A California man died of COVID-19 just a day after expressing his regret for attending a party.
Thomas Macias, 51, went to a party once quarantine restrictions were lifted in his area. Up until then, his brother-in-law Gus Lopez told CBS News, he’d been carefully isolating.
“He had diabetes, so he was doing everything he could to stay isolated; he would wear his mask if he had to go out,” Lopez told the publication.
“Then when he heard restrictions were being lifted, things were becoming more lenient, a friend of his put together a barbecue. So he said, ‘OK this is my chance to see my friends.'”
But after the mid-June party, Macias started to feel ill.
“We could see he was not feeling well,” Lopez said. “He was a little sweaty. He just thought it was related to his diabetes.”
After getting a call from one of the partygoers saying they’d tested positive for the respiratory virus, Macias decided to get tested, too.
It came back positive on June 18.
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According to NBC News, the friend was aware of their diagnosis prior to attending the gathering. They weren’t showing symptoms and therefore believed they couldn’t infect anyone else.
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Two days later, Macias expressed his regret on Facebook, writing: “I f–ked up and went out a couple of weeks ago and I contracted the coronavirus.”
“Because of my stupidity, I put my mom and sisters and my family’s health in jeopardy. This has been a very painful experience,” his post continued, according to a screenshot taken by Lopez. “This is no joke. If you have to go out, wear a mask and practice social distancing.”
On June 21, Macias was rushed to the hospital by ambulance and put on a ventilator. He died later that day.
A Riverside County Office of Vital Records official confirmed to NBC News that Macias died of COVID-19.
Macias, a truck driver, never married or had kids. He’s survived by his mother, two sisters, four nieces and two great-nieces.
“He would do anything for everybody,” Lopez said. “No questions asked.”
A GoFundMe has been created to raise money for funeral costs. So far, it’s raised more than US$15,000 of the $10,000 goal.
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