Covid orphans: Coincidence or Conspiracy?

“A child is born with no state of mind, blind to the ways of mankind. God is smiling on you, but he’s frowning too. Because only God knows what you’ll go through.” –Melvin Glover et al., "The Message"

A news story from 13 January 2022 states: “Dr. Charles Nelson coined the term ‘Covid orphans’ to describe children who have lost one or both parents, or primary caregivers, to the disease. One in four adult deaths to Covid-19 leaves a child orphaned or left without a caregiver — something the Harvard University professor of pediatrics and psychiatry describes as a hidden cost of the pandemic.”  (https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2022/01/13/covid-19-orphans )

The idea that children might be left behind due to the deaths of their parents to Covid-19 evokes a powerful emotional response in virtually every moral person, especially parents. But is it possible that bad actors might identify the impulse to prevent Covid orphans and use the concept as a way to “nudge” certain behaviors? Consider two more excerpts from the same article:

(1): “Nelson wants municipalities to pay attention to the issue of COVID orphans. Governments need to recognize the problem and then figure out who should be responsible for promptly meeting kids’ needs like counseling or medication, for example, he says.”

This first quote neglects the possibility that the deceased parents, rather than the government, might have left a will which instructs precisely “who should be responsible” for the care of an orphaned child. Furthermore, the phrase “counseling and medication” also seems a curious choice. After all, “care” would certainly be ranked above mere “counseling,” and one might expect “medication” to be far down the list of the “needs” of most children.

(2) “Martin and Trina Daniel were not vaccinated at the time of their deaths. The couple was hesitant about the vaccine but had finally scheduled their first doses when they got sick. Melanie Daniel (their niece) says people need to take the precautions available to protect themselves. ‘I know that everything happens for a reason. I have a strong spiritual belief,’ she says, ‘but it does make me a stronger advocate for being vaccinated because without putting in the work, then our faith means nothing.’”

The second excerpt is also from the WBUR story in the link, and it is an example of recurring theme in stories of Covid orphans. Often, a specific action, such as locking down or taking the Covid vaccine, is presented as a means to prevent the deaths of parents and therefore prevent children from becoming Covid orphans. Is it possible that such a story is so compelling, that bad actors might do something unimaginable to many good-hearted people, such as fabricate a story about the deaths of parents? Or even worse, might some individuals who wish to promote the Covid vaccines might murder a child’s parents in order to ensure that “vaccine hesitancy” is ameliorated?

Bear in mind that “murder” might take several different forms. For example, suppose one parent died with Covid. If an overdose of a certain drug or treatment were administered by a bad actor in a hospital to the second parent, the outcome would be… a Covid orphan.

It certainly sounds like a conspiracy to say such a thing, but then consider the second possibility. According to Center for Disease Control (CDC) data, a person in their 40’s, a typical age for a parent of a child, has only about a 3 in 1,000 chance of dying with Covid, if infected. (12.89 million infections and 37,638 deaths, per https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#demographics ). Even for a person from age 50 through 64, the likelihood of dying after infection (16.73 million infections with 164,399 deaths) is under one percent. Furthermore, many people have pre-existing conditions which contribute to death but are counted among those deaths in the CDC numbers. That means that the odds that both parents of a particular child dying with Covid is quite small indeed.

Are “Covid orphans” always the result of coincidence? Or have bad actors conspired to increase the number of “Covid orphans” in order to cause their desired behavioral change among the population of the United States and elsewhere?

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An internet search of ‘couple dies of covid’ reveals many news stories on the topic. This article focuses on the different news stories produced in the United States which can be found depending on the date range used in the web search engine. If one focuses first on the time period of November 2019 through 10 March 2021, 31 enumerated examples were found in a search. Nearly all of the stories are of couples aged 60 and over, and the exceptions include some interesting details. Observe that over half (18) of the 31 stories happen to list the date of death of the first person in the couple between December 2020 to February 2021. Often the couples are described as “holding hands one last time” or are on a Zoom call. In many instances, the husband and wife are said to have met at a young age or were ‘high school sweethearts,’ and there is an occasional web site listed in stories where “contributions may be made to the family” for funeral expenses, etc. Many of the links include videos made through interviews of family members.

Readers are encouraged to do their own research, such as finding obituaries and other stories about the lives of the deceased, on the individuals involved. All text and pictures within an enumerated citation are copied from the link(s) provided. Some are longer than others simply because the details are enlightening.

(1)  Paul and Rosemary Blackwell, ages 61 and 65, Fort Worth, TX, 16 Dec 2020. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-couple-30-years-die-covid-19-within-minutes-one-n1251475

A Texas couple married for 30 years who were hospitalized with Covid-19 were holding hands as the both died on Sunday, their family says. Paul and Rosemary Blackwell – longtime educators of Grand Prairie Independent School district – died just minutes apart at Harris Methodist Hospital is Fort Worth, Texas, two of their sons told NBC News. The brothers weren’t able to physically see their parents and were only able to video chat with them. Their father broke down on one of those video calls, saying he didn’t think he was going to make it…It was shortly after video calls with their children that the Blackwells were transferred to the intensive care unit. “My little brother Shawn got to speak with my mom right before she got intubated and I was able to speak with my dad right before he got intubated, so it was crazy how that worked out,” Brandon Blackwell said. The next time the sons would see their parents would be on their deathbeds... “My dad wasn’t going to make it too much longer and my mom was right behind him,” Shawn Blackwell said. After consulting the doctors, the family made the difficult decision to discontinue their life support. Paul and Rosemary Blackwell died holding each other’s hands – and the hands of Shawn and Brandon Blackwell, finally able to see their parents in person. “It’s definitely the hardest decision we ever had to deal with in our entire lives, but knowing that they’re together and the amazing parents that they were, we gave them a beautiful send off,” Shawn Blackwell said…The couple spent their careers as dedicated educators. Paul Blackwell was a P.E. teacher, mentor and coach at Fannin Middle School. Rosemary Blackwell was a second grade teacher at Travis World Language Academy and was the school’s longest-tenured educator… An online fundraiser has been set up to help with funeral expenses for the Blackwells.

(2)  Johnny Lee and Cathy Darlene Peoples, ages 67 and 65, Salisbury, NC, September 2020, https://people.com/human-interest/married-couple-die-covid-minutes-apart-holding-hands/ :

Johnny Lee Peoples, 67, and his wife Cathy Darlene Peoples, 65, died of COVID-19 on Sept. 2 (2020) at Novant Health Rowan Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, according to their joint obituary. The couple had been struggling with coronavirus for 30 days when they were placed in a room together for a final goodbye, their surviving son Shane Peoples said.  "Everything just went south, everything just got worse," he told WBTV. “The next day [medical staff] put them in the same room, same ICU room, they put their hands together, the nurses gathered around and they passed within four minutes of each other," their surviving son Shane Peoples said. "They were married 48 years, been together 50, they walked hand in hand for those 50 years," Shane said of his parents. Both natives of North Carolina, Johnny was a sergeant in the U.S. Army and worked for the NC Department of Corrections and Cathy worked as teacher assistant at Salisbury Academy and a lab technician at LabCorp, according to an online tribute. "The lives of Mom and Dad were stolen by a virus that many joke about on a daily basis or just straight out believe it’s a hoax of some sort. Both of them took this pandemic seriously and still got sick, still died..." Shane wrote in a personal tribute on Facebook. In his post, Shane also encouraged people to wear a mask, wash their hands and practice social distancing amid the ongoing pandemic.

(3) Sherwood and Doris Pope, ages 82 and 78, Raleigh, NC, December 2020 : https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/coats-couple-dies-of-covid-holding-hands/19430936/ 

Sherwood Lee Pope, 82, and his wife, Doris Knox Pope, 78, of Coats, NC died Monday at UNC Rex Hospital. They were side by side and holding hands. They had been married for 61 years. Shelton Pope, one of the couple's three sons, said that they started feeling sick the weekend after Thanksgiving. "Mom didn't really want to go to the hospital. (She) figured she could do it on her own," Shelton Pope said. "They had them in separate rooms," Shelton Pope said. "Mom had gotten really, really bad off." Then things took a turn for the worse. “They agreed to put them in the same room to be beside each other so they could hold hands and just be with each other," said Shelton Pope. "They were holding hands when they left this world and went to the pearly gates. He left shortly before she did.” Sherwood Pope was a retired maintenance man with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Doris Pope retired from furniture upholstery. They attended Benson Grove Baptist Church and were extremely loved by family and friends.

(4) Leslie and Patricia McWaters, 75 and 78, Jackson, MI, Nov 2020, https://people.com/human-interest/married-couple-of-47-years-die-covid19-same-day-same-time/ 

Leslie "LD" and Patricia McWaters "did almost everything together" in their nearly five-decade-long marriage, so their family said it was only fitting that both died on Nov. 24 (2020) at 4:23 p.m after being hospitalized with the coronavirus, according to their joint obituary. "The hospital staff that cared for them, as they lost their battle to COVID, said it was too close to call," their obituary reads. "They recorded their deaths at the exact same time... Those of us that know them, know that mom went first and said, 'LD, it's time to go!'" Added their daughter Joanna Sisk to NBC affiliate WDIV: "It's beautiful, but it's so tragic. Kind of like Romeo and Juliet. One wouldn't have wanted to be without the other." LD, 75, and Patricia, 78, were both born in Jackson, Michigan, according to their obituary. They married on April 16, 1973 and went on to welcome two daughters, Susan Brewer and Joanna Sisk. The pair went on to have "quite a love story," as they frequently hosted pool parties and game nights, drove their '59 Corvette to car shows, went dancing at the bar they first met, took annual family canoeing trips and watched their three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren compete in sporting events. Patricia was described by her family as a "no-nonsense person" who "was definitely the boss." For 35 years, she worked at Foote Allegiance Hospital in Jackson as a registered nurse in the operating room, according to their obituary. Meanwhile, LD was described as a "fun-loving person" with "more friends than anyone could count," his family wrote. He was a retired truck driver, a veteran of the United States Navy Reserves and a member of the Lions Club.

(5) Dick and Shirley Meek, ages 89 and 87, Columbus OH, Jan 2021,  https://foxnews.com/health/ohio-couple-dies-of-coronavirus-minutes-apart-family-says

The Ohio couple, aged 89 and 87, died on Jan. 16 about one week after they tested positive for coronavirus and were admitted to Riverside Hospital in Columbus, per local news outlet WBNS. They were scheduled to receive the vaccine three days later. Mom passed first," said Debbie Howell, a daughter to the couple. "They were holding hands. The nurse put mom’s head on my dad’s shoulder and she said to dad ‘Dick it’s OK to let go now. Shirley’s waiting for you’ and he passed within minutes." Howell and her sisters Vicki Harper and Kelly Meek told WBNS precautions were eased to celebrate the couple’s 70th wedding anniversary on Dec. 22, and then the pair developed colds. After their conditions quickly deteriorated at the hospital, and no treatment options were left, the hospital staff agreed to let the couple share a room so they could be with one another. The obituary describes the couple as childhood sweethearts, who led lives of love and passion.

(6) Bill and Pat Olwig, ages 85 and 83, St. Louis, MO, 1 May 2020 https://people.com/human-interest/couple-married-60-years-die-coronavirus-less-than-hour-apart/ 

Bill, 85, and Pat Olwig, 83, both died on May 1, just days after testing positive for coronavirus and being placed in the intensive care unit, family members told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. They were remembered as dedicated parents to their seven children, 20 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, and active parishioners at St. Ferdinand in Florissant and St. Joe’s of Cottleville, according to their joint obituary…Both Bill and Pat reportedly developed a cough several weeks ago, and though their family was worried, they believed it might just be a seasonal cold. But Bill was hospitalized on April 26 after his temperature spiked, and Pat followed about six hours later. By the next morning, both had tested positive for COVID-19 and they were put in intensive care. Due to the years of medical problems both Bill and Pat had, “we knew then, it would probably be the end,” Rose told the Post-Dispatch. The family reportedly watched on Zoom as a family friend and Catholic priest put on layers of personal protective equipment to perform a religious sacrament for the couple as they lay in their hospital beds. When the time came to take them off life support, family members sat outside the hospital under a tent in the parking lot, as they could not visit in person due to restrictions.

