Covid-19: Hospital nurse Estrella Catalan remembered with applause

Estrella Catalan was "compassionate, loving, fun and caring", her friend Jenelyn Bales said

A nurse who continued to "put the needs of others before her own" while battling Covid-19 has been remembered by her grieving family and colleagues.

Estrella Catalan, 52, died on Friday at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH), where she had worked for almost two decades.

She had been receiving treatment in the hospital's critical care complex.

Her husband and sons joined staff outside the hospital for a minute's silence, followed by applause.

Staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn and the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston, where Ms Catalan worked earlier in her career, joined in with the tribute.

'Caring and conscientious'

In January, the BBC filmed Ms Catalan, an emergency department nurse, as her NNUH colleagues treated her for the disease.

She said she was desperate to get better so staff could help other patients.

A tribute on GoFundMe, written by friend Jenelyn Bales, said such selflessness was typical of Ms Catalan, who had worked in Norfolk since arriving from the Philippines.

"To her colleagues, she is the most caring, conscientious and hardworking person a department could ask for," she said.

"She puts the needs of others first before her own.

"Her selflessness and dedication carried on even when she was on her hospital bed, she still thought and talked about when she could go back to work to help patients and colleagues throughout this pandemic."

The fundraising page - which described her as "compassionate, loving, fun and caring" - and another set up by a member of staff, have together raised more than £45,000 to support her family and pay for her funeral.

On Friday, chief executive of NNUH NHS Foundation Trust, Sam Higginson, called Ms Catalan a "wonderful person and a caring and conscientious nurse, who loved to teach and mentor students".

"Our deepest and heartfelt condolences are with Estrella's loved ones and friends at this very difficult time, and with all those who worked alongside Estrella and knew her," he added.

"This is a heartbreaking reminder of the situation we are facing every day to help others and we want to thank our staff for their ongoing courage and commitment during the pandemic."