A MUM who ended up in a coma after showing Covid-19 symptoms has thanked Great Western Hospital staff for saving her life.

Wanraya Airdrie was rushed to hospital on May 28 after blood tests showed her liver was failing.

Less than two weeks later she was taken to the intensive care unit, where she was put on a ventilator and placed in a coma by medics.

Confusion surrounded her condition as all her cough, fever and lack of energy pointed to coronavirus – but the test came back negative.

The 43-year-old from Blunsdon St Andrew was eventually found to have tuberculosis – a serious bacterial infection – and although she awoke a week later, she remains in hospital.

Husband Alasdair said: “We moved back from Thailand to Swindon in 2006 and she was tested for tuberculosis which came back negative.

“Then about six years ago she started developing a nasty cough which was said to be asthma. She was on medication for that for a while which worked, but around Christmas it came back and got worse as we entered lockdown.”

A chest x-ray and a couple of blood tests later Wanraya was taken to GWH by paramedics.

Alasdair said: “They took her temperature which showed she had a fever and another Covid-19 test was done and that came back negative again.

“Then I was given a call on June 6 to tell me she was in a coma which was shocking to hear and I was so worried about her.”

Doctors tested Wanraya for TB again and it came back positive.

Alasdair said: “I think she must have caught it when we have gone back to Thailand for a holiday but it’s just disguised itself as asthma.

“It’s also very confusing for everyone because it displayed itself in similar ways to Covid-19.”

Wanraya has been cheered up by video calls with Alasdair and daughter Brittaney, 15, and could return home next week if her condition remains stable.

She said: “I’ve been looked after really well by everyone here. The NHS have done a fantastic job especially in this difficult time, I can’t thank them enough.

“They watch me very closely, they react very well and take care of me.

“It can be very lonely sometimes being here, I just miss seeing my husband and our daughter Brittaney every day but I do get to video chat with them.”

Alasdair added “I think the hospital have done an outstanding job, not just taking care of my wife but other patients too from what I have seen.

“They constantly work hard and they even took care of me just as a visitor.

“It was such a stressful time because I had been furloughed as a regional sales manager for Avizor and our daughter had missed loads of school because of lockdown.

“I couldn’t really talk to anyone about what was going on so I felt very alone and it’s been traumatic, but the staff have made it a bit easier for us.”