An 86-year-old mother and her three sons have died in the course of a single week after they contracted the virus around the same time.
Antoinette Franklin died on March 23 while her three sons, Herman Franklin Jr., 71, Anthony Franklin Sr., and Timothy Franklin, 61, died between March 20 and March 30.
How the victims contracted the novel virus remained unclear but their relatives are suspecting Mardi Gras celebrations that attracted visitors to the city have played a role in the illness’ propagation.
“My uncle passed, my grandmother passed, my dad passed, then my other uncle passed,” Anthony Franklin said. “It’s literally like seven to eight days apart. It’s horrific.”
16,284 confirmed cases were recorded in Louisiana and 582 deaths by Tuesday.
