Chicago mail carrier dies of coronavirus week after giving birth

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The coronavirus-related death of a Chicago postal worker and mother of three marks the first fatal case among the city’s active mail carriers, recent reports say.

Unique Clay, 31, gave birth to her daughter just one week prior to her death.

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Relatives said Clay was discharged from the hospital after testing positive in the delivery room.  (Facebook)

Family members told CBS Chicago Clay felt like she was "coming down with a cold” during labor, and medical staff tested her for COVID-19 in the delivery room at the University of Chicago Medical Center. She tested positive and was discharged from the hospital, a decision leaving Clay’s family members confused.

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An autopsy confirmed Clay’s death was due to COVID-19, and her death was ruled natural, according to the medical examiner’s office.

“I don’t understand why she was sent home that quick, then being instructed to take medication that feeds into the disease. It was just not handled at all. Someone needs to be held accountable,” Dajah Brown, Clay’s sister, told Fox 6 News.

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Alan Brown, Clay’s father, told the outlet the hospital gave Clay ibuprofen, which some health officials warned could actually worsen the effects of the virus.

Clay worked for the postal service for two years. According to a USPS spokesman, 1,606 postal employees have contracted the virus among 630,000 workers nationwide, the Chicago Sun Times reported.

Clay's newborn daughter is, so far, healthy, family members told Fox 6 News.