Health Officials Say Young Adults Are Not Immune From Severe COVID-19 Complications

TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — A Taylorsville family is mourning the loss of their relative, a wife and mother who died at a young age due to complications from COVID-19.

Health officials said the elderly are not the only ones drastically impacted by the rising COVID-19 case counts.

According to a research article from JAMA Internal Medicine, nearly 20 percent of young adults, ages 18 to 34, who were hospitalized for COVID-19 ended up in the ICU.

“When I came into her life, I was a starving college student,” said Rudy Montoya who lost his wife to COVID-19.

Rudy described his wife as driven, loving, and his biggest cheerleader.

“She still took time to try and take care of me and help me be a better man,” he said.

Rudy was also Charity’s biggest fan. He stayed home when their son was born so that she could pursue a career in science.

Charity worked in a lab as a study director.

“That was primarily her wish — she always wanted to have one parent at home to look after our children,” said Rudy.

But on Nov. 19, Rudy had to tell their 5-year-old son that his mom was not coming home.

Charity was one of the 13 COVID-19 fatalities reported in the 25- to-44-year-old category in November.

“That morning, we woke up and I cuddled him and held him, and I had to tell him the news,” said Rudy. “One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.”

The whole family tested positive for COVID 19, including Charity’s mother and sister.

“We didn’t expect it to go this way at all,” he said. “Most of us were relatively young, in respectable shape.”

But Charity took a downward spiral.

“Her body just started shutting down. It wasn’t fighting back at one point,” said the grieving father.

Cases like Charity’s have become more common.

“I don’t want anyone else to ever have to go through this, and I hope no one ever does,” said Montoya.

Since the pandemic began, 36 Utahns, ages 25-44, have died from COVID-19. However, at least 13 of those deaths — 10 men and 3 women — were reported in the month of November.

Dr. Russell Vinik of the University of Utah Health Hospital said it’s hard to know if this is a trend.

“Probably over half of the cases statewide have happened in the last six weeks because we’ve just been having these enormous case counts,” said the chief medical operations officer.

Dr. Vinik said younger adults are not immune to severe complications.

“It happens, in particular, with younger people with comorbidities like diabetes or obesity,” he said.

But then, the virus affects everyone differently, as it did with Charity.

“She wasn’t done, she had plans beyond that,” said Rudy.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to cover funeral costs for Charity.

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