Woman, 21, becomes one of the youngest to die from coronavirus in UK

A 21-year-old woman has become the youngest person to have died after contracting coronavirus in the UK, despite having no pre-existing health conditions.

Chloe Middleton, from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, is believed to have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, on Saturday (March 21).

Posting on Facebook, her mother Diane Middleton wrote: “To all the people out there that thinks it’s just a virus please think again.

“Speaking from a personal experience this so called virus has taken the life of my 21-year-old daughter.”

Emily Mistry, Chloe’s aunt, described her as a “beautiful, kind-hearted” young woman with no underlying health issues. She said the family is in “unimaginable pain” and “shattered beyond belief”.

She also warned others: “The reality of this virus is only just unfolding before our very eyes.

“Please, please adhere to government guidelines. Do your bit. Protect yourselves and protect others!

“The virus isn’t spreading, People are spreading the virus.

“Life as we know it has changed dramatically but unless we all act now to protect ourselves and others, the longer this turmoil and anguish will go on…”

An 18-year-old boy died from the virus on 23 March, but he was being treated for “significant underlying health issues”, said Professor Kiran Patel, chief medical officer for University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.

UK coronavirus deaths reach 437

A woman wearing a face mask walks through the Bullring in Birmingham on Wednesday (March 18)

The COVID-19 coronavirus is spreading globally at an alarming rate, with concerns heightened due to the lack of vaccine for the virus’ current strain, which can be lethal to those with weakened immune systems.

The epidemic has been declared a global pandemic, with confirmed cases presently surpassing 250,000 around the world, with more than 15,000 deaths.

437 people have so far died in the UK from the virus, rising by 15 since yesterday evening. In the 24 hours prior, the number of deaths rose by 87 in just a day and the biggest daily increase in both deaths and cases in the UK so far. However, experts believe we are still two or three weeks away from the peak of the outbreak.

The UK’s first coronavirus-related death was recorded on 5 March and it took another 13 days for the number of deaths to pass 100. The youngest victim has been 18-years-old. The UK government’s chief medical advisers are encouraging everyone to self-isolate and wash their hands regularly.

According to current report, a total of 48 people have died in the West Midlands in connection with COVID-19, making it a hotspot for the virus.

The latest figures come after the government ramped up measures being taken against the coronavirus pandemic following new predictions that the UK is only two weeks behind the outbreak’s effects in Italy, Europe’s worst-hit country.

The Prime Minister announced on Monday (March 23) that the country would be entering a period of nationwide lockdown. As of Monday night, people can only leave their homes to shop for food and other essentials, to get one type of exercise a day, to go to work, for medical needs, and to give care or aid a vulnerable person.