“My husband was a phenomenal person,” Tracey Clavel said in memory of her late husband, Daniel Clavel
Credit: Gofundme
NEED TO KNOW
- Daniel Clavel, a 61-year-old man in Anaheim, Calif., died after 24 days in intensive care with West Nile virus
- His wife, Tracey, hopes his story raises awareness about the virus
- Orange County officials report record-high mosquito samples carrying the virus and urge residents to take precautions outdoors
A 61-year-old man has died after contracting West Nile virus in Anaheim, Calif.
Daniel Clavel, a husband, a father of five and a grandfather of 13, died after he was in intensive care for 24 days. During his hospitalization, he tested positive for West Nile virus, according to ABC 7.
Before he was hospitalized, he felt sick and believed he had the flu or food poisoning. However, as time went on, his symptoms persisted and didn’t improve. He also developed a rash. His wife, Tracey Clavel, later discovered him unconscious, lying on the floor of their home.
“He just never regained consciousness,” Tracey told ABC 7. “The ambulance came, took him, he was desaturated, so then they had to intubate him and I never saw him again.”
“He never got to tell me he loved me. Never got to hug me again,” she said of her husband and high school sweetheart.
“My husband was a phenomenal person,” she continued. “That was my world, that was my life, 43 years.”
Tracey said Daniel would want to spread awareness about the virus, saying, “He left us for people to be aware.”
People who contract the virus may not show symptoms until two to 14 days after being bitten. Symptoms can include headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea, or a rash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, about 80% of infected people do not develop symptoms.
Severe illness can affect the central nervous system, and approximately 10% of people with severe cases of West Nile die from the disease.
Currently, there are no preventive vaccines or treatment options for the virus.
Brian Brannon of the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District warned that the county has a record high of mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus. The county has reached 757 positive samples, and Daniel’s hometown of Anaheim has 165, according to CBS Los Angeles.
“People should be concerned,” Brannon told ABC 7, but reassured people they can keep themselves safe. “If you’re going to be out at dusk and dawn, make sure to wear that repellent.”
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A GoFundMe page was created to assist Daniel’s family with funeral costs and medical bills. On the donation page, he was remembered as someone “many people could count on.”
“The person who would lend a hand, show up when someone needed help, and give whatever he could to make someone else’s life a little easier,” the page read. “Danny touched the lives of so many people throughout his life… His absence has left a tremendous emptiness in their hearts and in their home.”
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