47-year-old father of three dies days after COVID-19 diagnosis

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    ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (KCTV/KSMO) — A Missouri father of three died just days after he was diagnosed with COVID-19, according to his family.

Sarai Williams describes her father as the life of the party and a father figure not just to her and her siblings but to others in the community.

“He always knew how to make everyone laugh,” said Williams.

Her father, Afi Williams, 47, died on Aug. 6 after battling COVID-19.

He worked at a hardware store in the St. Louis surburb of Florissant, and his family describes him as a healthy man who loved to go to the gym.

“Definitely big on work outs and staying healthy,” said his daughter. “[The virus] took a toll on his body in less than two weeks.”

His family said he developed a fever on July 24 and got tested at the Urgent Care. On July 29 he received a positive result from his COVID-19 test. He died the following week.

“It was fast and with COVID restrictions we couldn’t even have a proper service to celebrate him,” said his daughter.

In St. Louis County, 705 people have died from COVID-19 out of the known 17,094 positive cases. That’s a less than one percent mortality rate. But each of those numbers represents someone’s loved one.

And while Afi Williams’ family will carry on his memory, they hope others will remember his story and take this virus serious.

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