A Southern California man has died of Coronavirus, which he was exposed to at a party, just one day after expressing his regret for attending the event on social media.
Thomas Macias, 51, took to Facebook on June 20th, warning others of the pandemic’s severity. He wrote bluntly: “I went out a couple of weeks ago ... 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. ... Hopefully with God's help, I'll be able to survive this." The very next day, he was pronounced dead, just three days after receiving his diagnosis.
Macias, who was especially at risk for COVID-19 because of his diabetes, contracted the virus from a friend who knowingly had it but didn't think he could transmit it because he was asymptomatic.
According to his family, Macias, who had previously been practicing stringent social distancing, went to the party because he was was an incredibly social person, feeling increasingly isolated from friends and family. "Everywhere he went he made friends instantly," his brother in law Gustavo Lopez said. "He was missing his friends and missing his family. So as soon as they lifted some of the restrictions he felt free and he unfortunately went to this get-together to be with his friends and then this was the result."