An emergency room doctor who worked at an Essex County hospital died Tuesday, a week after developing coronavirus symptoms, his husband told NJ Advance Media.

Dr. Frank Gabrin, 60, who worked at East Orange General Hospital, woke up March 24 with chest pain and other symptoms, according to his husband, Arnold Vargas of New York.

“He had a lot of coughing and two days ago he was very sick,” Vargas said through tears on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Gabrin woke up saying, “Baby, I can’t breathe,” Vargas said.

Though Gabrin had not been tested for COVID-19, the two were sure he’d come down with the virus because he had treated the same symptoms in other patients.

Gabrin, who lived in New York City, began working at the East Orange hospital nine months ago and divided his time between New Jersey and a hospital on Long Island, New York, Vargas said.

A two-time cancer survivor, Gabrin thought he had the coronavirus under control and would recover at home, his husband said.

“He told me, ‘I can handle this. I survived cancer and this is just the coronavirus,’” Vargas said.

As Gabrin’s conditioned worsened on Tuesday, Vargas said he called the NYPD and was placed on hold. It took 30 minutes for help to arrive, he said.

“He died in my hands,” Vargas said.

Vargas said he also has mild symptoms of the virus and has seen a doctor who prescribed medication. Vargas said he expects to recover at home.

Dr. Frank Gabrin, friend and emergency medicine colleague for many years and most importantly a good soul, posted this... Posted by J.d. Polk on Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Vargas said Gabrin often used the same N-95 masks and gowns at the hospitals where he worked, but continued helping as long as he could because the emergency rooms are short-staffed.

“He never complained about anything, he just wanted to work and help people,” Vargas said.

William Jaquis, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians said the organization was “deeply saddened to learn that a former ACEP member and our current colleague on the frontlines—an emergency physician—has lost his fight against this virus."

“Emergency physicians understand that sometimes in our efforts to save your life, we may end up sacrificing our own. This is not a decision made lightly or a post abandoned in times of need. We know the risks of the job we signed up for, but we are on the frontlines in this historic war against COVID-19 with insufficient protection,” Jaquis wrote.

Jaquis made a grim prediction if more protective equipment is not available. “America can’t afford for more emergency physicians and other frontline health care providers to get sick or worse due to PPE shortages,” he said.

Dr. Alvaro Alban, the chairman of the Emergency Department at East Orange General Hospital, told NBC News Gabrin was “delightful, caring and wonderful to work with.”

“He had every intention to help. He was eager to keep working in the E.D. and was disappointed when he started to get symptoms,” Alban said. “His intention was that his fever would break. Dr. Gabrin was motivated, on a mission and wanted to keep working."

In New Jersey as of Tuesday, there were 18,696 cases of coronavirus and 267 deaths.

I lost my best friend to Covid19 a few hours ago. ⁦@DrFrankGabrin⁩ was an ER Doctor in NYC. He planned to go back to work when he recovered. It took only five days from the first sign of symptoms. He leaves a husband of less than one year behind. We are devastated. #PPENow pic.twitter.com/LVOSe9XXG6 — Debra Vasalech Lyons (@DebVasalech) March 31, 2020

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters.