It’s a sad day for anime fans as popular anime actress Kumiko Okae passed away after being diagnosed with Coronavirus. She was 63 years old.
According to the reports, Okae began showing symptoms of COVID-19 since 3 April, after she underwent radiation therapy for breast cancer. Her treatment continued between January and February in light of her cancer diagnosis late last year. Hence the actress was considered immunocompromised.
Those who are immunocompromised are said to be at a higher risk for getting affected by the novel Coronavirus. Any comorbidity can exacerbate the condition and only gets further multiplied as you get older. For Okae, her age, medical history of breast cancer and finally her radiation therapy put her at a higher risk.
Okae was admitted to the hospital on 6 April after her health worsened, and was found to have been contaminated with COVID-19 shortly. She passed away on 23 April after a tough battle.
She was best known for her work in The Cat Returns, a Studio Ghibli production. She voiced for Jenny in Pokemon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.
Besides anime, Okae was also well-known in the live action sphere. She debuted in the TBS series Omitsu in 1975 before moving on to projects like Ten Made Todoke and Hanamaru Market.