NEW YORK — A nurse who was working for a hospital in New York has died due to COVID-19.

Kious Kelly, who was born in Chicago, told his family he believed he had contracted the virus at work. According to the Associated Press, Kelly was an emergency room nurse at Mount Sinai West.

He was 48 years old and suffered from asthma.

Kelly’s mom told WGN that he wanted to stay in New York as they deal with the pandemic, telling her, “It’s the time to help them. You don’t know what it’s like to work here in New York.”

“I’m heartbroken my son has been lost to this disease,” Kelly’s mom told WGN by phone. ” I’m somewhat dismayed to what led to his death. He was committed to his hospital and coworkers.”

A nurse who worked with Kelly for eight years fell ill at the same time. Emailing the AP from her sick bed, she said Kelly had worked as a supervisor for weeks without a break since the coronavirus started taking hold in New York. She shared her thoughts on condition of anonymity because she said hospital policy threatens employees with termination for speaking to the media.

“He was helping nurses on the floor, pushing beds, transferring patients,” said the nurse. “A couple weeks before his death we were talking about his future plans and he was telling me that he would go back to school. I am devastated about his death and cannot stop crying.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.