Daily Mail

Healthy woman of 21 ‘is UK’s youngest casualty’

- By Inderdeep Bains and Sam Greenhill

A WOMAN of 21 who was in good health has become the youngest Briton to be killed by the virus.

Chloe Middleton’s devastated family shared the news of her death in the hope it will act as a wake- up call to those ignoring social distancing rules.

The popular young woman from High Wycombe, Buckingham­shire, was said to have no existing health worries before developing Covid-19 symptoms including a cough.

She was taken to hospital but deteriorat­ed rapidly, and died last Friday. It is understood from NHS sources that her decline was so quick that she was not admitted as an inpatient and was not tested for the virus before her death.

But, because of her symptoms, a coroner has recorded her death as linked to coronaviru­s. Her devastated mother Diane Middleton, 44, wrote on Facebook: ‘To all the people out there that thinks it’s just a virus, please think again. This so-called virus has taken the life of my 21-yearold daughter.’

The young woman’s aunt Emily Mistry, a mental health nurse, also took to social media to plead with the public to follow government guidelines.

She said: ‘ My beautiful, kindhearte­d 21- year- old niece (Chloe) has passed away from Covid-19. She had no underlying health issue.’

She added: ‘Please, please... protect yourselves and protect others! The virus isn’t spreading, people are spreading the virus.’

Last week, it was announced that a boy of 18 died after testing positive for coronaviru­s in Coventry. But later doctors said the virus was not linked to his cause of death.

‘No underlying health issue’

 ??  ?? Declined rapidly: Chloe Middleton
Declined rapidly: Chloe Middleton

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