‘Didn’t look great’: US nurse dies suddenly of Covid

A fully vaccinated father has died just hours after testing positive to coronavirus, after a colleague noticed something was off.

A fully vaccinated nurse has died of coronavirus just hours after testing positive to the illness, leaving his family devastated.

Jeff Sales, 47, from the US state of Florida, had worked in his hospital’s Covid ward throughout the pandemic but died just 12 hours after testing positive to coronavirus on January 21.

Mr Sales was a married father-of-four and US army veteran who had served in South Korea in his early twenties.

His family told local TV station KUTV Mr Sales had contracted a fever while in the army that left him with a hole in his heart, requiring him to have open heart surgery to insert a metal valve.

Mr Sales and his wife of 25 years, Chanda. Picture: GoFundMe

Mr Sales’ sister-in-law RaeAnn Christensen wrote on GoFundMe that he had become unwell after a colleague noticed he looked off.

“Another nurse commented that he didn’t look great. He got tested, although fully vaccinated he tested positive for Covid and went into heart failure,” she wrote.

“With his heart condition, his body just couldn’t fight.”

Mr Sales’ death had left his family with medical and funeral bills, as well as the loss of the family’s sole income, Ms Christensen said.

“These last few years have been very difficult as Jeff has worked in the Covid unit trying to help as many people as he could. He worked overnights and many extra shifts because of the need,” she wrote.

Mr Sales’ son Brayden told local station WWSB that his father had been determined to help during the pandemic despite his heart condition.

Jeff Sales was a longtime nurse and army veteran. Picture: GoFundMe

“He wanted to help as many people as he could,” he said. “So, he wanted to be on the higher volume unit and take as many shifts as he can.”

Brayden said his father’s dedication to helping others has comforted their family.

“As hard as it is to say, I wouldn’t change it for the world and I know he wouldn’t either because that’s what he loved,” he said.

“And if he wasn’t doing what he loved, he wouldn’t have been happy.”

The GoFundMe set up in Mr Sales’ memory has so far raised more than $92,000, however, there has been more hardship for the family with wife Chanda now testing positive to Covid.

“She is doing OK, and has four very worried caretakers taking really good care of her,” Ms Christensen shared on the GoFundMe.

“She’s overwhelmed by the support and can’t thank everyone enough.”