A pregnant nurse died of COVID-19, but her baby survives and is doing very well after being delivered via emergency cesarean section, according to a spokeswoman for the UK's National Health Service or NHS.
Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong was a nurse who worked at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital, northwest of London. She was admitted to the hospital on April 7 after she tested positive for the coronavirus on April 5.
Agyapong, 28, died on April 12, this was confirmed in a statement released by Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on April 15. She had worked for the NHS for five years.
Pregnant nurse dies of COVID-19 but baby survives
The CEO of Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, David Carter, expressed his sadness over the unfortunate event. He said that Mary worked for the NHS for five years and that she was a highly valued and loved member of the team, a fantastic nurse and a great example of what the NHS stands for.
Carter also extended his condolences to Mary's family and friends and he asked the public to give Mary's family privacy during this difficult time.
A GoFundMe page was set up for Mary, and just days after the announcement of her page, more than £117,000 or about $146,000 has been donated. The money will be given to her husband and baby to help them start a new life after the tragedy.
Agyapong, also known as Mary Mo to her friends, was a "blessing to everyone that she came across with and her love, care, and her sincerity will be irreplaceable." a statement on the fundraising website reads.
The current state of NHS
According to UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock, there are 27 NHS workers who have died from coronavirus. There are now more than 13,700 people who have died of coronavirus in the UK and more than 100,000 have tested positive, according to the UK government.
Matt Hancock stated that the updated figure of 27 verified deaths in the NHS is an increase from April 12 when he stated that there had been 19 deaths during the pandemic. NHS choir's tribute to those who have risked their lives to save others were posted online.
However, announcements from NHS trusts and tributes from loved ones state the true number is higher still, with more than 40 NHS staff who have now said to have died due to the coronavirus. Hancock stated that every death amongst the healthcare workers was being investigated in order to find out what the system and the government can do better to protect those who are on the front line.
Hancock told BBC Breakfast that some NHS workers have caught the virus from patients in the line of duty, while others may have caught it even while they were not working at the time. What the government wants to know is what they can do to better protect the frontliners both in the NHS and in social care, this is the reason why they are investigating each case.
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