A 30-YEAR-old champion baseball coach died of coronavirus complications just days after leaving the hospital.
Ben Luderer, a special education teacher at a middle school in Cliffside Park, New Jersey, is among the 267 reported dead in the state of NJ from COVID-19.
Ben was also a high school baseball coach at Cliffside Park.
Cliffside Park athletic director David Porfido said Ben went to the hospital on Friday with symptoms of coronavirus, NJ.com reported.
Ben was given oxygen at the hospital, but ultimately sent home with a Z-pack and other medicines to combat the virus.
“I was told things went bad on Sunday night. He died at his home," Porfido said of Ben, an alumnus baseball player of Marist College.
He passed away suddenly on Monday morning, after his family said he seemed to be doing better.
Porfido said Ben's death "should be a wake-up call for everyone."
Ben's wife Brandy was the first in the family to be confirmed to have COVID-19, prompting Ben to continuously check on his parents, both 71.
His dad, Bill Luderer told ABC7: "My son would text or call literally every 15 minutes.
"'How are you feeling? Are you doing OK? Have you taken your temperature?'"
According to BuzzFeed News, Brandy said she tested positive for coronavirus on March 19, approximately three days before her husband started having symptoms.
He had no underlying health conditions, Brandy told BuzzFeed.
Ben was a catcher for a baseball team at a private Catholic school in Ramsey, New Jersey, which ranked first in the nation in 2008.
Greg Butler, the head coach of the 2008 Don Bosco Preparatory High School team, called Ben's death "a shocking loss."
He told NJ.com: “Even the invincible aren’t invincible. That was a group of guys who could not be beaten, then something like this happens and shows just how vulnerable we all are.
“He was a healthy, strong, athletic, 30-year-old head coach.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy tweeted Tuesday: “Saddened by the death of Ben Luderer, a young baseball coach whose love of the game pushed his players to new heights.
“Coronavirus has taken another New Jerseyan from us far too soon. Our hearts are with his loved ones and players, both past & present.”
Superintendent Michael Romagnino of School No. 6, where Ben taught, informed families of the upsetting news: "It is with deep regret that we inform you of the death of Mr. Ben Luderer, a teacher in School No. 6 and our varsity baseball coach.
"Our heartfelt sympathy is extended to Mrs. Luderer, her family members, friends, and the entire Cliffside Park community."
Ben's death comes as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases across the US reached 205,438, and at least 4,528 people have died.
A friend and teammate of Ben, Eric Pfisterer, told ABC7: "It's not just the old, it's the young.
"It's not just the sick, it's the healthy, and it can affect absolutely everyone."
Despite the frightening number of cases, there are a significant number of people successfully fighting off the diseases.
At least 8,700 people have recovered from the deadly virus.
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