Coronavirus: Five children orphaned as both parents die of Covid-19

Mum and dad both died this week, one day apart. Photo / GoFundMe

Five underage children this week became orphans, after both their mum and dad died of coronavirus in Los Angeles, US.

The parents died one day apart, leaving behind their five children, who will now be cared for by their stepsister.

Karina Bonilla, 38, died on Monday. Her husband, Humberto Ruelas-Rivas, 60, had died on Sunday.

Five children aged between 2 and 17 years have been left orphaned.

"Within six days, I lost my father," said Ruelas-Rivas' daughter, Maria Ruelas, 35. "And within eight hours, I lost my stepmother. And now I have five kids."

Ruelas says her stepmother Karina contracted Covid-19 from the fruit vendor she worked for, who she claims showed symptoms but did not self-isolate.

"She went to work and in less than a week she started presenting symptoms," Ruelas told KTLA. "She went home and then my father started getting sick."

She explained why she can't even say a final goodbye to her dad.

"Even though they're deceased, the virus is still active in their bodies so you can't touch the body," she said. "I hope this story doesn't repeat again. It's devastating."

She is now trying to gain legal custody of her five siblings, while caring for her 30-year-old sister who is in hospital with Covid-19 and who's also suffered a stroke.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for the family.