BREAKING NEWS: Republican Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, 41, dies from COVID-19 just over ten days after testing positive for the virus
- Luke Letlow, 41, told constituents on December 18 that he had COVID-19
- He was taken to the hospital on December 21 but was moved to the ICU
- The father-of-two was being given Remdesivir and a combination of steroids
- Letlow had held a number of campaign events – some with masks, some without
- Letlow, a Republican, won a runoff election on December 5th for the 5th District seat, which represents Northeast and Central Louisiana
- He was due to be sworn in on Sunday and is the first member or member-elect of Congress to die from the coronavirus
Republican Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, 41, has died from coronavirus eleven days after announcing he had tested positive for COVID-19.
The father-of-two told supporters on Twitter on December 18 that he had the virus. He had since tweeted multiple times asking people to donate plasma if they have it.
The following statement was issued by his campaign manager Andrew Bautsch on Tuesday night:
Republican Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, 41, has died just ten days after announce
Letlow and his wife Julia with their two young children in a recent photo they used for their Thanksgiving card
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards tweeted his condolences to Letlow’s family
‘Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, 41, passed away this evening at Ochsner-LSU Health Shreveport due to complications from COVID-19.
‘Letlow was admitted into a Monroe Hospital on December 19 after testing positive for the coronavirus and was transferred to Ochsner-LSU Health on Tuesday, December 22, and placed in intensive care.
‘Letlow is survived by his wife, Julia Barnhill Letlow, Phd., and two young children.
‘The family appreciates the numerous prayers and support over the past days but asks for privacy during this difficult and unexpected time.
‘A statement from the family along with funeral arrangements will be announced at a later time.’
Letlow is pictured in a family photo posted to his Facebook pages
Last Wednesday, his representative took over his account to publish a statement after he was moved into the ICU as a result of his worsening condition.
Letlow had been getting treatment in the intensive care unit in Shreveport and then had been receiving treatment at St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, but was transferred to Ochsner LSU Health just before Christmas Eve.
He had been given Remdesivir and steroids – the same treatment President Trump was given.
It is also unclear if he had any pre-existing conditions.
Letlow, a Republican, won a runoff election on December 5 for the 5th District seat, which represents Northeast and Central Louisiana, and was due to be sworn in on Sunday.
He secured the seat with 62 percent of the vote and would have been Rep. Ralph Abraham’s successor.
He is the first member or member-elect of Congress to die from the coronavirus.
Letlow is pictured at a campaign event earlier this year. Those attending were spaced apart
Letlow is pictured at another campaign event alongside some prospective voters
Letlow had tweeted several times since receiving his diagnosis on December 18th
Letlow held multiple campaign events including meet-and-greets where people did not wear masks but appeared to be standing six feet apart.
On other occasions while campaigning, he was seen to be wearing a mask.
On December 18, he tweeted his diagnosis, saying: ‘Thank you to everyone for your kind words and prayers. I have tested positive for COVID-19.
‘I’m at home resting, following all CDC guidelines, quarantine protocols, and the recommendations of my doctors.’
It’s unclear if any of his family has the virus. Letlow was married with two young children.
Letlow and his family pictured last month casting their votes at a local elementary school
The Congressman-elect sometimes wore a mask when campaigning, sometimes he didn’t
Letlow is pictured in July after signing up to run for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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