A college freshman died from COVID-19 complications after a battle with the illness, according to his university.
Michael Lang, 18, died on Thursday, “apparently due to complications from” the coronavirus disease, the University of Dayton said. The university in Ohio said that Lang was hospitalized for a long time but did not provide specifics. Lang was reportedly living on campus until Sept. 13, when he returned home to Illinois and switched to remote learning.
“We extend our deepest sympathy and prayers to his family, friends, professors and our campus community,” the university said. “The loss of Michael calls our campus community to honor his memory and support those who are affected by his passing.”
Michael’s father, Paul Lang, emphasized to the Today show how difficult it is to lose a family member at such a young age.
“Our kid is in a better place, and he’ll be looking down on us,” he said. “But he’s 18. He was way too young.”
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, Lang is at least the third college student to die from coronavirus complications after a 19-year-old died at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, and a 20-year-old at California University of Pennsylvania died last month.
The University of Dayton has had a total of 1,417 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began and now has 34 active cases, according to the university. Ohio itself is experiencing a surge in new cases. Over the past two weeks, new cases have increased by 62% and deaths by 92%. The state has had more than 200,000 confirmed infections and at least 2,116 deaths.
The United States as a whole has been dealing with surging levels of new coronavirus cases in recent weeks, with new infections particularly rising in the Midwest. Overall the country has seen a 40% increase in new infections and a 14% increase in new deaths over the past two weeks. About 8.7 million people in the U.S. have been infected, and more than 225,000 have died.
