Luke Letlow.Photo: Melinda Deslatte/AP/Shutterstock
Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, who had been scheduled to besworn into Congress on Sunday, has died. He was 41.
Less than two weeks after testing positive for thenovel coronavirus(COVID-19), Letlow died on Tuesday, multiple outlets report. He was being treated in the intensive care unit at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Academic Medical Center after having been transferred from St. Francis Hospital in Monroe, Louisiana.
“The family appreciates the numerous prayers and support over the past days but asks for privacy during this difficult and unexpected time,” Letlow’s spokesman Andrew Bautsch said in a statement, according toWBNS. “A statement from the family along with funeral arrangements will be announced at a later time.”
Bautsch did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment Tuesday.
Letlow is reportedly the first member or member-elect to die from the contagious respiratory virus. He previously served as chief of staff to Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-La.) and would have filled that seat serving the state’s fifth congressional district.
On Dec. 21, Letlow thanked followers for their support and prayers in athread on Twitterdays after announcing he waspositive with the viruson Dec. 18.
“It may very well be the gift of life that you are giving a family this Christmas,” he concluded the thread.
Two days later, Bautsch said in astatementshared to the politician’s Twitter that Letlow had been transferred to the Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Academic Medical Center, where he was receiving Remdesivir and steroids.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards confirmed Letlow’s death on Twitter Tuesday.
“COVID-19 has taken Congressman-elect Letlow from us far too soon. I am heartbroken that he will not be able to serve our people as a U.S. Representative, but I am even more devastated for his loving family,” he continued. “I hope all of the people of Louisiana will join Donna and me in praying for Congressman-elect Letlow’s family, especially his wife Julia and their two children, his many friends, and the people of the 5th Congressional District.”
Saying that flags will be flown at half-staff on the day of Letlow’s funeral, Edwards added, “Louisiana has lost more than 7,300 people to COVID-19 since March, and each one of them leaves a tremendous hole in our state.”
Louisiana has had at least 304,485 cases of COVID-19, with at least 7,397 deaths related to the virus. Nationwide, there have beenmore than 19.5 million casesand at least 338,711 deaths from COVID-19.
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source: people.com