(7) Keith and Gwendolyn Robinson, Ages 62 and 60, Vallejo, CA, 4 August 2020, https://abc7.com/couple-dies-of-covid-califonia-coronavirus-death-11-days-apart-keith-robinson/6352661 and https://abc7.com/couple-dies-of-covid-california-coronavirus-death-11-days-apart-keith-robinson/6352661/ :

A California couple who had been together for 35 years both died of COVID-19 complications 11 days apart from one another. "It wasn't until he woke up gasping for air that I said, 'We have to take you to the emergency room. We can't treat it at home any longer,' and that was the last time I saw him," said Eboni Hunter about her dad Keith Robinson. Her dad's passing was even tougher since it came just 11 days after her mother and his wife Gwendolyn, who worked at the Veterans Home of California, also died from the virus. Keith, who was 62, had diabetes. Gwendolyn, who was 60, had asthma along with a blood cancer known as MDS. Both had been successfully living with their conditions up until COVID-19. Both had been successfully living with their conditions up until COVID-19. De Lon Adams and his sister say they feel numb over what has happened, describing their parents as lovebirds, who were together for 35 years. He called her "Bright Eyes," and she called him "Grizzly." "Every weekend they were together. You know it was them because they had the same clothes on. They would dress alike. If it was Sunday, it was 49ers gear. If it was during the week, it was Warriors gear or Giants gear," De Lon said. De Lon and Eboni say that while they're trying to stay strong, it's hard. The family has created a GoFundMe account. The money raised will go towards a proper burial for both Keith and both Keith and Gwendolyn.

(8) Fred and Diane Corlett, Raleigh, NC, ages 71 and 70, January 2021 https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/raleigh-couple-dies-days-apart-from-covid-19/19478899/  :

The couple met at Broughton High School in the 1960s and married in 1971. After earning a doctorate of ministry from Columbia University, Diane Corlett became the first woman rector of the Church of the Nativity in north Raleigh.  Diane Corlett contracted coronavirus while recovering in a local hospital from an unrelated infection, her son said. Always by her side, Fred Corlett also caught the virus. She died on Jan. 10, and he died four days later.

(9) Juan and Blanca Estela Rodriguez, San Diego, CA, both of age 67, February 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/17/us/california-couple-dies-hours-apart-covid-trnd/index.html :

Ever since they met in middle school as seventh-graders in homeroom, there was an instant bond. Juan flirted with Blanca and Blanca talked about his big green eyes. Each of them immigrated from Mexico as children before they met at a San Diego middle school. “When she would turn around and look at him, he would wink at her. She remembered that he had these green eyes,” daughter Anna Cabral said. “I guess around that time he started telling her and his friends that he was going to marry her one day.”… The family isolated their father, Juan, in his own room. He was mostly bedbound, suffering from diabetes, kidney issues, congestive heart failure and a bad bone break that never healed right. Their mother had diabetes and arthritis, but was the healthier of the two. Their parents got so sick that they had to be hospitalized on January 26. Cynthia Rodriguez remembers her mother asking her to call for an ambulance. “I had to dress my dad because he was falling over because he was so sick and I walked him out,” Cynthia Rodriguez said, asking her nephew to help. Her father had a fever and paramedics said his oxygen saturation was in the 80s. Going back in the house, she struggled longer to walk her mom out to the next ambulance, again with her nephew’s help. “And I just was in shock,” she said. “I was just outside looking at the ambulances leaving. And I was thinking like, is this real?”… Only a few hours after the family’s video call, Blanca’s condition deteriorated. The family said doctors called to say they had to intubate her and asked the family to come to the hospital. The siblings walked in to see their mother in pairs. Doctors asked them to consider comfort care, which the family did. Blanca Rodriguez passed away at 12:34 a.m. on February 8. In another hospital, it was like Juan knew his soulmate was gone. Hours later, the family got another call, this time from his medical team. Cynthia Rodriguez and Blanca Velazquez rushed to the hospital. As they were asking the hospital staff about their father’s condition, he passed away as they were in the hallway at 4:18 a.m... A week after their parents passed, a letter came from their health care provider inviting Blanca and Juan to sign up for vaccination appointments, the family said. “My parents were terrified of getting Covid and dying of Covid,” Cynthia Rodriguez said. “My dad wouldn’t even let you touch him because he was terrified of getting it. They were so eager to get vaccinated, they were waiting for it.” 

(10) Hartley and Bonnie Cruver, Ages 90 and 78, Greenville, SC, December 2020  https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/local-couple-dies-of-covid-19-two-days-apart/ 

A Greenville couple died of the coronavirus two days apart of each other. Hartley and Bonnie Cruver were both diagnosed around Christmas and died the first week of January. They married on March 27, 1965 and went on to have three sons. 7 News is told they shared a life grounded in church and song… When the pandemic hit, their son said they took it seriously and would only leave the house for the occasional grocery run. Nevertheless, Bonnie Cruver tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 23. Her husband was also sick at that time. Dan Cruver said his father was weak, and ended up in the hospital with a broken hip the day after Christmas. “Once he got to the hospital, he was positive for COVID-19,” Dan Cruver said. Within 24 hours, Bonnie Cruver’s oxygen level dropped, and she was rushed to the same hospital. “Initially they were both doing well in the hospital, but with COVID-19 things changed so rapidly,” Dan Cruver said. His mother ended up in the ICU…Dan Cruver said his mom was told about her husband’s passing, and he thinks a broken heart contributed to her death about 48 hours later. The family is raising money for the funeral expenses through GoFundMe.  

(11) David and Carolyn Moe, Fargo, ND, Ages 79 and 78, Nov-Dec. 2020 https://www.thedickinsonpress.com/newsmd/together-for-six-decades-fargo-couple-dies-of-covid-19-within-weeks-of-each-other

David and Carolyn Moe were both longtime employees of Fargo Public Schools. A Fargo couple that was said to be “joined at the hip” since their teenage years were always together in life, and now, in death… David Moe and Carolyn Bahr were both born and raised in Bemidji, Minn., where they became high school sweethearts and were married… David and Carolyn Moe, both longtime employees of Fargo Public Schools, contracted COVID-19 and died within a few weeks of one another. Carolyn, 78, got sick first and died just before Thanksgiving on Nov. 24. David, 79, died the day after Christmas, Dec. 26. A joint funeral will be held for the couple at First Baptist Church of Fargo on Friday, Jan. 15, and will be livestreamed on Facebook. Their sons, Terry Moe of Fargo and Kevin Moe of West Chester, Ohio, said it’s difficult to absorb the deaths of both parents at once. It’s believed one or both of them contracted the virus during a week-long visit to Rochester, Minn., and the Mayo Clinic in early November. David had undergone a kidney transplant 12 years prior, and the annual visits were part of his follow-up care. At the time of their visit, the Mayo Clinic and the Rochester community as a whole were in the midst of a large coronavirus outbreak. Kevin Moe can’t believe how quickly they deteriorated after contracting the virus. “They went from good, to gone, in just an incredible short amount of time,” he said. Hours before their funeral on Friday, Terry Moe will receive his first COVID-19 vaccination. “How ironic,” he said. It was a few days after the visit to Rochester when Carolyn Moe started to not feel well. After she collapsed at home, her husband called 911. Responding paramedics said her oxygen level was dangerously low, and she needed to go to the hospital. Within a day or two, David got sick and was hospitalized. Carolyn’s condition deteriorated rapidly, and her husband was able to visit her room, where she was mostly unresponsive. She would need to go on a ventilator to breathe, but David didn’t want to put her through that. Instead, hospice protocols were started. Hospital staff gave her medication to make her comfortable and not feel like she was gasping for air, Terry Moe said. David’s condition went downhill as well, but in a few weeks, he began to improve and was moved to an intermediate care facility. As he grew stronger, his awareness improved, and his sons believe their dad finally started to fully realize that his lifelong partner was gone. David Moe began coughing up blood and died a few days later. “They just didn’t know how to live without each other,” Kevin Moe said.

 (12) Albert and Carol Stevenson, ages 80 and 77, Salina, KS January 2021 https://www.salina.com/story/news/2021/01/16/kansas-couple-fights-coronavirus-together-both-leave-legacy-true-love/4157728001/

Albert “Bert” and Carol Stevenson met later in life, after previous marriages that happened years before, at a restaurant near the Kanopolis Lake in 2009… The couple both tested positive for the coronavirus at the end of December and started out the new year battling the virus. After a week and a half of going through several ups and downs, they departed Earth less than two hours apart on the same day while holding each other's hands in bed at the Salina Regional Health Center. Bert had two marriages before finding Carol. He met Carol in a time in his life when he was starting to accept that his Alzheimer's disease was going to have a major effect on his life. Bert has three children: Sharolyn Hoffman, of Salina; Doug Stevenson, of Falun, and Shelli Redden, of Concordia… Carol also had two previous marriages. She has two daughters, Pennie Pickering and Jody Lentz, both of whom live in the Seattle area. The couple married on June 30, 2012, on a warm summer day at Carol's homestead near Kanopolis Lake. Carol was 72, while Bert was 69… The couple went to a family Christmas Eve gathering, and on Dec. 26th they were diagnosed with the coronavirus."My mother knew of the risk, but she could not help herself. She had to give presents," said Pickering. "Christmas is a big deal for her to see family. They were literally 30 days from being vaccinated and they had made it since early March of quarantining. They started staying inside, because my sister and I in Washington were telling them the reality of the situation. They were in the high age-risk group, with a few prior medical issues. "I know Kansas is a little behind on taking the virus seriously, with masking and all of that. I was there last February and nobody even knew what the coronavirus was. She had done everything right from March until Christmas Eve.  I am not angry, nobody wanted this to happen. She was warned by several family members that it was not a good idea to go to the family gathering, but you are not going to control your 80-year-old mother."… "It was a rollercoaster ride for the past two weeks. They went to the hospital three times. The staff at the Salina Regional Health Center did a phenomenal job. There were three or four individuals working there that I cannot thank enough. We had a lot of ups and downs," said Doug Stevenson. Bert was sedated for three days with COVID-19. The virus made his Alzheimer's worse than it had been before... It is sad, but the way they went was really good," said Jan Lytle a niece-in-law to Bert. Redden decided to play music on her phone while in the last few hours with the couple. "I was able to hold their hands when they passed away. We were in full hazmat gear, they allowed my sister and I to go see them in the hospital, they only let two of us in.  A wonderful couple that went through a lot before they got together and then when they were together they spent every minute loving each other and sharing it with the world. They wanted to go out of the world together and they were able to. It was devastating, but at least they were together," said Redden.

(13) Wilford and Mary Kepler, ages 94 and 92, Wauwatosa, WI, April 2020 https://www.tmj4.com/news/coronavirus/wauwatosa-couple-of-73-years-dies-six-hours-apart-after-contracting-covid-19

Mary and Wilford Kepler were together for 73 years. Through sickness and health. However, death would only part them for six hours. Both died from COVID-19 related complications Saturday. "Our family lost the glue that holds us together," said granddaughter Natalie Lameka. The family doesn't know how the couple contracted COVID-19. Mary and Wilford were taken to Froedtert Hospital after finding out. Mary died six hours after Wilford. Unlike many COVID-19 patients, Mary and Wilford had each other physically during COVID-19 treatment. Hospital staff safely placed their beds beside one another. “They had been holding hands and that was just heartbreaking to hear but also heartwarming to hear. And we were just so thankful they were together and were aware they were together," Natalie Lameka said.

(14) Neal and Lavonne Losure, ages 82 and 78, Marion, IN  November 2020 https://www.wrtv.com/news/coronavirus/faces-of-covid/she-wanted-to-live-married-61-years-indiana-couple-dies-less-than-a-day-apart-with-covid-19  and https://obits.funeralinnovations.com/obituaries/view/522582/2/

Married for 61 years, Neal and Lavonne Losure lived their lives to the fullest until the day they died — less than 24 hours apart — just weeks after being diagnosed with COVID-19. “Even though they died right next to each other and less than a day apart, Mom didn’t want to die. She wanted to live — and COVID didn’t let her live,” (daughter Sheila) Trexler said. Trexler says her parent's story was full of love. Although she isn’t sure exactly when her parents met, their early courtship was just as sweet as their lives together. Neal and Lavonne would meet often at Fairmount Park, which wasn’t particularly close to either of them… “My mom and my aunt would drive the tractor down and Dad would walk from Marion just to see her,” Trexler said. “If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is.” The couple was married on June 19, 1959. The couple had five children: Sherry, Debbie, Madeana, Sheila, and Chuck. The couple was admitted to the hospital on November 7, 2020. They were treated in separate rooms, but Trexler said the nurses were able to wheel Lavonne into Neal’s room on November 20 where she and the rest of the family said goodbye. He died at 1:58 p.m. Grieving one devastating loss, the family said their goodbyes and left Lavonne to continue her treatments and recovery. By 8:49 a.m. the following morning, COVID had taken her life as well.

