NSW COVID-19 victim Adriana Midori Takara died aged 38, with no underlying conditions
An accounting student in her 30s has been remembered as "hardworking" and "an amazing friend" after her shocking death from COVID-19.
Adriana Midori Takara, 38, had no underlying health conditions but the Brazilian national's condition deteriorated quickly after contracting the Delta strain.
She died in the early hours of Sunday at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney's inner west, about 10 days after contracting the virus.
Marlene Coimbra, who runs a migration consultancy and helped Ms Takara secure a student visa and a place at Sydney's Kaplan Business School said her former student, Ms Takara, her boyfriend and a flatmate tested positive to the virus.
Ms Coimbra said she was shocked the virus ravaged her body "so quickly".
"When they had the first test, Adriana was negative and her boyfriend was positive," she said.
She said Ms Takara's boyfriend and flatmate, a nurse, were immediately isolated.
"A few days later, Adriana had the second test and … she was positive," she said.
"Just so quickly. So quickly, you know, how her body disintegrated. It's just terrible."
Ms Takara, had initially tested negative before succumbing to the virus.(
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Ms Coimbra said Ms Takara's family were forced to say their goodbyes via Zoom.
"When the doctor saw they couldn’t do anything else for her, they called the family to say goodbye," she said.
Ms Takara's friend Fernanda Ferreira Batista paid tribute on social media, said she was not just a COVID-19 statistic but a "woman with dreams and wishes".
"Since COVID-19 started all we hear is about numbers. Numbers of cases, numbers of infections, numbers of vaccines, numbers of deaths,” Ms Batista said in a Facebook tribute which has since been deleted.
"Well, Adriana is not a number. An amazing friend, not only my friend but a friend of so many people."
Ms Coimbra said Ms Takara's boyfriend was also a student and the pair planned to marry after they finished studying.
She described Ms Takara as "a normal girl".
"[She was a] hardworking girl, let me tell you.
"She studied very hard. She was very dedicated to whatever she was doing."
Ms Takara is the eighth person in NSW to die after contracting COVID-19 during the latest outbreak.
Her death came on the same day a woman in her 70s from south-west Sydney died at Campbelltown Hospital.
President of the Australian Medical Association in New South Wales Dr Danielle McMullen said Ms Takara's death was a grim reminder for young people.
"Only about six of the more than 900 deaths in Australia from COVID have been people under 49," she said.
But Dr McMullen said as more people aged over 60 were getting vaccinated, the outbreak underway in Sydney was affecting the younger population.
It also prompted NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to warn young people could fall victim to the "cruel disease".
"If anybody thinks this is a disease just affecting older people, please think again," she said on Sunday.
"Again, I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to those families, their loved ones who are grieving today, but please note that younger people without pre-existing conditions can also fall victim to this cruel disease."
NSW recorded 141 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday.
Source
www.reuters.com