Michigan state lawmaker dies; coronavirus suspected

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A state lawmaker in Michigan is suspected to have died of the coronavirus Sunday after being taken to the hospital for breathing problems, according to his mother.

The Associated Press reported that 44-year-old Michigan state Rep. Isaac Robinson's mother, former state Rep. Rose Mary C. Robinson, announced her son's death Sunday, which she suspected to be related to the coronavirus due to the nature of his symptoms.

"I called EMS, they took him to Receiving at 6 a.m. and he was dead by 11," the elder Robinson told Crain's Detroit, a local news publication, on Sunday.

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In this Dec. 27, 2019, photo, State Reps. Isaac Robinson and Cynthia A. Johnson, D-Detroit, protest with community members in Detroit over the expansion of a treatment center in Hamtramck. First-term Michigan State Rep. Robinson died Sunday, March 29, 2020, according to this mother, who said she suspects her son's death could be related to the coronavirus. He was 44. (Sarah Rahal/Detroit News via AP)

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Robinson, a Detroit Democrat, had apparently been suffering from coronavirus symptoms for days but initially refused to go to the hospital, according to his mother.

“He wouldn’t go to the hospital. I kept insisting the last three days,” she said, according to Crain's Detroit. “I kept saying, ‘You should go to the doctor, go to the hospital.’ Of course, he resisted.”

Most people can overcome coronavirus symptoms without being treated in a hospital. But in some patients, especially those with pre-existing health conditions and older patients, can experience severe respiratory complications that can lead to death.

"Rep. Isaac Robinson had a huge heart, a quick wit, and a genuine passion for the people," Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said of Robinson in a Sunday statement. "I am very sad to hear of his passing. He was a fierce advocate for Detroiters and people across Southeast Michigan. He dedicated his career to ensuring justice and security for those he served, and the impact he had on his community will continue to be felt for years to come."

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Robinson held the same seat in the Michigan House of Representatives as his mother and was first elected in 2018. He had previously worked in a private law practice and was a political director for the local Teamsters union.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.