which the coronavirus complicated.

More than 210,000 people are recorded as having recovered from the coronavirus.

In a tribute posted on Facebook, her friend Rubi Aktar said: “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.”

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 mother-of-three qualified as a staff nurse in January last year and worked at the hospital’s acute medical unit.

She worked at Walsall Manor hospital from 2003, in housekeeping and as a healthcare assistant before studying to become a nurse.



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