Brother of ex-presidential hopeful Warren dies from coronavirus

WASHINGTON: Former US presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren said Thursday her oldest brother had died from the novel coronavirus, expressing her deep regret that no family members were allowed at his side and no funeral was held.

Don Reed Herring, 86, who spent much of his career in the military, died in Oklahoma on Tuesday about three weeks after testing positive for COVID-19, according to US media.

“It’s hard to know that there was no family to hold his hand or to say ‘I love you’ one more time — and no funeral for those of us who loved him to hold each other close,” Warren tweeted.

“He was charming and funny, a natural leader.”

Worldwide, many relatives have been unable to be at the bedsides of dying coronavirus victims or to hold proper funerals due to the risk of infection.

Warren, 70, from the left of the Democratic party, was once a frontrunner to win the nomination, but she dropped out last month after failing to secure significant support in the primaries.

Last week, she endorsed her onetime rival Joe Biden, who is set to challenge President Donald Trump in the November election.

Nearly 47,000 deaths have been recorded so far in the US from the COVID-19 outbreak, which has disrupted the run-up to the vote.

Warren, who had not previously discussed her brother’s health, has been critical of Trump’s response to the crisis.