(15) Lawrence and Victoria Freda, ages 85 and 83, Newark, NJ April 2020  https://people.com/human-interest/new-jersey-couple-die-covid-19-same-day-after-son-death/

A New Jersey couple described as "inseparable" died from the novel coronavirus just hours apart after losing their son to the same disease two days prior. Newark natives Lawrence "Larry" Freda, 85, and Victoria "Vicki" Freda, 83, were married for 62 years when they died of COVID-19 on April 24, according to their online obituaries. Their 51-year-old son, John Freda, died of coronavirus on April 22. N.J Gov. Phil Murphy honored the trio in a series of tweets on Wednesday, writing, "We remember Larry and Vicki Freda, and their son, John. One family." "Larry and Vicki loved being grandparents, and always had fun," he added. "May God bless these three souls." Larry served in the U.S. Army at an outpost in Europe before embarking on a 24-year career at the Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery in his hometown, according to his obituary. He was then a custodian at West Essex Regional High School…According to relatives, Vicki had numerous roles around the Township of Fairfield. Known for "being a caring, quick-witted, social butterfly," she worked at the Township of Fairfield Municipal Building over a number of years before retiring in 2007 as the executive secretary to the mayor.

(16) Willard and Wilma Gail Bowen, Ages 73 and 70, Paulding Co., GA, November 2020,  https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/07/us/couple-mourning-loved-one-death-covid-trnd/index.html

In early November, Wilma Gail Bowen and Willard Bowen mourned the loss of Willard’s mother, who had died from dementia and Covid-19 complications. Three weeks later, on Thanksgiving Day, the Georgia couple died of Covid-19, just hours apart from each other. The couple, who had known each other since high school and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in September, likely caught the virus visiting Willard’s mother, said the couple’s daughter, Karen Kirby. The couple spent a little over a week in the hospital in the intensive care unit. Once Wilma realized her husband might not ever get to return home, her daughter said her condition immediately worsened. “I honestly think she knew she couldn’t live life without him,” Kirby said. “They were just so in touch and in tune with each other.” Originally in adjacent rooms, the couple was so worried about one another that a nurse sought permission to treat them both in the same room, a rarity in the ICU. “She got special permission to take care of them together so they would not have to be apart,” Kirby said. “Their job is hell right now and I know that, but they helped to make my closure just a little bit better.” The couple had deep ties to their community in Paulding County, a once rural area that is now one of Atlanta’s suburbs. Wilma, despite being 70 years old, was a school nurse in Paulding County, foregoing retirement to spend more time caring for the students she lovingly referred to as “her kids.” “Other school nurses said, ‘Your mom works circles around us even though she’s older than we are,’” Kirby said. Having lost her grandmother and her parents in a month, Kirby is now urging people to understand the severity of the pandemic, and to reach out to loved ones accordingly. “I had no inkling two weeks ago that I would be burying my parents. I just want people to take the time to reach out and love one another,” she said. “That’s what Mama and Daddy would’ve done.”

(17) Curtis and Betty Tarpley, ages 79 and 80, Fort Worth TX, June 2020 https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/family/story/texas-couple-dies-covid-19-holding-hands-53-71557428

After 53 years of marriage, the high school sweethearts took their last breaths with arms clasped together in a Texas hospital room as the two lost their COVID-19 battles minutes apart. "They loved to travel, now their story is traveling around the world," said the couple's son, Tim. "I'm grateful for the time we had and our relationship was the best it could be over these last few weeks." By June 9 Betty complained about a headache with tooth pain and was rushed to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth where she tested positive for COVID-19. Two days later, Curtis was admitted. Curtis struggled with underlying health problems for more than a decade, but seemed to hold his own at first. His wife's condition steadily declined. Hospital staff made an exception and let Tim and his sister, Tricia, visit their mom in person. As the pain took its toll, Betty told her children she was "ready to go." Tim broke the news to Curtis and not long after, his dad took a turn for the worst. Betty and Curtis decided to go on comfort care, which meant heavy pain medications and no ventilators. Hospital staff sensed the moment was near on June 18 and moved Betty into Curtis' room. "It seemed like the right thing to do, the humane thing to do," said Blake Throne, an intensive care unit nurse treating Curtis. "We felt like we had to get them together." Nurses pushed the Tarpley's beds side by side with rails down and put Betty's hand on Curtis' arm. When a nurse told Curtis who was laying next to him, the hospital ward seemed to melt away. "His eyes opened and his eyebrows went up," Throne said. "He perked up and tried to turn and look at her." Throne said Betty passed away 20 minutes later and Curtis died about half an hour after his wife. “They were on so much medication by that point I don't think they needed words to know they still had each other,” Tim said. “The nurses were incredible and I hope they know how much we appreciate their efforts to go above and beyond for my parents.”

(18) Ned and Ellen Deville, Ages 87 and 88, Feb 2021 https://abc13.com/houston-couple-dies-covid19-die-days-apart-of-covid-memorial-hermann-hospital-after-67-years-marriage/10356867/  and https://www.troybsmith.com/obituary/ellen-deville  A Houston couple, just a week away from celebrating 68 years of marriage, died days apart after battling COVID-19. Ned and Ellen Deville were wed Feb. 25, 1953. After being apart for weeks due to COVID-19, hospital staff at Memorial Hermann brought the two together for one last photo.

Ellen died Wednesday and Ned died Friday, just two days later. The family told ABC13 they are grateful to the staff at Memorial Hermann for what they were able to do in the couple's last days. Ellen and Ned were united in holy matrimony… To this union, seven children were born - Julie Cheryl, Victor Lee, Marian Gayle, Andrea Marie, a set of twins – Rodney and Renee and Michael.

(19) Abdul and Tarzoon Wahab, Ages 74 and 71, Houston, TX, April 2020 https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2020/04/14/houston-woman-loses-both-parents-within-hours-of-one-another-to-coronavirus/

A Houston woman is mourning the death of her parents after they died within hours of one another. Abdul Ahad Wahab, 74, and Tazroon Wahab, 71, both died at Houston Methodist Hospital in Sugar Land from complications related to Coronavirus, according to Waheeda Hussain, the couple’s daughter. Hussain said her parents moved to Houston in January to be closer to family. “It was just so fast,” Hussain said. “I dropped my parents off at the ER -- my dad on Friday, and my mom on Saturday, and not even a week in the hospital, they passed away.” Hussain said her parents decline was quick. Her father was on a ventilator and her mother was sedated. Hussain said she was able to say goodbye via video conference. “In Islam, we have where we do Koran recitations,” Hussain said. “We were able to recite the Koran for them and, just as their last Islamic rights so they would have that passing, for them to be at peace.” Hussain’s heartbreak though, turned quickly to frustration as she believes people are not taking the pandemic seriously. “It’s not a game, it’s not a joke, it’s not a hoax. Coronavirus is taking lives,” Hussain said. “If you don’t have to go out, do not leave your house. Use the hand sanitizers, use the gloves, use the mask, use whatever you can to protect you and your family members.”

(20) Stuart and Adrian Baker from NY, Ages 74 and 72, Boynton Beach, FL, April 2020 https://ktla.com/news/coronavirus/florida-couple-married-for-51-years-died-6-minutes-apart-from-covid-19-son-says/

Before just a few weeks ago, Stuart and Adrian Baker were perfectly healthy. The inseparable couple had been married for more than 51 years and were living in Boynton Beach, Florida, in retirement. Neither of them had any serious health conditions. Then in mid-March, they started feeling ill. On Sunday, they both died — six minutes apart — due to complications from Covid-19, their son Buddy Baker said. In a widely shared video on Twitter, he urged people to heed social distancing and stay-at-home recommendations from public health officials. “Until it touches you or touches somebody you know or you hear a story, you kind of feel removed from it,” Baker, president and CEO of Exclusive Sports Group, told CNN. “… Hopefully my parents’ passing doesn’t go in vain.” After a few more days, on March 19, they were told to return to the hospital. Baker’s father, who had a fever and also had asthma, was admitted. His mother, who did not have a fever, was not. Despite the circumstances, Baker said he and his family were optimistic. They were talking to Stuart regularly on his phone, and it seemed like he’d be able to push through. About 48 hours later, his father was admitted to the ICU — but the family was still hopeful. Stuart went from being on 60% oxygen to 50%, a sign that things were going in the right direction… Then on March 24, they got a call from the hospital. Their father had tested positive for Covid-19 and the doctor said it didn’t look like he would make it. The call was shattering, Baker said. They didn’t want to upset their mother with the news, and decided to take her to the hospital as a precautionary measure. They wanted to see if she too could be tested, though because she had no fever or other related symptoms, they thought she would be fine. Within 45 minutes of their mother being checked in, Baker said the doctor called to report that her oxygen levels were very low. She wouldn’t make it either. With their parents’ organs failing, Baker said he and his sister decided to move their parents to hospice care at the counsel of medical professionals. His mother and father were both moved to the same room and taken off ventilators to be comfortable. Within minutes of each other, they had passed.

(21) Mike and Carol Bruno, Ages 80 and 79, Chicago, IL December 2020 https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-family-blames-haircut-in-couples-coronavirus-deaths 

A Chicago family says one haircut led to the coronavirus-related deaths of their two parents after the illness ripped through several family members within days. Joe Bruno, the son of Mike and Carol Bruno, said his sister, who works in a hair salon, had tested negative for the virus right before Thanksgiving and then quarantined for several days before heading to his apartment with their mother Carol to give him a haircut, WLS-TV reported. "I did not hug my mom," Joe Bruno told the news outlet. "I did not hug my sister. My sister cut my hair. She was masked, and all the windows were open. We were distanced in my apartment, and then, they left. They were over for maybe 40 to 45 minutes. Later that evening, my sister started to feel symptoms. About three days later, I started to feel symptoms." With some people still planning to see their loved ones for Christmas, this family's story is a reminder of what can happen. Eventually, his mother developed symptoms, as did his father. The couple, who were married for 59 years, battled for several weeks before dying 10 days apart. Carol Bruno, 79, died first on Dec. 14, according to her obituary.  In addition to Joe and his sister, Carol and Mike are survived by another son. Mike and Carol left behind a powerful lesson of love in the final chapter of their lives that coronavirus couldn't touch. and https://abc7chicago.com/covid-chicago-deaths-haircut/9041932/ "Had I made that sacrifice and, you know, didn't spend, you know, 30-40 minutes with my mom --they would still be here," he said. "We've got to double down on the public health measures we know work," said Dr. Jay Bhatt with Medical Home Network. "So, I would just think about what risk you're putting yourselves and others into when you leave your house to go to a family gathering." "I think the thing that gives us peace is knowing that my dad didn't know my mom passed away," Joe said. "To know that they went within less than 10 days of one another is such a beautiful thing. And, you know, I would give anything to bring them back but I'm so happy that they are together again."

(22) Robert and Lucy McGuiness, ages 93 and 89, Venice, FL January 2021, https://www.yoursun.com/venice/venice-couple-dies-of-covid-days-apart/article_2178884c-6247-11eb-80a6-17c210a26c4d.html 

A couple married more than 65 years died within days of each other from COVID-19 complications. Robert McGuiness, 93, died on Jan. 19; his wife, Lucy, 89, died Jan. 22, according to their family. The couple spent most of their years living in Chicopee and Holyoke, Massachusetts. Bob McGuiness graduated from Westfield State University with a master’s degree in occupational education. He made a career as a professor at Springfield Technical Community College of heat and power technology. “His favorite pastime was golfing with his friends, be it in Holyoke, Cape Cod or Florida. He also liked a good game of Pitch and watching the Boston Red Sox or the Tampa Bay Rays,” it said. Lucy McGuiness was a longtime executive secretary with American Pad & Paper Co. Because of COVID-19, a memorial service date has not been set. They request memorial donations be sent to Springfield Technical Community College at www.stcc.edu/give or San Pedro Catholic Church, 14380 Tamiami Trail, North Port, FL 34287.

