Tommy Macias, 51, a man who lived with diabetes, had been strictly abiding by the social distancing protocols for months. In June, he took a risk that would later cost him his life.
After attending a barbecue with some friends, a party he was hesitant to attend in the first place, Macias fell ill. He later learned that an attendee of the party, who was asymptomatic, tested positive for the virus. Soon after, Macias himself tested positive. As a diabetic as well as some who is overweight, Macias was worried and knew it would not end well for him.
“Because of my stupidity, I put my mom and sisters’ and my family’s health in jeopardy. This has been a very painful experience,” he wrote on Facebook. “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.”
“Don’t be an idiot like me,” the truck driver added.
The following day, Macias died. The Riverside County Office of Vital Records confirmed to NBC News that he died from COVID-19.
“It was all preventable,” Gustavo Lopez, Macias’ 52-year-old brother-in-law, said. “That person knew he had corona and still went. He should have known better, and that one mistake cost [Macias] his life.”
According to Lopez and reported by the Los Angeles Times, more than ten people who attended the party have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Norma Macias, Macias’ sister, said his brother took full responsibility and was more concerned about putting others at risk.
“It’s just who he is. He wanted to make sure he didn’t want anybody to continue on with anger,” she said.
