Man spoke of his fear after breaking social distancing rules just once – then died of coronavirus the next day
A man shared his fears after breaking social distancing rules just once to attend a party then died of coronavirus the next day. Thomas Macias, 51, was killed by the disease on June 21, just a day after he lamented his decision to attend the family gathering, which infected at least 12 people.
Posting on his Facebook account, Macias, from Riverside County in California, said: ‘Some of you may know, but most don’t. I fucked up and went out a couple of weeks ago and I contracted the corona virus.
‘Because of my stupidity I put my mom and sisters and my family’s health in jeopardy. This has been a very painful experience.
‘This is no joke. If you have to go out wear a mask and practice social distancing. Don’t be a fucking idiot like me.’
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‘Hopefully with God’s help. I’ll be able to survive this.’ Tragically, the truck driver ended up succumbing to coronavirus the next day, with Riverside County health officials since confirming Covid-19 as Macias’s cause of death to NBC News.
Macias, who was overweight and suffered from diabetes, had been strictly adhering to social distancing guidelines from March, when Governor of California Gavin Newsom announced the Golden State’s stay at home order.
He decided to go to the party after Newsom announced plans to begin easing distancing regulations in June. It is unclear how many people attended the bash held early that month.
Afterwards, a friend who’d also attended contacted Macias to say they’d tested positive for Covid-19. He took the test on June 16 and received a positive result two days later.
Macias’ condition deteriorated rapidly on June 21, and he was rushed to hospital. He was put on a ventilator at between 6pm and 7pm that evening, and died two hours later.
The trucker’s sister Veronica Lopez wants to share her family’s tragic story to warn others of the dangers of coronavirus.
Lopez, who described her brother as a ‘good guy’, said: ‘I think what he wanted people to know, this is a real thing. It’s serious, and it kills people.’
California has seen an alarming spike in coronavirus cases in the last week-and-a-half. It recorded a record high of 7,149 diagnoses on June 23, has seen a total of 223,000 positive coronavirus results, and close to 6,000 deaths as a result.
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