The friends of a 38-year-old woman who died of COVID-19 in Australia say the virus took hold of her quickly, and want her to be remembered as more than just a number.
The woman, a Brazillian national identified as Adriana Midori Takara, died over the weekend after contracting the virus. She had no pre-existing conditions.
Marlene Coimbra, a friend of Takara, told The Daily Telegraph the virus took over quickly.
"It's shocking. She was healthy, happy, working, she had a boyfriend. It's shocking."
Another woman Fernanda Ferreira Batista identified herself on Facebook as a friend of Takara's and said she was more than just a number.
"Since COVID-19 started all we hear is about numbers. Numbers of cases, numbers of infections, numbers of vaccines, numbers of deaths,” Batista said in a tribute posted on Sunday.
"Well, Adriana is not a number. [She is] an amazing friend, not only my friend but a friend of so many people."
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian gave her condolences in a press conference on Saturday.
"I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to those families, the loved ones who are grieving today," she said.
Takara's death is the eighth in Australia's most recent COVID-19 outbreak.
Berejiklian urged young people not to be complacent as the Delta variant continues to spread through Australia.
"If anybody thinks this is a disease just affecting older people, please think again."
NSW Health’s Jeremy McAnulty said a teenager was one of 43 people in intensive care, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.
Another seven were in their 20s, three were in their 30s, 14 in their 50s, 12 in their 60s and six in their 70s.
