A mum who caught coronavirus was left fighting for her life with half a litre of fluid "crushing" her heart and toxic blood spilling into her stomach.
Fluid built up around Gillian Escott's heart, causing the top two chambers to shut down, as Covid-19 attacked practically every organ in her body.
Paramedics called to her home didn't immediately suspect coronavirus because she wasn't suffering all the "classic" signs of the disease.
Her "unusual" Covid-19 symptoms were initially believed to be a stomach bug and it was thought she would be sent home from hospital within hours, but tests and scans revealed the 59-year-old was in grave danger.