Topline
U.S. Congressman-elect Luke Letlow (R-La.) died of Covid-19 on Tuesday, according to multiple reports, marking the first Covid death for either a sitting or incoming member of Congress.
FILE – In this July 22, 2020 file photo, Luke Letlow (R-La.), chief of staff to exiting U.S. Rep. … [+] Ralph Abraham, speaks after signing up to run for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte, File)
Key Facts
Letlow, 41, announced he had tested positive on Dec. 18, and was hospitalized a day later in Monroe, Louisiana.
He was later moved to a larger hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana and was transferred into an ICU last Wednesday.
Letlow’s death comes just over three weeks after he was elected to Congress to represent Louisiana’s 5th District, handily winning a runoff for the seat on Dec. 5.
Letlow was to be sworn in on Sunday.
Letlow is survived by his wife and two children, a 3-year-old son and 11-month-old daughter.
Crucial Quote
“Luke had such a positive spirit, and a tremendously bright future ahead of him,” Louisiana’s Congressional delegation said in a joint statement Tuesday. “More than anything, Luke was a loving husband, father, brother, and son, and his family — like so many others who have been affected by this evil disease — needs our prayers.”
Key Background
Over 50 active or incoming members of Congress have tested positive for Covid-19, many of them much older and in higher risk groups than Letlow, but he is the first to have died of the virus. Letlow had previously been chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-La.), the outgoing Congressman he was set to replace.
Big Number
338,561. That’s how many Covid-19 deaths have been recorded in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University.
Further Reading
Republican Congressman-Elect Luke Letlow, 41, Transferred To ICU With Covid (Forbes)
Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow dies with COVID-19 (Monroe News-Star)
No comments:
Post a Comment