Comfort Dogs Stand By Owner In Final Days Before Virus Death

ACROSS AMERICA — For years, Rich Martin would be there for others during times of crisis.

He was the leader of the comfort dog ministry at Lutheran Church Charities in suburban Chicago, often bringing the dogs to people who were suffering as a way to ease the pain.

But it was another crisis, the coronavirus pandemic, that put an end to his good deeds.

Martin is one of the 289,000-plus Americans who have died from the virus, WGN reported. He was 68.

Tim Hetzner, president of the Illinois charity group, told the news channel that Martin and his dogs were there for those affected by a number of national tragedies such as the Sandy Hook school massacre, Boston Marathon bombing and Pulse Nightclub shooting.

It was Martin's two dogs, Emma and Ruthie, who were by his side while the virus was taking his life, Hetzner said.

“Rich touched thousands of lives and left a piece of himself with all of the people who worked and who he responded to,” Hetzner said. “It’s just been a short time since he died, but we’re just overwhelmed with the number of lives that he touched, I don’t even think Rich realized the amount of people that he touched.”

Read more via WGN

The Latest

As U.S. coronavirus case counts soar past 15 million — and the death toll hits an all-time high — the prospect of an approved vaccine could be at hand.

The Food and Drug Administration meets on Thursday to consider approving an emergency use of the vaccine developed by the American company Pfizer and its German partner BioTech. Canada approved use of the vaccine Wednesday. The vaccine had already been given the all-clear in the United Kingdom.

Pfizer has said its clinical trials show the vaccine is about 95 percent effective.

Watch Live: Coronavirus Vaccine Authorization Considered By FDA

Cases and deaths due to coronavirus continue to skyrocket across the states. As of Wednesday, states reporting the highest number of cases per capita are Rhode Island, Indiana, South Dakota, Alaska and Utah, according to data from The New York Times.

Another statewide curfew will go into effect Monday, with Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issuing an updated stay-at-home order mandating residents stay at their homes between midnight and 5 a.m. unless commuting to or from work, obtaining food and goods, or seeking medical attention. The state also updated its mask mandate to meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

Hospitalizations due to the virus have reached an all-time high — and now there is public data that can help Americans see how full the hospitals are near them. A "look-up tool" was released by NPR this week that is searchable by county.

Some of the nation's largest hospitals have reported having fewer than 15 percent of intensive care beds available as of last week, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services as cited by The New York Times.

Record numbers of deaths have also been reported in a number of states, including Pennsylvania, which on Wednesday saw its deadliest day since the pandemic began.

The same day, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced he had tested positive for the virus. He said he was not experiencing symptoms and that he would work remotely at home.

The virus has also struck a big name in the entertainment world this week. Comedian Ellen DeGeneres said Thursday she has tested positive. She said she is not experiencing any symptoms.

Newest Numbers

At least 3,140 new coronavirus deaths and more than 216,304 new daily cases were reported on Wednesday, according to a Washington Post database. Wednesday's toll was the highest since the pandemic began. Over the past seven days, the United States has averaged more than 208,000 cases each day.

As of Thursday, 47 states and Puerto Rico remained above the positive testing rate recommended by the World Health Organization to safely reopen. To safely reopen, the WHO recommends states remain at 5 percent or lower for at least 14 days.

More than 15.5 million people in the United States had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Thursday afternoon, and more than 291,300 have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Stay up to date on the latest coronavirus news via The New York Times or Washington Post.

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