A New Jersey mother died from coronavirus without knowing that her two children also got infected and died shortly before she did, The New York Times has reported.
Grace Fusco, 73, died Wednesday and was unaware of the deaths of her oldest son and daughter from Covid-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. A relative told the newspaper that four other children also have coronavirus and remain hospitalised -- three in critical condition. CNN has reached out to a family representative but has not heard back.
The infections appeared to have originated from a family dinner this month, the Times reported. It said the first person to die from coronavirus in New Jersey attended that gathering. Grace Fusco's oldest daughter, Rita Fusco-Jackson, 55, of Freehold, New Jersey, died Friday. Shortly afterward, the family learned she had coronavirus. Her son, Carmine Fusco, of Bath, Pennsylvania, died just before his mother Wednesday. Nearly 20 other relatives are quarantined at their homes and are grieving the loss separately, The Times said.
The US death toll has grown to almost 150, and states are ordering more shutdowns. As of Wednesday, New Jersey had five deaths from the virus and at least 427 people infected statewide. The number of coronavirus cases in the United States has jumped daily, pushing health care officials and political leaders to take steps to keep the pandemic from overwhelming the system.