'Fit and healthy' nurse, 36, battles for life on ventilator with coronavirus at hospital where she works
A 36-year-old nurse, who was described as "normally fit and healthy," is reportedly critically ill in intensive care after she contracted coronavirus. The nurse, identified as Areema Nasreen, is currently on a ventilator at Walsall Manor hospital in the West Midlands where she has worked for at least 16 years.
Nasreen, who has three children, lives in Warsall and does not have any underlying health issues, according to her family. The 36-year-old began developing symptoms at least 10 days ago when she first developed symptoms of body aches, fever, and cough. She was tested for coronavirus last week and her results came out on March 20.
Nasreen's 22-year-old sister Kazeema Nasreen, who works as a healthcare assistant at the same hospital, spoke to Birmingham Live, saying: "My sister who is an amazing nurse on the front line and who always helps so many have now caught this virus. She is critically ill in ICU, on a ventilator and fighting for her life."
“I want everyone to know how dangerous this is. My sister is only 36 and is normally fit and healthy," said. "People are not taking this seriously enough. She is young – it is not just the elderly who are at risk."
Kazeema said that her family was "heartbroken" after Nasreen's diagnosis. However, they praised the staff at the hospital for going "above and beyond" in caring for her sister, reports state.
A doctor at the hospital, who requested to be anonymous, said that his colleague's condition had "deteriorated very quickly" in their care, Sky News reported.
Nasreen's husband and their three children are reportedly in isolation and unable to visit her.
The 36-year-old qualified as a staff nurse in January 2019 and works at the acute medical unit of the hospital. She has been working at the hospital since 2003, she had initially worked in housekeeping and as a healthcare assistant before studying to become a nurse.
The deadly novel coronavirus is spreading at a rapid rate across multiple countries, with at least 282 people dead in the UK and over 5,700 infections reported. The UK government, last week, had said that it was probing an increase in coronavirus deaths in the West Midlands.
Meanwhile, the coronavirus pandemic has taken over 400 lives and has infected over 35,000 people in the US within days, with most cases being reported in New York. The deadly viral infection has claimed over 14,000 lives across the world, with a total infection of over 340,000 cases and increasing.
President Donald Trump, last week, declared New York State as a major disaster area. The US military will now be called in the city with the US Army Corps of Engineers saying that they plan to take over hotels, sports arenas, college dorms, and other buildings in an attempt to bolster the number of available hospital rooms. New York state went into lockdown last week, with all non-essential businesses shuttered, with just essentials like grocery stores and pharmacies to remain open in a fervent attempt to curb the rapid virus spread.