Advertisement

Nunavut woman dies from coronavirus after delivering baby in Winnipeg hospital

A 35-year-old Nunavut woman has died from COVID-19 complications after giving birth in Winnipeg. Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press

A Nunavut mother has died from COVID-19 complications after giving birth in a Winnipeg hospital.

Silatik Qavvik, from the Hudson Bay community of Sanikiluaq, travelled in November to Winnipeg to deliver her fifth child.

She was diagnosed with COVID-19 shortly after giving birth and was separated from her newborn daughter.

She spent just over a month on a ventilator before she died on Saturday.

She was 35.

Story continues below advertisement

Johnnie Cookie, Qavvik’s father, says his granddaughter arrived home in Sanikiluaq on Sunday and is doing well.

He says Qavvik was a kind person who cared about her community. And as a little girl, she liked to travel by ATV out to the family’s cabin.

The latest health and medical news emailed to you every Sunday.

He says the trail he and his wife take to that cabin is now named after their daughter.

Click to play video: 'Coronavirus: Manitoba’s top doctor says new cases dropping, but not time to relax'
Coronavirus: Manitoba’s top doctor says new cases dropping, but not time to relax

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

Story continues below advertisement

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.

Sponsored content

AdChoices