Colin Powell talked about his existing health struggles months before dying of COVID-19 complications: 'Don't feel sorry for me'
- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell died of complications from COVID-19 on Monday.
- He was fully vaccinated, but had other health struggles that likely made him more vulnerable.
Colin Powell spoke about his existing health struggles with the journalist Bob Woodward months before he died of complications from COVID-19.
Powell, the former US secretary of state, died on Monday from COVID-19 complications, according to a statement from his family.
His family said he was fully vaccinated, leading some people to sow skepticism about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
Woodward interviewed Powell in July, where Powell spoke about battling multiple myeloma, a white blood cell cancer, for almost two years.
"Don't say no and don't feel sorry for me, for god's sakes. I'm [almost] 85 years old," said Powell, according to CNN, which obtained the audio. CNN reported that this interview was believed to the Powell's last interview before he died.
"I haven't lost a day of life fighting these two diseases. I'm in good shape," Powell said.
"I've taken lots of exams and I get there on my own. I drive up in my Corvette, get out of the Corvette and go into the hospital. I also go to a clinic to get the blood tests taken."
"I don't advertise it, I don't make an announcement about it, but most of my friends know it."
Being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 dramatically reduces a person's risk of hospitalization and death from the disease, though rare severe breakthrough cases can still happen.
As Insider's Erin Schumaker reported, cancer, and the drugs that treat it, can suppress the immune system. Powell was also 84, which meant he was also at an advanced age, which makes a severe COVID-19 infection more likely.
He also had early-stage Parkinson's, a friend of his told Reuters.