(23) Doug and Teri Cook, Kansas City, MO, Ages 53 and 55, 10 Feb 2021 https://www.kshb.com/news/coronavirus/gofundme-started-for-independence-teacher-husband-who-died-of-covid-19  and https://www.kshb.com/news/coronavirus/couple-dies-together-from-covid-19-complications-children-want-their-legacy-known and https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/examiner/name/doug-cook-obituary?id=7300587  

Two college students are mourning the loss of both their parents after they contracted COVID-19 earlier this month…A GoFundMe was started for an Independence couple who died of COVID-19 the same night - and in the same room - on Wednesday. According to the GoFundMe page, Teri and Doug Cook both contracted the virus in the first week of February. Their father, Doug Cook first was diagnosed with having the virus in early February. Their mom, Teri Cook took Doug to the hospital for help. However, his oxygen levels were too low. "Once he contracted it he started feeling a little bit sicker than normal," Alexis Cook, the couple's daughter, said. "Their progress or lack thereof mirrored each other and that’s when we knew that they were planning this together," Alexis said. Both Teri and Doug's beds were placed next to each other and spent their final moments together before eventually passing away. "It’s obviously very tough losing both parents but whenever you kind of have that silver lining that both of them passing in the way they did that was just so poetically beautiful it did bring Alexis and I a lot of peace," Cody Cook, the couple's son, said. Both Cody and Alexis were able to FaceTime their parents right before they died, giving them some sense of closure. "It was incredibly difficult to see but I think Cody and I definitely needed to give our final parting words with them before they joined up in heaven," Alexis said. 41 Action News spoke with both Cody and Alexis through Zoom on Saturday as they were also battling the COVID-19 virus recovering at home. Both of them are in their 20s, trying to make sense of it all, without their parents by their side. "I don't think I can fully operate right now without my parents but that's what we have to do so that's kind of now the reality that we're facing trying to navigate the world without them" Alexis said. Teri was a special needs teacher at Independence Academy with the Independence School District for over 20 years.… Teri landed in the hospital with COVID pneumonia and a blood clot in her lung according to the GoFundMe page. Doug was also hospitalized with COVID pneumonia and was on a ventilator. 41 Action News spoke to the son of the Cooks'. Cody Cook said Teri was a teacher for more than 30 years, and taught in the Independence District for 21 years. His father Doug, worked as a food equipment technician for the last 17 years. Obituary: Teri and Doug passed away peacefully side-by-side from COVID-19 complications on February 10, 2021. In a room at North Kansas City Hospital, their sister shared a final prayer to bless them. As the prayer concluded with, "Amen," the couple passed away within seconds together. It was evident Teri and Doug planned to be in the company of one another and God as they left Earth on their route to Heaven.

(24) Mel and Sue Awes, ages 81 and 80, Dec 2020, Edina, MN https://www.startribune.com/together-in-life-and-death-minnesota-couples-battle-covid-19/573488062/

Mel and Sue Awes spent the last weeks of their lives in a shared double room in Fairview Southdale Hospital's ICU — sedated and on ventilators fighting COVID-19 complications. As COVID-19 has ravaged the elderly, couples who have spent nearly a lifetime together are dying together — days, sometimes hours apart. For some families left behind, the unexpected double losses are even more painful because a vaccine that could have prevented many of these deaths was almost within reach… “It's a mixed bag of grief and gratitude," said Carla Smith of Independence, Minn. Her parents died Dec. 6, just seven hours apart in the same nursing home room. "Neither of them had to grieve and live without the other.”

(25) Mary Agnes and Jim Smith, ages 90 and 93, Dec 2020 Independence, MN,  (in same story as Mel and Sue Awes)

Mary Agnes and Jim Smith moved out of their Independence home into a long-term care facility as their health issues required more care. Although they slept in separate rooms, the couple who had been together for 65 years were almost inseparable during the day, sharing meals, joining activities and spending time together to talk and hold hands. “They were completely intertwined with each other,” daughter Carla Smith said… But eventually, he fell silent as COVID-19 took its toll, she said. He was sleeping when his 93-year-old wife died. Hours later he, too, passed. He had recently turned 90 years old and said he intended to live to 100. “They're both gone and my life changed abruptly," Smith said. "I just thought I would have more time with them.”

(26) Adrian and Jackie Kapsner, ages 85 and 82, Dec 2020, Edina, MN (in same story as Mel and Sue Awes)

"They dearly loved each other," said son Matt Kapsner of Sweetwater Creek, Colo. “They had a symbiotic relationship. They got from one another what they didn't have themselves.” “COVID shrunk their entire life and that was sad,” said their daughter, Kitty Kapsner of St. Louis Park. The couple moved out of their Edina home in October and into a Golden Valley senior living community where Adrian Kapsner got round-the-clock care on the first floor and his wife got the help she needed in a fifth-floor apartment… Weeks after moving in, they tested positive for COVID-19. Eventually, breathing became difficult and the pain unbearable. Taken to the hospital, Jackie Kapsner improved, then abruptly worsened. She died Dec. 3 as a nurse held her hand…With little time to grieve his mother's death two days earlier, Matt Kapsner was on the phone from his Colorado home, struggling to say goodbye to his dad who was losing his fight with COVID-19.  ‘Dad, we love you,’ Matt Kapsner said into the phone, crying and searching for words to ease his father's pain. “I stopped my blubbering and told him, 'Mom has died. Jackie isn't here anymore. … You need to follow her.” His father let out a painful gasp, later passing away in the early hours of Dec. 6. Their deaths leave a gaping hole, said Chris Kapsner, the oldest of the four adult children, who lives near Boyceville, Wis., on the family farm. “These were tough days.” As medical director of the emergency department at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, he has seen COVID-19 close-up. “Becoming orphans at any age is hard," Chris Kapsner said. “You're accustomed to having your parents in your life and then it's all gone.”

(27) Gordan and Brenda Cowart, ages 72 and 70, Watson, LA, Dec 2020, https://www.wlbt.com/2020/12/17/louisiana-woman-loses-both-parents-covid-pneumonia-days-apart/  and https://obits.theadvocate.com/us/obituaries/theadvocate/name/brenda-cowart-obituary?id=21001519 :

If you need an example as to why getting the COVID-19 vaccine out is so important, look no further. Mandy Erwin of Livingston Parish, lost both of her parents to COVID-19 and pneumonia just days apart from one another. Mandy wanted to tell her story in her way. You won’t see her face in the video above, but you can hear of her loss. “And I don’t think anybody should have to bury their parents together,” said Mandy Erwin, the daughter of Gordan and Brenda Cowart. Brenda and her husband Gordan, also known as ‘Bubbie,’ were the owners of Pretty N Pink Florist in Livingston Parish for more than 45 years. On November 1, Brenda was diagnosed with coronavirus. Days later she was admitted to Ochsner Baton Rouge. She did go home for one day, but was back in the hospital the next morning with COVID-related pneumonia. “Two and a half weeks later, she was put on the ventilator, and it went progressively down from there. Once she was on the ventilator, she was sedated and paralyzed and never got strong enough. And it seems every day we had a whole new problem,” said Erwin. Just days after she was re-admitted to the hospital, her husband Bubbie was diagnosed, then later hospitalized with the exact same illnesses as his wife. “It just feels like for 5 weeks I lived a nightmare,” said Erwin. Brenda Cowert died on Thanksgiving Day. “My dad on the other hand, once my mom passed away on Thanksgiving, he did not want to be put on a ventilator. He was changed to a DNR, because he did not want to live without her. And so he gave up at that point, just didn’t want to fight, didn’t want to live. Told me every day, that he was ready to go. But he progressively, because of the virus got worse,” said Mandy. Bubbie died less than a week after the love of his life for more 52 years left this earth…“I will tell you from somebody who lived it, who lived the nightmare, it’s very real. And it will and can devastate even healthy people. I would never wish this on anybody,” said Erwin. Erwin has seen the devastation this virus can cause, as the owner of a primary health care facility in Livingston Parish.

(28) Eugene and Angie Hunter, ages 59 and 57, Atlanta, GA,  (African-American couple) July 2020 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-19-deaths-17-year-old-boy-both-parents/ 

Justin Hunter told local station WSB-TV that his parents, Angie and Eugene Hunter, died from COVID-19.In a post on Twitter on July 31, he wrote about the deaths of his mom and dad, thanking them for making him the person he is today. "I hope you know a lot of people looked up to you, including myself," he wrote. He called his parents his role models and shared family photos from when he was a little boy. The Johns Creek High School football team also shared a message about the Hunters. "Need some prayers. 1 of our players, [Justin Hunter], just lost both of his parents in the last 4 days," the tweet reads. "Need some prayers for Justin and his family. RIP Gene and Angie." His parents were quarantined separately at home and eventually hospitalized. His father, 59, died July 26. His mother, 57, died July 30, he told the station. Hunter said his parents met in college and had been married for 35 years. A GoFundMe was created for the family. "The loss of Angie and Eugene this week has left us all with such heavy hearts," the page reads. "Please help us in supporting their 17yr old son Justin. Your assistance will be used to establish a trust for Justin. This will help provide basic life needs and enable him to pursue his educational dreams & aspirations." Picture from https://www.gofundme.com/f/our-friend-justin-hunter See also interview with Justin Hunter by CNN’s Chris Cuomo at https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/CPT/date/2020-08-03/segment/01  Note that two other guests on Chris Cuomo’s show of 3 August 2020 included Dr. Ashish Jha, Preet Bharara, and Sanjay Gupta.

(29) Humberto Ruelas-Rivas and Karina Bonilla, ages 60 and 38, San Diego, CA June 2020, https://ktla.com/news/local-news/that-virus-took-my-family-away-downey-couple-dies-one-day-apart-from-covid-19-leaving-behind-5-young-children/ 

“Within six days, I lost my father. And within eight hours, I lost my stepmother. And now I have five kids,” said Ruelas-Rivas’ daughter, Maria Ruelas of Downey. Ruelas, 35, is now taking care of her five young siblings, ages 2 to 17, as well as her 30-year-old sister who was hospitalized with coronavirus and meanwhile had a stroke. She says her stepmother contracted COVID-19 first, likely from going to work. The fruit vendor Bonilla worked for allegedly had symptoms but decided not to self-isolate. “She went to work and in less than a week she started presenting symptoms,” Ruelas said. “She went home and then my father started getting sick.” “I’m happy to do it in the memory of my father,” she said. Her family has started a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral and medical expenses. Ruelas wants people to know that the virus is still killing people even as the state starts to reopen. “I saw a lot of [people] without masks. That terrified me,” she said. “That virus took my family away.”

(30) Larry and Alice Pena, Ages 80 and 76, January 2021, San Antonio, TX  https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/couple-dies-from-covid-19-just-two-days-apart-after-60-years-of-marriage

A family is dealing with unthinkable heartache after losing their mom and dad to COVID-19 in the same week. Larry and Alice Peña died just two days apart in the same ICU at Baptist Medical Center this past week, not long after testing positive for the disease. Described as inseparable, the couple had been married for 60 years. "A couple so full of life, you wouldn't believe that they're not here on Earth anymore," daughter Sylvia Peña said. "As painful as it is for us daughters, I know that they would want to be together." According to their daughters, Larry and Alice only knew each other for five days before they got married back in 1961. "It was just beautiful after 60 years to see a couple still so much in love," daughter Stephanie Peña Frost said. "Still holding hands, still walking together. We went from having two great loving parents to not having them."… Everything changed on Dec. 28. when Larry and Alice each tested positive for COVID-19. The morning of New Year's Day, shortly before his 81st birthday, Larry was found unresponsive in bed and had to be rushed to the hospital... "He was joking with the nurses," Frost said. "He knew what day it was. He knew where he was." What he didn't know is that Alice had also ended up at Baptist the very next day. "We felt that if we told him she was there, it would break his heart," Frost said. "Not only were they at the same hospital, they were directly across the hall from each other on the ICU floor." Alice passed away first, last Wednesday, just three days before her 77th birthday. "I was just praying to my mom, 'Ok, mom, now spread your wings and heal our dad. Just bring our dad home to us,'" Peña said. "And it just didn't happen." Two days later, last Friday, Larry passed away. "I think he felt her there, and a part of him knew," Frost said. "She was his everything."

(31) Jesus and Maria Pina, Ages 78 and 75, Tucson, AZ, Jan-Feb 2021, https://tucson.com/news/local/tucson-couple-married-51-years-dies-of-covid-19-just-days-apart/article_658d2dd6-42d5-5e17-9c79-2e4022a6f68a.html

After 51 years of marriage, Jesus and Maria Piña were what their family would describe as the epitome of commitment, love and compassion… The Tucson couple died of COVID-19 just eight days apart last month, leaving behind their three adult children and seven grandchildren between the ages of 1 and 19. “We miss them and we cry because we’re human, but we have hope,” said their 48-year-old son Jesus Piña. “We have hope that we’re going to see them again in heaven.” Maria, 78, and Jesus, 75, met while attending church in their hometown of Tampico, Mexico. They quickly fell for one another through their shared faith and started a family… On Sunday, Jan. 10, their children and grandchildren joined them for their traditional family lunch, a gathering labeled as “mandatory” by both Jesus and Maria. They ate Maria’s chicken vegetable soup and the grandchildren played — a familiar family routine that would soon become a memory. By Wednesday, Jesus was experiencing extreme fatigue and wasn’t able to walk. After suffering a subdural hematoma, or bleeding in the brain, two years ago and having brain surgery, they worried that it may have returned. While in the emergency room that day, Jesus developed a slight fever, which led doctors to test him for respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. Within hours, his test came back positive for both the virus and pneumonia, and he was immediately transferred to the coronavirus unit. Two days later, Maria was also tested for COVID-19. By Monday, Jan. 18, she was experiencing extreme shortness of breath and was admitted to the hospital before even knowing what her test results were. When Liz, Jesus Jr. and Raquel were finally able to see their dad, he was almost completely unresponsive, unable to swallow and follow commands. The virus was significantly affecting his brain. In his last visit with his mom, Jesus Jr. said Maria asked about her husband. Knowing that his dad didn’t have much time left, he simply told her that he was still fighting. “I was able to speak to her,” he said. “She recognized me, she spoke to me for a little bit. But I didn’t want her to get exhausted. They had put a full mask of oxygen on her. I was just with her for about an hour and a half. And they explained to me that if she did not make any more progress, they would have to transfer her to ICU.” And the next day, they did. “That was the last interaction I had with her,” he said. “I think it was a week after I saw her that she moved to heaven with my dad and with the Lord.” After fighting a long battle with the virus, Jesus died on Jan. 30. Maria passed away on Feb. 7. They both had diabetes, which is considered a high-risk underlying condition when it comes to COVID-19.

***

The same search terms ‘couple dies of covid’ were repeated for 1 April 2021 through 15 November 2022. Additional couples were found in the following (hyperlinks removed - copy and paste to see details):

https://m.facebook.com/OccupyDemocrats/photos/a.517901514969574/5560072884085720/?type=3  

https://twitter.com/rudybouma/status/1424305091406974985?s=21

and

https://twitter.com/derinjames1/status/1440099454250471424?s=21

(1) Chuck and Diana O’Steen, Ages 50 and 59, Tulsa, OK, Aug- Sep 2021, 8 days apart. Ages 50 and 59 https://www.sorryantivaxxer.com/post/chuck-and-diana-o-steen-50-59-broken-arrow-fl-welder-teacher-anti-vaxxers-dead-from-covid According to this obituary and this obituary, husband and wife, Chuck and Diana, have died within nine days of each other, Chuck on August 31, 2021 and Diana on September 8.  Anyway, you get the picture. This couple didn't get vaccinated and they are now joined together in Holy Mortuary. Their son Cody has a very special message for the rest of you Anti-vaxxers out there

[Note also: https://unicourt.com/case/ok-dbc1-in-the-matter-of-the-estate-of-diana-kay-osteen-deceased-1341217  On 09/17/2021 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF DIANA KAY O'STEEN DECEASED was filed as a Probate - Other Probate lawsuit. This case was filed in Tulsa County Courts, Tulsa County Courthouse located in Seminole, Oklahoma. The Judge overseeing this case is Glassco, Kurt G. The case status is Disposed - Other Disposed. Petitioner: Legg, Donald R. ]  Obituaries are as follows:

https://www.floralhaven.com/m/obituaries/Diana-O-Steen/Memories

https://www.garykelleyafs.com/obituary/charles-osteen Charles Don O'Steen, 50 year old resident of Broken Arrow, passed away Tuesday, August 31, 2021 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The son of Chester William O'Steen and Brenda Sue (Bloomfield) Slater, he was born Monday, May 24, 1971 in Hayward, California. Charles served in the United States Marine Corps and was a welder by trade. Survivors include wife, Diana (Legg) O'Steen of the home; mother, Brenda Slater of Tulsa; son, Cody O'Steen of Oklahoma City; daughters, Shelby Logan and husband, Sean of Owasso, Angella Rogers of Tulsa, and Krystal Petty and husband, Matthew of Tulsa; sisters, Shelly Wright and husband, Willie of Broken Arrow and Chrissy Schierer of Kincaid, Illinois; and 8 grandchildren.

(2) Dusty and Tristan Graham, Ages 48 and 45, Huntsville, AL, Aug-Sep 2021,  https://www.al.com/news/2021/09/alabama-pickers-couple-known-for-reselling-and-vaccine-opposition-both-dead-of-covid.html  and https://nypost.com/2021/09/17/anti-vaccine-alabama-youtubers-die-of-covid-19-weeks-apart/

An Alabama couple known on YouTube for reselling vintage items and their staunch anti-vaccine stance have both died from COVID-19, relatives said. Dusty and Tristan Graham, better known as the “Alabama Pickers,” died from the virus less than a month apart. The pair from Huntsville ran a since-deleted YouTube channel sharing tips on how to resell vintage items, antiques and collectibles, AL.com reported. Dusty died Thursday, more than three weeks after his wife “passed suddenly in her sleep” due to coronavirus complications on Aug. 25, according to an online fundraiser set up by their children. Weeks earlier, Dusty announced his wife’s death — and also revealed he was in an ICU bed “battling it out” against the virus himself. One of the last videos posted by the couple on their deleted channel was reposted elsewhere on the video-sharing site, AL.com reported. In the 90-minute clip, showing the couple as they drove, Dusty made his anti-vaccine stance abundantly clear while discussing local mask mandates. “Still haven’t gotten the you know what,” Dusty said on the clip before mimicking a syringe jab. “Still not planning on getting it.” “But if you want to, bully for you,” Tristan said, agreeing with her husband’s take. Dusty said he had his “own passport” while referring to his birth certificate and the Constitution, which he claimed allowed him to travel wherever he wanted without trouble. “I think this will be all behind us in a couple years,” Dusty continued. “Then they’ll be like ‘You don’t need that anymore.’” Dusty added that he had survived without a vaccine for a year and knew friends who contracted the virus. Two of their children did as well, according to the couple, who had more than 1,200 followers on eBay, where they sold their vintage finds. Tristan, meanwhile, said on the clip she had survived bone cancer. “We will dig through garages, estates, and closets,” the husband-and-wife team’s bio read. “All to bring the BEST antiques, collectibles, and unusual Items to market.” Obituaries:

https://www.berryhillfh.com/obituary/michael-graham

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/tristan-slayton-graham-obituary?id=6505588

(The post in the aforementioned facebook post  states they left behind two boys – Windsor and Gabe.  https://m.facebook.com/OccupyDemocrats/photos/a.517901514969574/5560072884085720/?type=3  

(3) Marcus and Brenda Smalls, ages 44 and 38, Denmark, SC, September 2021, “antivaxxers.”

 https://www.sorryantivaxxer.com/post/marcus-and-brenda-smalls-44-38-denmark-sc According to this obituary and this obituary, both Marcus and Brenda Smalls have died from COVID.  Brenda died on September 6, 2021 and Marcus on September 13, 2021. They were married in 2017. They leave behind 7 children.

Then they were gone.https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/thetandd/name/brenda-smalls-obituary?id=21027956 and https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/thetandd/name/marcus-smalls-obituary?id=21091594  From https://www.dashsfh.com/obituary/brenda-jones-smalls

Mrs. Brenda Denise Jones Smalls “Jazzy B”, 38, daughter of David Jones
II and Brenda Lee Broughton-Jones, was born on February 10, 1983 in Barnwell,
South Carolina. She entered into eternal rest on September 6, 2021, at her residence in Aiken, South Carolina. Mrs. Brenda was educated in the Bamberg District 2 public schools. She initially attended Denmark Technical College in Denmark, South Carolina and majored in business education, and received her Associate’s Degree. She then transferred to South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina and studied Middle-Level Education English/Reading. She later attended USC Aiken in Aiken, South Carolina and studied Counselor Education: School Counseling. Brenda worked at Amazon Fulfillment Center as a Learning Training Management Coordinator. She was very passionate, goal-oriented worker and was loved by many co-workers who will miss her dearly. Mrs. Brenda Smalls attended Progressive Church of our Lord Jesus Christ, Inc. and was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and filled with the holy spirit according to “Acts 2:38”. She was a woman of “Love” who dearly cherished her family and friends. She always said, “we are a family of royalty and should always walk with our head held high because we were bought with a price for our salvation”. Brenda indeed was a praiser just like her mom. Praising the Lord and giving inspiration to other people through her experience in life and the revelations received from God was one of the many things she did. Brenda enjoyed traveling with family and friends, dressing fashionable for the Lord, shopping, eating out, taking pictures, and inspirational journal writing. She was a very bold woman who stood on the promises of God. She prayed for her soulmate, and devoted husband, Marcus N. Smalls and they were married on February 10, 2018. God and her family were her top priority in life. Brenda was preceded in death by her brother, David Lee Jones III, her uncle, Luther Broughton Jr., and her grandparents, Mr. Luther Broughton and Emma Lee Broughton. Sadly, Brenda’s husband passed just days after she did. She leaves to cherish her memories: two devoted daughters, Aaliyah and Marquesha Smalls; five sons, Malik, Marcus, Amari, Marquez, and Ja’Marcus Smalls; a granddaughter, Kenya Smalls; two brothers, Joshua Edward Jones and Christopher Sinclair Jones; her loving parents, David Jones II and Brenda Lee Broughton; her grandmother, Sudie Bell Clinkscale; special aunts, Linda (Bernard) Smoakes and La-Shina Jones; special uncles, Frank Allen Broughton (Shirley), Rogers Broughton, and Charlie (Shelia) Broughton; sister-in-law, Sharri (Howard) Davis; brother-in-law, Tarrel Tyrone (Kimberly) Smalls and godmother, Delores Davis. Mrs. Brenda Smalls will be sadly missed by a host of loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends whom she dearly loved.

(4) Jeff and Amee Hager Ages 46 and 40, Sept 2021, Huntersville, NC, 8 days apart,  respectively. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10021855/Four-children-aged-six-14-orphaned-anti-vaccine-firefighter-wife-die-COVID.html 

Four children aged six to 14 have been orphaned after their firefighter father and stay-at-home mother died of Covid-19. Jeffrey Hager, who served 24 years in the Charlotte Fire Department and the Huntersville Fire Department in North Carolina, died due to complications of COVID on September 10. On September 18, his wife Amee also succumbed to the virus. “Neither Jeff nor Amee appear to have been vaccinated, and both had been outspoken in their opposition to the jab. Amee's cousin wrote on Facebook that 'Jeff was an anti vaccine person as was Amee.' Amee had also used a Facebook border that read 'I Stand For Medical Freedom' and '#StopTheMandate.' So when they were both infected last month, the virus did its worst. According to a Caring Bridge (which facilitates contributions) journal maintained by Amee's parents, Tina and Randy, both Jeffrey and Amee were admitted to a local hospital on August 28 with breathing issues. They were given oxygen and other treatment until being moved to the ICU and being put on ventilators on September 3. Meanwhile, two of three of their four children — who are aged six, seven, 13, and 14 — tested positive for COVID at home, though they all recovered…Cared for by family, the kids were left in the dark about their parents' worsening condition, being told at first only that they were hospitalized with trouble breathing. 'When we picked the kids up after school we were greeted with big smiles and the lots of excitement for their first day of school after quarantine,' Tina and Randy wrote on September 7. On September 10, just hours before Jeff's passing, Amee's parents visited him and Amee at the hospital. 'We were able to touch and hold their hands as we told them how much they are loved. We told them all about the kids and the funny things they say and do, and that they missed them and want them to get well and come home,' they said. 'We told them to be strong and to not give up because their lives were not finished. 'We shared all the love, prayers and support they were getting from family, friends, the fire departments, and the community. We told them to focus only on themselves getting well, that all of you had their backs. We cried and we prayed for their healing.' Amee's parents admitted that were struggling with how to tell the kids, and just a week later, Amee had also died. Her parents wrote that 'it is with broken hearts that we share this with you. Our precious Amee has lost the battle with this horrible Covid. She is no longer in pain or struggling to breathe. Her lungs are filled with the sweet breath of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.' 'I know that Jeff was standing at the gates of Heaven with a sly smile, waiting to give her a big hug and a kiss!' they went on. Our hearts are shattered and there are no words to explain the pain and grief we are feeling. I only pray that we can find the right words to tell Amee and Jeff’s precious children that now, both their parents are gone.' The couple also urged others who are unvaccinated to 'please go and get it.' 'You cannot be replaced! Don’t leave your families behind to deal with this kind of pain and grief!' they said. Second source: https://people.com/human-interest/mom-of-4-dies-of-covid-week-after-death-of-firefighter-husband/

