A 36-year-old nurse and mother-of-three who was put on a ventilator after contracting coronavirus has died in hospital.

A close friend of Areema Nasreen, who worked at Walsall Manor Hospital, paid tribute to her on social media as she confirmed she had lost her battle against the virus.

Fellow nurse Rubi Aktar said of her friend: “She was the most loveliest, genuine person you could ever meet, she went above and beyond for everyone she met.

I am so broken that words can’t explain. I can’t believe I will not see your smile again

“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.”

Speaking early last week, Ms Nasreen’s sister Kazeema, who works as a healthcare assistant at the same hospital, told Sky News the family thinks she could have contracted Covid-19 “virtually anywhere”.

The 22-year-old said her normally fit and health sister, from Walsall, was on annual leave when she first started showing symptoms.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street tweeted: “Such tragic news this morning, my heart goes out to Areema’s family and three children.

“Frontline workers across the West Midlands are risking their lives day after day to protect us, the least we can do to help them is follow Government advice.”

Richard Beeken, chief executive 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.”

The trust described Areema as a professional, passionate nurse who started out as a housekeeper in 2003, before working hard to gain her nursing qualification in January 2019.

Mr Beeken added: “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.

“I would, on behalf of the trust like to pass our deepest condolences to Areema’s family and loved ones and our thoughts are with them all at this very sad time.”