Comedian Joe Luna dies after filming video about experience with COVID-19 from hospital bed

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Comedian Joe Luna dies after filming video about experience with COVID-19 from hospital bed: 'This is no joke.'

Joe Luna | Credit: Joe Luna/Instagram

A Los Angeles-based comedian is dead after documenting his experience with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on his social media to show the realities of the devastating disease.

Joe Luna — who performed under the name Joe El Cholo — died on Nov. 23, just days after he began sharing updates about his condition on Instagram, according to a post from his account.

The 38-year-old first spoke about his coronavirus diagnosis in a Nov. 21 post, writing in the caption, "Wow this is no joke and especially if you are diabetic, it will rain hard on your parade."

In the 35-minute video posted on Nov. 21, Luna said he had been dealing with "horrible" symptoms, which included chest pains, stomach aches, uncontrollable shaking, and the loss of his sense of taste.

WARNING: Below Video Contains Explicit Language

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He also said his children and his girlfriend fell ill with coronavirus, though their symptoms were not as severe.

"Let me tell you, man, when I would hear people talk about what COVID did to them, I always thought to myself, man, you know what, I doubted it was that bad," he said in the clip. "I'll tell you guys right now, I've been put in a fight. I’ve been fighting for my life."

"Not only did I test positive for COVID, I have pneumonia," Luna told viewers. "I’m a double amputee and I’m a diabetic, so I’m dealing with a lot."

Luna was hospitalized shortly after, according to a Nov. 23 post shared on his Instagram, which showed the comedian filming himself from a hospital bed.

"It's horrible, guys," he said through an oxygen mask. "My pneumonia got very bad. Everything has just been in a downfall."

RELATED VIDEO: One of the First Americans With COVID Spent 64 Days in a Hospital with '1% Chance of Survival'

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to raise funds for Luna's funeral costs.

Prior to his death, the comic performed at local clubs such as The Ice House and The Improv Theatre, according to FOX 11 LA.

Luna's son Jose Talavera told the outlet, "For his funeral, he doesn't want anyone crying so we're going to put together a show because that's what he would have wanted. He wanted people to be laughing and having fun."

As of Wednesday, there have been more than 13,935,500 cases of COVID-19 and 272,600 deaths from coronavirus-related illnesses in the United States, according to a New York Times database.

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here.

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