Health officials in Indiana are conducting contact tracking after a University of Alabama supporter who participated in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis last weekend reportedly died of COVID-19.
Luke Ratliff’s mother told The New York Times that her son’s death on Friday resulted from COVID-19.
Pamela Ratliff said her son was hospitalized in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, because of a cough.
“He did not have any of the typical symptoms until the cough started this week,” she told the Times, adding that doctors first treated her son with bronchitis.
“Based on recent news, the Marion County Department of Public Health and the Indiana State Department of Health are contacting the Alabama Department of Public Health to determine if anyone in Indianapolis may have been exposed to COVID -19 by an Alabama resident who has visited Indianapolis in the past few days, ” officials said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press. “We are conducting an investigation following standard county and state contact tracking procedures. ”
Luke Ratliff was a well-known superfan who regularly attended Crimson Tide men’s basketball games.
The school’s baseball team paid tribute to Ratliff during a quiet moment on Saturday, while several other messages of support were poured into the social networks of fans and players alike.
Coach Murphy and @AlabamaSB honor Luke “Fluff” Ratliff during today’s game. pic.twitter.com/LrMBYl5Uvp
– SEC Network (@SECNetwork) April 3, 2021
Rest In Peace Luke … Thank you for always supporting Alabama with everything you had! You will be missed ♥ ️ ♥ ️ pic.twitter.com/EDaM4dGyPj
– Kira Lewis Jr. (@kiralewisjr) April 3, 2021
Indiana saw a modest increase in rates of new COVID-19 infections in March, while rates in Alabama continued to fall. Both states are well below the rates seen during peaks in autumn and winter.