Channel 4 News has learned that “fabulous” 28-year-old nurse Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong passed away on Sunday

A heavily pregnant nurse who had tested positive for Covid-19 has died, Channel 4 News has learned.

Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, 28, underwent an emergency caesarean to deliver and save her baby daughter.

The little girl is understood to be alive and being cared for. But it’s not clear if she has tested positive for the disease.

Colleagues at Luton and Dunstable Hospital said Mary was “a fabulous nurse, and a great example of what we stand for”.

An internal email to staff explained the decision to perform an emergency cesarean was taken after Mary’s condition deteriorated. Doctors initially thought she was showing signs of improving afterwards, but her symptoms got worse again and she passed away on Sunday.

The NHS Trust’s chief executive, David Carter, said the survival of her baby daughter was a “beacon of light at this very dark time”.

In a statement he said: “It is with great sadness that I can confirm the death of one of our nurses, Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, who passed away on Sunday (12th April).

“Mary worked here for five years and was a highly valued and loved member of our team, a fantastic nurse and a great example of what we stand for in this Trust.

“She tested positive for Covid-19 after being tested on 5th of April and was admitted to the hospital on the 7th April.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Mary’s family and friends at this sad time. We ask that the family’s privacy is respected at this time.”

A GoFundMe appeal set up in her name for her husband and child has raised £10,000.