Heartbroken friends of a 38-year-old Brazilian Master student who died after a two-week battle with Covid have urged other young people to get vaccinated.
Adriana Midori Takara, 38, returned a positive test for the highly infectious Indian Delta variant on July 15 and succumbed to her illness in hospital.
The finance worker, described by friends as the ‘brightest star’ died alone in intensive care after undergoing emergency surgery, with doctors finding a viral infection on her heart.
Despite being a respiratory virus, Covid-19 can affect organs all over the body, with scientists finding damage in patients’ heart, brain and liver.
Marlene Coimbra, an education worker who knew Ms Takara, said her death should serve as a warning to other young people.
Adriana Midori Takara, 38 (pictured), returned a positive test for the highly infectious Indian Delta variant on July 15 and succumbed to her illness less than two weeks later
‘We have to tell young people, they need to get vaccinated, they need to take care of their bodies,’ she told The Daily Telegraph.
Friends claimed Ms Takara contracted the virus from her roommate who works as a nurse, and despite trying to get an AstraZeneca vaccine, was denied by her doctor.
She had no underlying health conditions that would have contributed to her death and her distraught family back home were forced to say their final goodbyes over Zoom.
But the tearful conversation was one-way with Ms Takara never regaining consciousness after her emergency surgery.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the young woman’s death should serve as a stark warning to those complacent about the virus that it does not discriminate.
Ms Takara, was living in Sydney’s CBD with her boyfriend and on the cusp of finishing her graduate degree in accounting at the Kaplan Business School.
One of their housemates was a nurse who recently tested positive for Covid, a friend claimed on Facebook, sending the unvaccinated couple who would later test positive into isolation.
Just a few days later her boyfriend called an ambulance and Ms Takara was rushed to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital feeling very ‘unwell’.
Ms Takara (pictured) had no underlying health conditions that would have contributed to her death
‘A day or two after admission, Adriana complained of chest pains. Medical staff assessed her having a heart attack,’ her friend Jules Pedrosa wrote on Facebook.
‘She needed immediate surgery and an instrument (don’t know if it was a pacemaker or otherwise) had to assist her heart to maintain a regular rhythm.
‘Adriana’s health condition worsened after a few days and further tests confirmed that her heart had a “viral infection”.
‘This is interesting because she and her family have no history of heart disease.’
He said her condition deteriorated so quickly that a decision was made with the relevant consent from family members to switch off the life-preserving machines.
Under Sydney’s strict lockdown rules, no friends or family were allowed to visit Ms Takara in the intensive care unit, forcing loved ones to say a teary goodbye over video link.
Ms Takara, was living in Sydney’s CBD with her boyfriend and on the cusp of finishing her graduate degree in accounting at the Kaplan Business School (pictured)
The young student is understood to have lived in Bondi (pictured, locals in the area on Sunday)
‘It’s shocking… she was healthy, happy, working, she had a boyfriend. It’s shocking,’ Marlene Coimbra (pictured) said
‘All goodbyes were said via Zoom to audiences in Australia and Brazil,’ Mr Pedrosa said.
‘Communication was one-way because she had been unconscious for several hours after her emergency heart surgery.’
Ms Coimbra, a student liaison officer who quickly became close friends with the finance worker, added that she had become debilitated ‘very, very quickly’.
‘She was very young, someone who had a future ahead full of plans and dreams. It’s so sad,’ she added.
Ms Takara moved to Australia from São Paulo in 2019 and quickly became part of the ‘family’ in Sydney’s tightknit expat community of South Americans.
Gladys Berejiklian (pictured on Sunday) revealed the young woman was among two people who died from the virus on Saturday
One of her friends shared a heartfelt message on Facebook reminding Australians that she is not just another coronavirus statistic.
‘Adriana is not a number, she is a woman with dreams and wishes,’ Fernanda Ferreira Batista posted on Sunday.
‘Adriana is a daughter, sister, aunty, niece and specially a friend. An amazing friend, not only my friend but friend of so many people,’
‘Tonight when you look at the sky, it will be brighter and the shiniest star will be my friend is peace away of all this madness.
‘I can’t thank enough all the doctors for doing their best.’
While case numbers dropped on Sunday, officials are still concerned about the number of people in the community who are infectious
NSW reported 141 new locally acquired Covid cases on Sunday bringing the total number of infections since the outbreak began last month to 2081.
But Ms Takara’s shocking death was not the only coronavirus fatality reported over the weekend.
A second woman, in her 70s from southwest Sydney, also died.
‘Please note that younger people without pre-existing conditions can also fall victim to this cruel disease,’ Ms Berejiklian said.
‘This is a horribly cruel disease, and that’s why our response has been so strong against it.’
The Premier warned that warned 38 of these new recorded cases were infectious in the community during Sunday morning’s press conference.
There are 141 patients with Covid in Sydney hospitals. Of these, 43 are in intensive care with 42 of them unvaccinated. One has received just their first jab.
One patient in hospital is in their teens, while there are seven people in their 20s, and three in their 30s. There are 32 patients aged between 50 and 79 in hospital.
Sydney is now entering its fifth week of lockdown since the new outbreak began (pictured, the eerily quiet city on Sunday)
The Premier delivered the update alongside Dr Jeremy McAnulty of NSW Health, giving chief health officer Kerry Chant a day off from being the bearer of bad news.
But while case numbers dropped on Sunday, officials are still concerned about the number of people in the community who are infectious.
There are major concerns that Saturday’s protests will prove to have been a super spreading event, and authorities are calling on the estimated 3,500 people who attended in Sydney to get a Covid test for the sake of the community.
‘I’m appealing to all 3,500 people to get tested tomorrow, if not for themselves for the sake of their family and friends,’ Police Minister David Elliott said.
In total, 57 demonstrators were charged during the event, but detectives are working round the clock to identify those who opted against wearing face masks in direct defiance of public health orders.
‘It broke my heart,’ Ms Berejiklian said of seeing pictures of all the protesters.
‘Millions of people across our state are doing the right thing and it broke my heart that people had such a disregard for their community. I’m disgusted.’
‘Thank you for the people doing the right thing and for those that aren’t… you should be ashamed of yourselves.’