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Layla da Costa, 24, had been working as a model in the capital of Italy’s northern Emilia-Romagna region.
Colleagues became worried when she failed to show up for work this week.
It has been reported that she suffered a heart attack, although local authorities have not yet confirmed her cause of death.
Da Costa was signed with the Lisbon-based agency Face Models.
The firm’s owner – fashion designer Fatima Lopes – described da Costa as “incredible”.
Layla da Costa was working with the agency Face Models in Bologna
She said Da Costa was one of the “most promising models” she had ever met.
Lopes claimed that Italian doctors told her da Costa had suffered a heart attack, according to the Portuguese news outlet Observador.
The model was 24 at the time of her deathLocal media reports that da Costa had no known underlying health conditions.
A post-mortem was due to clarify the cause of death yesterday, but no updates have been given since.
Da Costa had walked the catwalk at Paris Fashion Week when she was just 19
Da Costa’s family are reportedly now in Italy as the investigation continues.
The model had been elected Miss World Guinea-Bissau, and walked the catwalk at Paris Fashion Week when she was just 19.
She was also named Face Model of the year in 2016 .
Lopes paid tribute on social media, saying da Costa “will forever remain” in her heart.
She said she would never forget “her gentleness, kindness, humility, determination, professionalism and so many other qualities”.
Dilay Willemstein, 21, was tipped to win Miss World 2021 in Puerto Rico but she says she has withdrawn because organisers eventually told her she must get the vaccine to be able to compete
Dilay Willemstein made the bombshell announcement on Instagram (
Image: EVERT ELZINGA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
New Zealand woman dies after receiving Pfizer vaccine
IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGESNew Zealand has reported what it believes to be its first death linked to the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.
An independent vaccine safety monitoring board said the woman’s death was “probably” due to myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle.
It also noted there were other medical issues which could have “influenced the outcome following vaccination”.
European regulators say myocarditis is a “very rare” side effect and that the vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks.
The official cause of death has not yet been determined.
However, the Covid-19 Vaccine Independent Safety Monitoring Board said the myocarditis was “probably due to vaccination”.
“This is the first case in New Zealand where a death in the days following vaccination has been linked to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. While the Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring has received other reports of deaths in someone recently vaccinated, none are considered related to vaccination,” it said in a statement.
The woman’s death is being investigated further and a coroner is due to rule on the case. Officials have not released any further details, including the woman’s age.
The European Medicines Agency has highlighted myocarditis as a “very rare” side effect of the Covid vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, adding that the side-effects were more common in younger men.
For instance, the UK has seen 195 reports of myocarditis among people who have received the Pfizer vaccine, at a rate of around five cases per million. Most of those cases have led to mild symptoms.
The EMA has urged people to continue to get vaccinated, as they help to stop people from getting very sick with Covid-19.
Symptoms of myocarditis can include new onset chest pain, shortness of breath and an abnormal heartbeat.
Experts are urging anyone experiencing these symptoms in the days after vaccination to seek medical attention promptly.
On Monday New Zealand officials said they “remain confident about using [the Pfizer vaccine] in New Zealand”.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the country has seen 3,465 Covid cases and 26 deaths so far.
New Zealand was initially praised for its handling of the virus, but has since seen a slow roll-out of vaccines although it has been ramping up in recent days.
More than three million vaccine doses have been administered, and 23% of the population are now fully vaccinated.
A recent spike in Covid cases, attributed to the Delta variant, has put large parts of the country into lockdown. There are currently more than 560 cases in the country of about 5 million people.
Restrictions are set to ease on Tuesday, barring the country’s biggest city Auckland.
