A COVID-19 positive patient spat at police and hospital staff during a foul-mouthed tirade.

Christina Whelan was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton because of her drunken state.

She had tested positive for the disease and was meant to be self-isolating, but escaped from an isolation room at the hospital.

The 35-year-old alcoholic was warned to keep away from other patients but refused, branding them as “fat c****”.

She punched a paramedic in the stomach, then as police arrived she punched one officer in the face and spat at the other.

Whelan said “I know I’m f****** positive” and threatened she would spit in people’s faces.

The emergency workers said they could not believe that in the middle of a pandemic someone would actively wish to infect them with coronavirus.

Whelan’s rampage came on a day where more than 1,500 people nationwide died from the disease.

One officer branded her behaviour as “abhorrent, repugnant and disgusting”, and said they had to put a spit guard on her.

At Brighton Magistrates’ Court Whelan admitted assaulting emergency workers, resisting arrest and abusive behaviour.

District Judge Tessa Szagun said that despite Whelan’s battles with alcoholism and trauma, her crimes were so serious that she would be jailed for 36 weeks.

Rachel Beckett, prosecuting, said the 45-minute rampage happened on Tuesday, January 12.

The victims were paramedic Andrew Dyer, security guard Matthew Dewdney, and PC Rea and PC Reid.

Ms Beckett said officers felt they faced “needless hostility and violence” from Whelan.

She said: “They kept telling her she was potentially contagious and should not be out here.

Whelan replied: “I know I’m f****** positive” and that she would spit in people’s faces.

PC Reid, one of the victims, said: “She was aware she had been diagnosed with Covid-19, and I feel I have been placed at unnecessary risk of contracting the disease as a direct result of her complete ignorance and complete disregard of the legislation designed to stop the spread of infections.”

Matthew Baines, defending, said Whelan was remorseful about the incident and said it was out of character. She has struggled with the lockdown and has battled alcoholism.

Whelan, of Danehill Road, Brighton, had previously suffered from domestic violence.

She had once succeeded in turning her life around and had trained as a mentor to help others with the addictions service Pavilions.

But despite being on the “upswing”, she witnessed a colleague collapse and die from a burst pancreas which sparked a relapse into drinking.

The defence lawyer and probation officer told the court a place on a “trauma therapy” rehabilitation course was available for Whelan.

But Judge Tessa Szagun said: “Of course I consider the vulnerabilities and life experience of trauma I’m told you have suffered throughout the course of your life, and the efforts you have made to rehabilitate yourself.

“Against that, I balance the fact that this was persistent. It shows a disturbing disregard for the safety of other people trying to administer assistance to yourself and others.

“Your behaviour was deliberate. It was explained to you on several occasions what the risk was and that you were exposing others to it.

“In the current climate, this behaviour is so serious that it cannot be dealt with in any other way other than an immediate custodial sentence.”