Iowa Teacher Found Dead Three Days After COVID-19 Diagnosis

A teacher was found dead at his home in Iowa during a police wellness check on Sunday. His body was discovered three days after he had been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Thirty-eight-year-old Jason Englert tested positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 5, days after a coronavirus outbreak had been reported at the Belmond-Klemme Community School District. The outbreak forced schools to implement full-time remote learning in the area, where Englert taught in the Talented and Gifted program.

The Belmond-Klemme District did COVID-19 mass testing last week and that’s how Englert learned he was positive for the disease. His family said Englert started developing a slight headache after his diagnosis.

Before taking the job in the Belmond-Klemme Talented and Gifted program, Englert had coached junior high volleyball and girls basketball. His aunt, Teresa Johnson, said his profession was perfect for him.

Meanwhile, the Belmond-Klemme Community School District is mourning the loss of Englert. “Jason was always such a pleasure to have because he had such a positive attitude, a lot of energy, and the rapport he had with students was remarkable,” said Belmond-Klemme superintendent Dan Frazier.

“For the students, of course it was such a shock at first. Many of our students had trouble knowing how to register this,” he added.

Frazier, who used to coach volleyball alongside Englert, described the late teacher as an exceptional coach and a brilliant educator. “He was just a very energetic guy, and he always had a cheerful way of looking at things,” he said. “It wasn’t unusual for me to ask him how it was going and he would say things like ‘living the dream.’”

Other colleagues of Englert also said his influence on his students would serve as his legacy. “We continue to mourn for our loss and we pray for Jason’s family,” said Frazier.

The family of Englert does not have an official cause of death yet but authorities believe he suffered from a heart attack or stroke due to COVID-19.