Colin Powell, a former secretary of state, has died at age 84. As reported by NPR, Powell died due to complications from Covid-19.
Powell, who was the first African-American in both senior posts, died On Oct. 18.
He was fully vaccinated and his longtime aide, Peggy Cifrino, states that Powell was recently treated for multiple myeloma.
“We want to thank the medical staff at Walter Reed National Medical Center for their caring treatment. We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather, and a great American,” says Powell’s family in a Facebook post.
It’s unclear what the status of Powell’s immune system and myeloma was at the time of his death. It’s also unclear if his cancer could have made him vulnerable to Covid-19, despite the vaccine.
Studies have shown that patients with multiple myeloma have a higher risk of getting infected with Covid-19.
Powell was the son of Jamaican immigrants, born in Harlem and grew up in the South Bronx. He served during George W. Bush’s presidency and led the first Gulf War as chairman of Joint Chiefs.