(5) Daniel and Davy Macias, ages 37 and 38, Aug-Sep 2021, Yucaipa, CA, With 5 kids (newborn baby included): https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/13/us/california-family-covid-death-orphan-five-children/index.html  

Daniel and Davy Macias spent 18 months being very cautious about Covid-19. They wiped down surfaces, showered after work and even had their groceries delivered, but that didn’t stop them from contracting the virus. Davy Macias, a Southern California labor and delivery nurse, was seven months pregnant with her fifth child in early August when she was hospitalized with Covid-19. Daniel Macias also contracted the virus. Doctors helped Davy Macias, 37, deliver the newborn early by Cesarean section while she was intubated, but she died before she could meet her baby. Daniel Macias, 38, was being treated in the same hospital when he learned about the birth of his daughter. Nurses showed him photos of the baby, before he too died from complications of the virus less than two weeks later, leaving the newborn girl without parents or a name. When the hospital called asking for the baby’s name, Terry Macias, the grandmother who is now caring for the five children, told them: “I’ll wait for my son to name her.” She has yet to be named. For now, like the hospital did, the family calls her Baby Girl. Grandmother explains death to the young children: The couple was unvaccinated and died on August 26 and September 9, respectively, leaving behind children ranging in age from 3 weeks to 8 years old, Macias told CNN on Monday. “It wasn’t that they didn’t want to be vaccinated – they planned on it,” she said. She was adamant that this was a personal choice and each wanted to learn more about its safety prior to being inoculated. A former kindergarten teacher who recently retired, Terry Macias believes her son and daughter-in-law contracted the coronavirus after a recent family trip to an indoor water park as a last hurrah before returning to school. Upon learning about their death, Macias was responsible for telling her grandchildren. The 8-year-old boy and 5-year-old girl understood their parents were gone, Macias said, but she’s not sure they understand their parents are never coming home. The couple’s 3-year-old daughter woke up Thursday and told Macias she had a dream her father was coming home from the hospital, but learned later that her father had died. The toddler broke down in tears when she learned the news, reminding her grandmother of her dream. “I know baby, but sometimes, our dreams don’t come true,” Macias said…. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/09/13/davy-daniel-macias-covid-19/  Davy Macias, 37, was intubated and dying of complications from covid-19 when doctors helped her give birth to her daughter. She would never see her baby. Her husband, Daniel Macias, 39, would only get a brief glimpse of their child because he, too, was hospitalized after contracting the virus. According to Davy’s sister-in-law, Terri Serey, Daniel waited to name the baby girl because he believed he and his wife would walk out of the hospital alive to introduce the newborn to their four other children, the eldest age 7 and the youngest, 2. But about a week after the baby was born, Davy died. Two weeks later, so did Daniel. Davy and Daniel Macias, of Yucaipa, Calif., are among the 658,000 Americans to have died of covid-19 as the delta variant causes a resurgence of cases and health officials race to immunize a population divided on whether to take the shot. Davy Macias did not get vaccinated because she was pregnant, Serey said. It is unclear whether Daniel was vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged those who are pregnant to get vaccinated, as studies have found that the coronavirus vaccines do not heighten the risk of miscarriages. Rather, research shows that those who are pregnant face a higher risk of severe covid-19 symptoms, preterm births and “other adverse pregnancy outcomes” if they contract the virus, the CDC says… The Macias children, who are being cared for by Daniel’s parents, have not quite grasped what has happened to their mother and father, Serey said. After Daniel died on Sept. 9, a counselor explained to the two eldest children, 7 and 5, that both of their parents were gone, Serey said. While the oldest child — Daniel and Davy’s only son — understood the situation, his younger sister is “still looking for mommy,” Serey said. All of the children, Serey was told by the grandparents, “spend a lot of time at night looking for mom and dad.” In June, Davy and Daniel celebrated 11 years of marriage. Davy was a registered nurse at the labor and delivery ward at Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center, and Daniel was a teacher at Jehue Middle School in San Bernardino County. When asked what the couple enjoyed doing together, Serey had one answer: Their hobby was their kids. Because Davy often worked nights, she would spend time with her kids during the day, Serey said. Davy’s TikTok account is almost entirely dedicated to chronicling life with her children. One video from last year shows her with her four kids, all of them dressed in shark costumes, dancing to Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise.” In early August, the entire family came down with covid-19, Serey said. While the children recovered relatively quickly, the symptoms only worsened for Davy, who went to the hospital for treatment. Less than a week later, Daniel followed. Davy was already intubated and had stopped directly communicating with her family by the time her newest daughter was born via Caesarean section on Aug. 18, Serey said. About three days after the baby was born, Daniel was intubated. The husband and wife were only a few rooms apart at the hospital. “He had no idea that she passed away,” Serey said. As news circulated about the couple’s deaths, Serey said strangers have reached out to her and her husband — Davy’s brother, Vong — to ask whether they should take the vaccine. “They ask me questions about side effects,” Serey said. “It’s interesting, because people want somebody to give them the answer.” Her answer? “I don't know anybody that's died from the vaccine, but I do know people who have died from covid.” Serey said she does not know whether Davy had regrets about not taking the coronavirus vaccine, but she did get the impression that Davy didn’t believe she’d get seriously ill. “I don’t believe that she really thought it was going to get that bad.” Also https://www.sbsun.com/2021/09/10/yucaipa-father-of-5-dies-of-covid-19-weeks-after-his-wifes-death/  The Macias children are ages 7 and under, including a newborn delivered a week before Davy Macias’ death. “There aren’t words to explain the loss of both him and Davy,” Terri Serey, a member of the GoFundMe fundraising team, wrote on the page Friday, Sept. 10. “Keep the kids in your thoughts and prayers. They gained two angels but still have a long road ahead of them.” Daniel Macias, 38, was a 15-year educator in the Rialto Unified School District, where he was the AVID coordinator and chair of the math department at Jehue Middle School, according to district spokesperson Syeda Jafri. Daniel Macias graduated from Rialto High School, his wife from Eisenhower High. https://ktla.com/news/inland-empire-father-dies-of-covid-19-weeks-after-wife-leaving-behind-5-children/ : “It’s absolutely heartbreaking. We were really pulling for Daniel after Davy died. We wanted him to wake up and name his baby girl,” Terri said. Before being intubated, Daniel encouraged his family to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to avoid his situation, Vong said. “COVID doesn’t play by the rules. It doesn’t matter — you’re young, old — it can hit anybody at this point,” Vong said. He encouraged people not to wait to take the vaccine, noting that his family’s ordeal changed his mind about getting vaccinated. “I did change my mind. When it hits this close to home, it does, it really affects you. It opens your eyes,” Vong said. Family members started the GoFundMe account to help the couple’s children with food, clothing and other expenses. As of Friday evening, the page had raised over $160,000. “We’ll dry our tears and we will smile. And we will try to make everything as calm as possible, but there really is no way to fix this,” Terri said.

(6) Alvaro and Sylvia Fernandez, Ages 44 and 42, Both died from Covid on the same day - Dec. 19, 2021, Loma Linda, CA https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/coronavirus/southern-california-coronavirus/couple-dies-same-day-covid-vaccine-unvaccinated-loma-linda/2787838/

Family members are mourning a Southern California couple after they died on the same day due to complications from COVID-19. Alvaro, 44, and Sylvia Fernandez, 42, of Loma Linda, had been together since high school. The parents of four children died Dec. 19, just hours apart. “My brother and my sister-in-law, they were very close,” said Salvador Fernandez, Alvaro’s brother. “They were high school sweethearts. They've been together since she was 15. The two were married for 25 years. Both tested positive for COVID just days before their deaths, family members said. Alvaro Fernandez suffered from underlying heath problems, including diabetes. Both were unvaccinated, family members said. “He wanted to wait and do more research,” said Alvaro’s sister Alma Hernandez. “He Googled information. He didn’t want to believe everything that was on the news. “This is kind of an eye opener for everybody in my family that whoever is not vaccinated definitely should have their vaccinations.” San Bernardino County has reported more than 383,700 COVID cases and more than 6,000 related deaths. Coronavirus-related hospitalizations have been rising slowly in California, up about 12% in the last 7 days to 4,401. That’s less than half as many as during the late summer peak and one-fifth of a year ago, before vaccines were widely available. The sudden rapid spread of the virus is being blamed on the Omicron variant of the virus, which experts say is easily spread from person to person. Even people fully vaccinated are susceptible to Omicron infection, although health officials say they are far less likely to become severely ill, wind up hospitalized or die. 

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/chino-ca/alvaro-fernandez-silvia-arreola-10520061

https://www.newsweek.com/high-school-sweethearts-covid-die-hours-apart-california-1664533 The couple had been together since high school, married for 25 years, and are the parents of four children. "They were high school sweethearts. They've been together since she was 15," Salvador Fernandez, Alvaro's brother, told the news station. "One couldn't live without the other." According to a GoFundMe page for Alvaro and Sylvia's family, the two died just hours apart…According to the station, Alvaro suffered from health issues, including diabetes. According to the GoFundMe post, two of the couple's children are 17 years old… "This will be a loss felt for a very long time. To be left without their parents, and to have to carry the weight of being pushed into adulthood while [they're] still children themselves," the post states. Newsweek reached out to the couple's family for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication Thursday evening.  

GoFundMe ( https://www.gofundme.com/f/alvaro-sylvias-memorial-family-support ): On December 19, 2021, our family lost the beautiful souls of Alvaro and Sylvia Fernandez. Their love story began as High School sweethearts at the tender age of fifteen. Their love grew over the years as their family grew, adding amazing children to their lives (Emily, Daniel, Destinee, and Nicholas). This great love story sadly ended hours apart from each other. Alvaro and Sylvia passed away on December 19th. This was an unexpected loss for our family. We are asking anyone who looks into their hearts, and wishes to help us, to please donate what they can. Destinee and Nicholas are only 17 years old. This will be a loss felt for a very long time. To be left without their parents, and to have to carry the weight of being pushed into adulthood while their still children themselves. Thank you so much for any help that you can

(7) William and Carol Stewart , Ages 73 and 69, Dec 2021, Derry NH https://www.newsweek.com/soulmate-couple-dies-covid-19-shortly-after-being-reunited-hospital-1665857 and https://nypost.com/2022/01/06/couple-dies-of-covid-holding-hands-true-definition-of-soulmates/  

A husband and wife married four decades died “seconds” apart while holding hands.William Stewart, 73, and wife Carol, 69, had been hospitalized with severe cases of COVID-19 — unmitigated by the fact that the New Hampshire couple was unvaccinated for the disease. According to a GoFundMe page created by their nephew Tim, William and Carol passed away on Dec. 30 at a Salem hospital, after their condition took “a turn for the worse.” “It is with the heaviest of hearts to share that last night at 9:12pm Bill and Carol peacefully passed away hand in hand with their loved ones bedside,” he wrote. “They fought a long and hard battle with covid, both intubated and on life support.” Every one of their eight family members tested positive for coronavirus recently, ABC affiliate WMUR reported. After 44 years of marriage, Bill and Carol were on life support for eight days, and two weeks, respectively, during which Bill suffered from lung, kidney and renal failures, all complications of COVID-19. Bill and Carol, both Massachusetts natives, first met as children before sparking a romance as adults 45 years ago, according to their obituaries from the Douglas & Johnson Funeral Home in Salem. Daughter Melissa Noke said that on the day they died, the hospital staff wheeled the elder lovebirds into the same room so they could die together. “Placed both beds side by side, placing my mother’s hand into my father’s hand,” she told WMUR. “As soon as they touched hands, my father took his last breath, and then my mother 10 seconds later.” They are survived by many, including three daughters, Noke, Melinda Stewart and Malissa McCormick; and seven grandchildren, Evelina, Zavanna, William IV, Brady, Nevaeh, Anthony and Calleigh.

