NSW Covid: Friends pay tribute to Adriana Midori Takara after death

Devastated friends paid tribute to a “happy, healthy” Sydney student in her 30s who died from Covid, revealing how they said goodbye.

A student in her 30s with no underlying health conditions who died after catching Covid-19 will be remembered as “the brightest star” by friends devastated by her sudden death.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal Adriana Midori Takara, a 38-year-old Brazilian national, was one of two new Covid-19 related deaths announced on Sunday, taking the total number of deaths this outbreak to eight.

Ms Takara, who was in her final semester of a Masters of accounting at Sydney’s Kaplan Business School, was diagnosed with Covid-19 on Thursday, July 15 according to a friend.

Adriana Midori Takara was remembered as “a very good student”. Picture: Facebook/supplied

Marlene Coimbra, a student liaison officer who knew Ms Takara as a client of educational consultancy firm Superstudent, said Ms Takara deteriorated rapidly after catching the virus.

Ms Coimbra said Ms Takara, who was originally from Sao Paulo, “was a very good student (and) a hard working girl”.

She added she was “mortified” by her tragic death.

“The virus debilitated her very, very quickly. It’s shocking,” she said, adding the young woman had been in good health before the diagnosis.

“She was healthy, happy, working, she had a boyfriend. It’s shocking.”

Adriana Midori Takara was studying a Masters of accounting in Sydney. Picture: Facebook/supplied

Adriana Midori Takara. Picture: Facebook

She said it was an extra blow for the tight-knit expat community of students who use the centre for support and educational guidance.

“I consider my students like part of my family. So today I feel like part of my family has died,” Ms Coimbra said.

“She was very young, someone who had a future ahead full of plans and dreams.

“It’s so sad.”

It came as devastated friends took to social media to pay tribute to the finance worker, who moved to Australia in 2019.

“Adriana is a daughter, sister, aunty, niece and specially a friend. An amazing friend, not only my friend but friend of so many people,” Fernanda Ferreira Batista posted on Sunday.

“Adriana is not a number, she is a woman with dreams and wishes.

“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 (sic).

“Our good buy (sic) wasn‘t the way I would wish it should be, but at least I was able to see you.

“I can’t thank enough all the doctors for doing their best.”

Another friend of Ms Takara’s took to social media to share that her friends and family and had to use video calls to say their goodbyes.

“Adriana’s family could not see her at the hospital as she was in the intensive care unit. All goodbyes were said via Zoom to audiences in Australia and Brazil. Communication was one-way because she had been unconscious for several hours.”

The Brazilian consulate in Sydney confirmed to The Daily Telegraph they were aware of the death of a Brazilian national.

“The consulate is aware of the death of a Brazilian national with Covid-19,” Mariana Madeira, the deputy consul-general, told The Telegraph.

She added the consulate hadn’t been contacted yet by her family or local authorities.

“We are sorry about the sad news of her being Brazilian,” she said.

Ms Coimbra said the tragic death reinforced the need for young people to get vaccinated.

“We have to tell young people, they need to get vaccinated, they need to take care of their bodies,” she said.

“Take care of yourself, this virus doesn’t just hurt old people.”