Family warns young people after 19-year-old dies from COVID-19 this week

CHICAGO (WLS) – A 19-year-old Chicago man who had no known underlying condition died of COVID-19 the week after his diagnosis, his family said.

When Arnold Herrera, 19, saw a problem, he tried to solve it. He worked on cars for a living and was as good with his hands as he was generous with his heart, his family says.

“I will always remember him for the joyful person he was, for the amazing things he did, the way he had an effect on everyone’s lives,” said the older brother of Herrera, Pablo Portilla.

Portilla says her brother was diagnosed with COVID-19 last week and was recovering at home. He seemed to be doing better, but hours after ringing the New Year his condition worsened.

“He told us: ‘Happy New Year’. Unfortunately after that he just had complications for a whole day. He suffered. We took him to the hospital, and that’s it, ”Portilla said.

Herrera died on Sunday. He became the 11th person in Illinois under the age of 20 to die from the virus.

Her family hope her death will serve as a warning to others.

“He doesn’t discriminate on age. It just happens and we all have to be careful. We shouldn’t be thinking, ‘Oh yeah, because I’m young this won’t happen to me,’ ”Portilla said. “We just have to be careful. We have to take our precautions and we have to take this seriously.

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