(8) Kevin and Misty Mitchem, Virginia, Ages 48 and 46, Sept-Oct 2021, https://people.com/human-interest/virginia-couple-die-of-covid-weeks-apart-leaving-behind-5-children-get-vaccinated-family-says/

A husband and wife from Virginia died weeks apart after contracting COVID-19, leaving behind five children and one grandchild. Kevin and Misty Mitchem, both in their 40s, fell ill last month, according to Fredericksburg-based newspaper The Free Lance–Star. The couple, whom the outlet reported met while in high school and were married for 17 years, leave behind their four children: Riley, 17; Leah, 14, and twins Taylor and Aiden, 11. Kevin also has a 22-year-old daughter named Angel from a previous relationship, whose son turns 2 next month. Speaking with PEOPLE, Kevin's brother Mike says that he hopes the deaths of his brother and sister-in-law will inspire others to take COVID-19 seriously and get vaccinated. "I knew how deadly COVID could be so I went to my brother and asked him to please get vaccinated," Mike tells PEOPLE. "His response to me was to show different memes and stuff that he found on Facebook. He believed all that to be gospel truth and I could not change his mind." "The heartbreaking part was," he continues, "while [Kevin] was in the hospital, he asked the medical staff to give him the shot. They had to tell him it was too late."  Mike told The Free Lance–Star that his brother first started to show symptoms last month, but was sent home from an urgent care center with cold medicine. A few days later, when his health had not improved, Kevin returned to the facility and tested positive for COVID-19. Just a few days later, Misty, who was diabetic, also began to feel unwell and was soon hospitalized, per the newspaper. On Sept. 22, Misty's family learned she had to be put on a ventilator and that her kidneys were only functioning at 50 percent, reported The Free Lance-Star. The following day, on Sept. 23, Kevin was also admitted to the hospital, according to The Free Lance–Star. Misty died hours later… Following their parents' deaths, the four younger children relocated to South Carolina to live with an aunt and uncle, Mike told the outlet. A GoFundMe has been organized to help provide for the children. As of Friday, the fundraiser has raised over $12,000.

(9)  Elio (Sr.) and Norma Jean Reyes, Ages 50 and 52, Bartow, FL, August 2021  https://www.newsweek.com/unvaccinated-couple-dies-covid-six-days-apart-1624227 

An unvaccinated couple in Florida passed away within a week of one another after battling COVID-19. "On August 20, 2021, Norma Jean [Reyes] gained her wings after her endless fight with COVID-19. Soon after on August 26, 2021, her husband Elio Reyes Sr. followed the love of his life from fighting the same battle," a fundraiser created for the couple read. The two were married for 26 years. Their daughter, Bryanna Reyes, told WFLA that she and her parents all tested positive in July before the school year began. Although Breanna had a mild case, her mom and dad—who she said were both unvaccinated and in their early 50s—had trouble breathing and eventually needed to be hospitalized. The Reyes' son told WFLA that in his final call with his mom, she was determined to make her way out of the hospital. "She just said, 'I love you and I'm very proud of everything,'" Elio Reyes Jr. said. "The whole time she kept saying, 'I'm coming home this weekend. I'm gonna fight, gonna work on my oxygen, come home back to the family being able to make sure everything goes right with your dad.' I just didn't think she meant home as in heaven.” Purcell Elementary School, where Norma worked for nearly two decades, described her as the "heart and soul of most events and functions around campus" and her husband as "her worker bee," who was "always at Purcell helping Norma with after school events." "Whatever Norma needed help with, he was right there for her and for Purcell Elementary. It was a family affair," the school wrote on Friday…State hospitals and doctors have also pointed out that upward of 90 percent of their patients have been unvaccinated… Governor Ron Desantis has signaled that he has no plans to change his coronavirus response—which has included bans on vaccination passports and mask mandates at school—despite the alarming death toll and polling that has indicated a dip in his approval ratings. And https://www.theledger.com/story/news/regional/2021/08/23/one-florida-familys-devastating-struggle-covid-19/8239867002/ Norma Reyes, 52, and her husband, Elio, 50, could hold hands after hospital workers pushed their beds together in Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center’s COVID-19 unit. It was July 22 and the family had been suffering at their Bartow home with the virus since July 11, when it struck Norma’s mother, Angie Ybarra, 70. Family members say they think Ybarra brought it home from her work at a local diner. Four days later, Norma and Elio, who have been married for 26 years, were sick… Norma was readmitted to Lakeland Regional on July 21. The next day, Elio was in the bed next to Norma’s. Both had to wear masks hooked up to oxygen to help them breathe, with nurses increasing their oxygen levels as they continued to struggle. “I need prayers now for my husband Elio. He is here with me,” Norma wrote. “We are getting tested right now.” Norma and Elio came to Polk County from Texas and met as teenagers when they both went to dances held by family and friends in the area. The couple loved to sway to Tejano music and continued to dance throughout their married life. “The love they have for each other is magical,” their daughter-in-law Janellys wrote in a series of private messages to The Ledger. Norma has spent her career working for Polk County Public Schools as an English for Speakers of Other Languages paraprofessional, helping Spanish-speaking children learn English. She started with the district at Bartow Middle School in 2002, moving to Purcell Elementary the next year. She was School-related Employee of the Year in 2012 and went on to win Florida School-Related Employee of the Year, as well. Elio is a foreman at a steel fabrication shop. Like many American-Mexican families, the Reyes are very close… Neither Norma nor Elio Reyes was vaccinated for COVID-19. “Basically, the concern with the vaccine with us (is) that, even if you got the vaccine, it could make you sick,” Janellys messaged…. She said the doctor told them to be patient, that it would take “baby steps” to see progress. And, she said, her children were being strong and taking care of their grandmother. "(They’re) just counting the days when we get to come home,” Norma wrote. “Can’t wait to be back in my kids’ arms. We need them just as much as they need us.” The next day, Norma wrote that she was tired and the “cough is trying to kick my butt. I’ve been (given) some different meds trying to kick out this COVID. Still have both oxygen mask on. But I have tried a couple of time just to use the one.” She said that while there was no improvement, she hadn’t gone backward either, “so I’m good with that.”  That day, Elio was told that he had blood clots, but doctors were giving him shots to treat them. “They say this isn’t something unusual with Covid and pneumonia,” Norma wrote. “It’s going slow but the doc said one day at a time. So, one day at a time we will give you. I want to be home with the family but we want to be healthy so we don’t have to return." On July 28, they moved Elio to the COVID Intensive Care Unit. "He’s not breathing well so they are going to intubate him as we speak. Lord hear my words. I need him, we need him. I love him so much. Please watch over my husband and bring him back to us. My heart is hurting me right now. Please watch over my kids and give them strength,” she wrote. Janellys also begged for prayers for healing. "My in-laws are currently battling COVID and are in hospital. Please pray for our little family,” Janellys wrote. “They mean to the world to me. They will get through this. They will come home You guys will beat this. I love you. Stay strong. We are all praying.” 

(10) Joseph and Evelyn Chaisson, Ages 72 and 66, Sulphur, LA, Sep 2021   https://www.kplctv.com/2021/09/09/sulphur-couple-dies-covid-19/

Losing one parent is hard enough, but losing two within hours is almost unbearable. “We may have not seen each other every day, but we talked every day, and now there’s nothing. I mean nothing whatsoever,” said daughter Nikki Jensen. Emotions ran high for Nikki Jensen of Sulphur as she sat down with me Wednesday morning over Zoom and recalled the moment she lost both her parents to COVID-19. “It’s hard not having both, you know, cause, normally you have one to, like, lean on or tell you what to do. But both of them,” Jensen said. Her parents Joe and Evelyn Chaisson, both diabetics, going into the hospital a day apart. “While we were at the hospital with mom, my dad called in. He said, Hey, that breathing machine, they got mom on, is it helping her breathe? And I was like, Yes, sir. And he goes, ``Well, I think I’m gonna have the ambulance come and pick me up,’” Jensen said. But passing away days later, just hours of each other, the culprit? COVID-19. “They put dad next to mom, and they put mom’s hand on top of dad’s, and my sister and I and her three children and my daughter were in there,” Jensen said… She leaves everyone with this final message. “Covid is real. I watched my parents fight to breathe. They were fighting to breathe even on the bypass machine, and then when they took them off the bypass made it even worse, watching them try to struggle and try to get air and to have to sit there and watch them die like that. Horrible. I mean, horrible,” Jensen said. Jensen said her mother became a hermit when Covid started and would never leave the house. She said her father would go to get groceries and to doctor appointments, and would always wear a mask. She tells us her parents were not vaccinated, but her dad had an appointment to get the vaccine. They were laid to rest on Tuesday. Joe was 72, and Evelyn was 66.

(11) Bob and Barbara Finch, Ages 75 and 70, Bangor, ME, Sep 2021  https://www.wabi.tv/2021/09/15/husband-wife-die-within-days-each-other-with-covid-19/ 

A husband and wife here in Bangor both died with COVID-19 within days of each other. Bob Finch was a teacher for 40 years at Doughty Middle School in Bangor. “I could scarcely go somewhere with my father, anywhere around town without someone saying hey Mr. Finch,” said Matt Finch, Bob’s son. He constantly ran into former students who remembered his unique way of teaching math. Barbara Finch was a hairstylist for many years before becoming an Ed Tech for Milford Schools. After their deaths, condolences came from all around the community. “We’ve gotten an enormous amount of phone calls, and text messages, letters and flowers,” said Matt Finch. Both were unvaccinated for COVID-19. Their son Matt says they were convinced not to get the shots based on bad advice from a healthcare provider. A few weeks ago Barbara began experiencing symptoms, a few days later testing positive for COVID-19. Matt says he went to check on his mom’s well-being while quarantining himself. “Her Oxygen level was 34, a normal oxygen level is 95. Upon entering the door, five minutes later I sent my mother to the hospital by ambulance. She was immediately put on a ventilator,” said Matt Finch. She stayed on that ventilator for about two weeks. Shortly after she was hospitalized, Bob’s COVID symptoms began ramping up. “He was not there cognitively, he couldn’t finish sentences. He just wasn’t there. I sent him to the hospital by ambulance. And on Friday she passed, and on Sunday my father passed,” said Matt Finch. “I would hope that someone can take the story of my parents as a lesson. These doctors were incredibly compassionate but clearly just frustrated at the sheer amount of non-vaccinated people that are getting sick,” said Matt Finch. He says the death of his parents has already prompted one person in his life to do so, by saying to him… “This wasn’t real until it hit close to home. I just wanted to let you know I got vaccinated,” said Matt Finch. More than $10,000 has been raised through a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses.

(12)  Martin and Trina Daniel, Ages 53 and 49, Savannah, GA https://abcnews.go.com/US/unvaccinated-couple-die-covid-19-hours-leaving-teens/story?id=79405346

Martin and Trina Daniel, married for over 20 years, both died of COVID-19 within hours of each other, leaving behind two teenage children facing an unimaginable loss. The Daniels met at Savannah State University in the 1990s before Martin Daniel headed to Tuskegee University in Alabama for graduate school, their nephew, Cornelius Daniel, told ABC News. The couple settled in Savannah, Georgia, where they raised two children: Miles, now 18, and Marina, 15. Trina was a stay-at-home mom who loved supporting her immediate and extended family while Martin worked as a chemist, Cornelius Daniel said.  "He loved being a chemist," he said. "One of the reasons I went to Tuskegee was because he went there." The Daniels' niece, Quintella Daniel, added that she went to Savannah State because of her uncle. "He was just a very motivational person," she said. When the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, Quintella, a nurse, headed to New York City, the first U.S. epicenter, calling it "a life-changing experience." "You may have a lot of people, 10 or 20 people, waiting for one to die to get on a ventilator," she said. "I thank God every day that about 35 tests I took there ... I never had COVID." Martin, 53, Trina, 49, and their teenagers -- all unvaccinated -- contracted COVID-19 in June, the family said. Cornelius Daniel said his aunt and uncle were hesitant to get vaccinated in part due to the legacy of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, which charted syphilis progression in unknowing Black men from the 1930s to the 1970s. Martin Daniel had "a stubborn attitude toward vaccines in general," Cornelius said. "He trusted the vaccines that had been around for awhile," like for polio, but felt the COVID-19 vaccines were developed too quickly, Cornelius said. (The quick COVID-19 vaccine development was possible because of decades of prior scientific studies demonstrating safety, as well as an unprecedented multibillion-dollar commitment by the federal government to accelerate research.) The Daniels eventually came around to the idea and were scheduled to get the vaccine in mid-July -- the week after they died, their nephew said. The Daniels' symptoms hit at the end of June and quickly "spiraled out of control" around July 4. Martin Daniel died at home on July 6 (2021) Trina was hospitalized and died that night, the family said. "We were already taken aback by his passing, but to have to endure the passing of her ... was traumatizing," Cornelius said. Miles and Marina, battling COVID-19 while their parents died, went to the hospital on July 7 for treatment. They were released hours later, Cornelius said, but had to quarantine for two weeks while dealing with the loss of both parents. After a painful month, both teens are "doing well" and "adjusting to the new normal," Cornelius said. The family dropped off Miles at college this weekend and Marina is beginning her sophomore year of high school. Miles and Marina now plan to get vaccinated, Cornelius said, adding that he hopes others who haven't yet gotten the shot will follow the teens' lead. "The only bullets we have right now in our gun are the vaccines," Cornelius said. "So I would prefer a vaccine over a ventilator every day. Too many families have already experienced the pain that we're feeling." (From the WBUR story: Melanie Daniel says people need to take the precautions available to protect themselves.“I know that everything happens for a reason. I have a strong spiritual belief,” she says, “but it does make me a stronger advocate for being vaccinated because without putting in the work, then our faith means nothing.”)

