A woman who was infected with coronavirus twice says the first bout of the disease was easy to deal with – but that the second almost killed her. Leslie Tanyan, 46, said her initial Covid-19 diagnosis in June saw her experience only the mildest symptoms, which she barely even noticed.

That brush with the disease saw Leslie, from Oklahoma city, believe herself to be immune, amid widespread speculation that getting coronavirus once leaves sufferers immune to the virus for at least a few months. She tested negative, and believed she had overcome the virus.

But Leslie fell ill again in August, and was so sick she had to be rushed to hospital. She told WPBF: ‘I said we need to go to the hospital. I can’t breathe. I couldn’t get my oxygen up. It was going down so fast I started passing out. I couldn’t get my oxygen up. It was going down so fast I started passing out.’

Leslie, who is married, said she wasn’t tested for Covid initially, because doctors knew about her previous diagnosis. But she tested positive again, and was so seriously-ill she spent three weeks in specialist coronavirus ICU care.

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Leslie explained: ‘I thought I was immune. Did not think I’d get it again, and I did. I was really shocked. I told them I had it in June and thought we were supposed to have immunity.

‘Covid is so new they’re learning every day.’

After receiving two negative Covid tests – a sign a patient is no longer infectious – Leslie then spent a month at a long-term care home as medics treated horrific damage to her lungs.

She returned home last week, and warned others – including people who have already been infected with coronavirus – not to let their guard down.

Leslie, who is Native American, said: ‘(The doctors) said I was very lucky. Not many people who get to that part make it.

‘All of that in my lungs, the damage — looks like a cloud over your whole lung.

‘I want my Native American community to be careful. We hold our elders in high regard. Those are the ones we want to protect. Oklahoma, we can do better.’

Coronavirus has infected 8.24million Americans, and killed over 220,600 people across the United States.

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