Chicago man, 19, dies of coronavirus within a week, family says

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A 19-year-old Chicago man who reportedly had no underlying conditions died a week after he was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, his family said. 

Arnold Herrera was diagnosed with COVID-19 last week. He was recovering at home but his condition reportedly worsened on New Year’s Eve. He was taken to a local hospital the following day. 

But Herrera’s condition failed to improve, and he died on Sunday, his older brother, Pablo Portilla, told local news station WLS-TV. 

"I’m always going to remember him for the joyous person he was, for the amazing things he did, the way that he had an effect on everyone’s life," Portilla said. 

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COVID-19 "doesn’t discriminate on age. It just happens, and we should all be careful. We shouldn’t think, ‘Oh yeah, because I’m young, it’s not going to happen to me,’" Portilla continued. 

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The man’s death makes him the 11th Illinois resident under age 20 to die of the virus, WLS reported. 

"We just have to be careful. We have to take our precautions, and we have to take this seriously," added Herrera’s brother.