An eight-year-old Peebles girl recovering from leukaemia was rushed to hospital at the weekend with suspected coronavirus.

Last Friday we revealed that the Bisset family were isolating and living in fear that their daughter Charly would die if she contracted the virus.

A day later alarm bells were ringing as Charly had a raging fever which resulted in her being admitted to intensive care at Edinburgh Sick Kids on Sunday.

After being tested for COVID-19 the family waited anxiously to hear the results as Charly lay unconscious.

Thankfully she tested negative, but the results revealed she contracted pneumonia which triggered sepsis and she remains in hospital for treatment.

Her father Mark told the Peeblesshire News: “She took a really bad turn at about 7pm so we took her to the hospital. She just got progressively worse overnight, slipping in and out of consciousness, and reporting headaches.

“The doctors didn’t think it was COVID-19 but we were really worried as she went downhill dramatically. Until the results came through she had to be treated as though she had it.”

The brave youngster has been in and out of hospital battling cancer for over a year and, up until the weekend, was recovering well after a successful bone marrow transplant.

Parents Mark and Kirsty were warned by doctors that the chances of their daughter surviving if she contracted the virus were very slim due to her weakened immune system.

The family feared the worst when she started to become unwell at home and drove her to hospital where they had the longest wait of their lives as doctors carried out tests.

The results were negative for COVID-19 but the nightmare was far from over. Blood test revealed Charly has a bacterial infection.

“With early intervention the doctors got on top of it really quickly and she is being treated with antibiotics so they say she will be okay. It’s been the norm for Charly through her illness, but we are hoping to get her home soon where we will be in strict isolation,” said Mr Bisset.

The Bisset family praised the NHS staff helping to nurse their daughter. Mr Bisset added: “Once again we thank them for everything they have done. They truly are amazing.”

However, they had a stark warning for those who are not taking the pandemic seriously. “We would just like to stress to people that they need to take this more seriously. Our daughter is high risk and she will die if she gets this virus. We all have a part to play in keeping one another safe. Those that are young and healthy might be okay but with our little girl there is no second chance. Keep people like Charly safe and stay home.”

At the time of going to press, the family reported that Charly has taken a turn for the worse, and has been re-admitted to intensive care where she is currently on a ventilator.

UPDATE - 8.27pm, March 26, 2020 - We understand Charly has been taken off the ventilator.