(13) Troy and Charletta Green, both 44, Detroit, MI, Sept 2021  https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/09/10/detroit-couple-7-children-die-one-day-apart-after-falling-ill-covid-19/8280671002/

The family of a Detroit couple with seven children are grieving after both parents were infected with COVID-19 and died less than a day apart. Troy and Charletta Green, married for 22 years, had plans to go to Florida with their seven children in August, Troy's sister Tiki Green said. Charletta's mother died from COVID-19 in May and the Detroit couple had planned an August vacation with their kids, ages 10 to 23, to spend time together and grieve the loss of their loved one, Tiki Green said. "Everyone took it so hard," she told The Detroit News on Friday. But days before leaving for Orlando on Aug. 13, Troy felt ill and decided to stay back in Detroit until he felt better. Charletta went ahead with the children and her sister, but when she arrived in Florida, she too fell ill, Tiki Green said. Within two days, Charletta was bedridden and taken to a hospital in the Orlando area. A GoFundMe page has been started to raise money for a double funeral and for expenses for the children to cover school clothes, school supplies, food and other needs. Their ages are 10, 13, 15, 18, 19, 21 and 23. Tiki Green said her brother and his wife were planning to get the COVID-19 vaccine but had not found the time to do so. All the couple's children who are eligible for the vaccine have it, she said. "The kids are home. They are being cared for by the older children. A far as support, the aunt and uncles are doing it," she said. "We are making sure their bills are paid and they have food. And we take shifts, giving them everything they need."

https://www.blackenterprise.com/charletta-green-her-husband-troy-hours-later-from-a-broken-heart/  Charletta was admitted to a Florida hospital two days after arriving. His wife’s condition was worse than his. They both spent their anniversary on ventilators, and Charletta died on September 6. The following morning, Troy passed away from a heart attack after hearing the tragic news. Tiki Green, Troy’s sister, told Fox 2 that lovebirds were inseparable. Troy and Charletta met as teenagers and had been married for over two decades. They had seven children ranging in ages 10 to 23. “They met when they were 14 years old, got married, been married 22 years, and had seven beautiful children,” said Tiki.

(14) Luis Suarez and Norma Franco, Ages not disclosed (approx. 70) Oct 2021, Chicago, IL  https://www.kmvt.com/2021/11/16/couple-die-covid-19-weeks-before-wedding/

CHICAGO (WLS) - A Chicago couple planned to get their COVID-19 vaccines before their wedding, but before they could do so, the two caught the virus and ended up dying one week apart. Luis Suarez and Norma Franco, who had been a couple for years, were finally going to make it official and marry just after Thanksgiving. But COVID-19 had other plans. Instead of a wedding, family members are now planning a memorial service after both died of the virus last month. “She was his soul mate, I’m gonna be honest with you. I felt the way they loved each other,” said the couple’s son, Angel Santos. Santos says his parents were not vaccinated but were planning to get the shot, so they could visit with family at their wedding. It was too late, however. Both came down with COVID-19 and both were hospitalized. Because Suarez and Franco were not married yet, once they got sick, they were separated in the hospital and unable to get information on or even communicate with each other. Both were eventually put on life support. They died one week apart. “It feels like a Romeo and Juliet story. It really does because… I feel like they were meant to be this whole time. Right when it’s supposed to happen, something tragic like this happens,” stepdaughter Imelda Gambia said.

https://people.com/human-interest/chicago-couple-planning-to-get-vaccinated-die-of-covid-weeks-before-wedding/ According to loved ones, Suarez grew up in Puerto Rico and later moved to Chicago.  

https://abc7ny.com/illinois-covid-vaccine-chicago-deaths/11242852/ A joint funeral service for Suarez and Franco has already been held. She was dressed in her white wedding gown, and he in his white suit. They wore the wedding rings they planned to exchange later this month. (Note: No obituary or funeral service was found in the author’s search. See also video in this link for more information.)

(15) Cal and Linda Dunham, Ages 59 and 66, September 28, 2021, Grand Rapids, MI https://people.com/human-interest/vaccinated-couple-with-underlying-health-issues-died-of-covid-minutes-apart-while-holding-hands/

Michigan couple Cal and Linda Dunham were together until the very end, when they lost their lives due to COVID-19. "They gained their angel wings one minute apart from each other. Cal passing at 11:07am and Linda at 11:08am," according to a GoFundMe created to help cover funeral arrangements. In an even deeper testament to their love, the couple died holding hands in their respective hospital beds, Sarah told Fox17. Cal shared his vaccination status by changing his Facebook photo on May 15, displaying an image of the couple with a Facebook graphic reading, "I Got My COVID-19 Vaccine — We Can Do This." "As this passing was unexpected, the immediate family has had less than a month to wrap their hearts and finances around this significant loss," reads a message on the GoFundMe page, which has raised over $1,000 as of Tuesday afternoon. "Together with their children, honorary children, family and friends, we hope to ease the burden that goes into the final arrangements of two of the most beautiful people," the message continued. Although it was a small comfort to know they passed away together, Sarah said she's "angry" some people still aren't taking COVID-19 seriously. "So many people are like, 'If I catch COVID, I catch COVID, that's what it is.' No, it's not," she told the outlet. "It could be any person; it could be anybody. They did everything right, they did everything to protocol the way it should be done."

 (16) Bob and Sue Walker, Ages not in stories (estimated as 70), Nov-Dec 2021, Phoenix, AZ https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/05/us/coronavirus-parents-die-within-48-hours-trnd/index.html

The couple found out they had Covid-19 just before Thanksgiving – Sue was tested in the hospital while getting treatment for what they thought was a COPD flare-up and Bob took a home test when his wife tested positive. “They were truly, truly a couple, you know. I mean, nothing could come in between them,” daughter Stephanie Walker, 40, told CNN. “And, unfortunately, Covid took them both within 46 hours of each other.” The couple found out they had Covid-19 just before Thanksgiving – Sue was tested in the hospital while getting treatment for what they thought was a COPD flare-up and Bob took a home test when his wife tested positive. They died a few days later in a Phoenix-area hospital – Sue on November 30 and Bob on December 2nd. “It just happened very quickly,” Charissa Walker, Stephanie’s twin sister, told CNN. Neither of their parents were vaccinated and they both had health issues, son Jonathan Walker, 42, said. He said his dad had kidney problems and other health issues in the past and had recently had part of his foot amputated because of complications from diabetes. Jonathan said their dad had to go on a ventilator because of his condition, but his mom seemed to be improving – she was able to move around, walk to the bathroom and even asked for some food from Taco Bell because she was hungry. She was able to talk and wave and make the I love you sign with her hand in a video the sisters took just 24 hours before she passed. The siblings set up a FaceTime call between their parents, so Sue could talk to Bob and see how he was doing. He said his mom just stared at the phone like she was in a trance when she first saw their dad. “Then she kind of woke up out of it and was like, ‘Mate, you got to get better. We got to go home for Christmas, mate,’” he said. “I truly think that at that moment my mom’s heart broke.” Her condition deteriorated and she died the next day. Charissa said she got there in time to hold her hand as she passed. “Death didn’t even do them apart,” Charissa said. “And I just hope I have a love like theirs.” The holidays were tough for the family. They had their parents cremated and received the ashes just days before Christmas. Jonathan said his mom’s present was still under the tree last week, Stephanie said she still gets the urge to call and talk to her parents, and Charissa said she’s still in shock. Stephanie said that she hopes that people will take the virus seriously. “Covid is real, and it doesn’t judge.” she said. “Losing one parent to this virus – it’s horrible – but losing two parents within a short amount of time is unbelievable.”

(17) Lawrence and Lydia Rodriguez, Ages 49 and 42, Aug 2021, Galveston, TX, https://www.galvnews.com/news/free/article_decd93e8-e9ad-5068-9280-7f0fd6df219e.html

Lawrence and Lydia Rodriguez, 42, who was hospitalized more than a month ago with COVID-19, died Monday, relatives said. Her husband, Lawrence, 49, had died Aug. 2 of complications from coronavirus infection. The La Marque couple, both unvaccinated, had been hospitalized since mid-July, Lydia Rodriguez’s cousin, Dottie Jones, said. They had appealed to anyone who would listen to get vaccinated against the virus, Jones said. “We are so thankful for the outpouring of love we have received during this time,” Jones said. “Please vaccinate. It is our desire that no other family have to endure this preventable scenario.” The Rodriguezes and their four children had been careful, not going out much and masking, Jones said. Before she had been intubated, Lydia Rodriguez had asked a relative to tell her children to get vaccinated, Jones said. The Rodriguez children, 18-year-old twins, a 16-year-old and an 11-year-old, also tested positive for COVID-19 but had either no or mild symptoms, she said. Also see: https://people.com/human-interest/texas-couple-who-declined-covid-vaccine-die-leaving-behind-four-children/  In July (2021), Lawrence and Lydia Rodriquez were admitted into a University of Texas Medical Branch hospital, where they were both diagnosed with COVID-19, Lydia's cousin, Dottie Jones, detailed on the donation page. Lydia (age 42) was immediately placed on a ventilator while awrence (age 49) was placed on oxygen, Jones explained. But Lawrence's condition quickly worsened, and soon he joined his wife on a ventilator in the ICU.” "Our hearts are broken," Jones said of Lydia's death on GoFundMe. The couple shared four children, per the campaign and Galveston County's Daily News: 18-year-old twins Nathan and Ethan; son Adam, 16; and daughter Synphonia, 11. Jones told ABC news station KTRK that Lydia's final wish before being intubated was to get her children vaccinated against the virus. "Before she got intubated, one of the last things she told her sister was 'Please make sure my children get vaccinated,'" she said. "She would be there for her kids right now if she had been vaccinated." Lydia and Lawrence did not get vaccinated because they distrusted vaccines due to misinformation, Jones said. [Also see this story published prior to Lydia’s death https://abc13.com/husband-and-wife-covid-vaccine-hesitancy-parents-with-texas-faces-of/10921909/ ] "It just breaks my heart that people are believing the misinformation that's out there. The misinformation is killing people, and we need to get the truth out there," said Jones. Jones is pleading with people who are hesitant about the vaccine to talk to their doctor and get information about it from a trusted source. "This is really happening in our family, and it is the true story of what can happen. I am not trying to scare people. I just want people to understand this virus is real, and this delta variant is more brutal that anything we've seen," explained Jones. As Lydia remains in the ICU on a ventilator, Jones and other family members are helping with the Rodriguez's four children. A GoFundMe has been set up to help with medical costs and bills. "Our hearts are just broken," said Jones. "We hurt for the kids. We hurt for them, and we just want them better and home."

(18) Tom and Josie Burko, Ages 39 and 38, Aug-Sep 2021, Moses Lake, WA https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/covid-19-kills-moses-lake-couple-orphans-their-8-year-old-after-visit-to-the-fair/

Josie Burko, 39, died Aug. 28 (2021) at their Moses Lake home. Tom Burko, 38, was rushed to a local hospital and struggled for 11 days before succumbing Sept. 8. Suddenly without her parents, Lillie flew out of Portland International Airport on Tuesday night to start a new life with her aunt and uncle in the San Diego area. “It happened so suddenly,” said Jennifer Desantis, a Forest Grove resident and lifelong friend of both parents who has organized a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Lillie (https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-the-daughter-of-josie-and-tom-burko?qid=78d0446e43a1b94c909bdbc894fe0288 ). “None of us knew. We didn’t know they’d gone to the fair. I’d talked to Josie a couple days before that. For 30 years we’ve been each other’s sidekicks.” Josie Burko’s sister, Lynn Schuler, said she’s still shocked the family decided to go to the fair. They’d been having conversations for the entire pandemic about staying safe and healthy. Schuler had only pieced together the story after talking with the Burkos’ housemate and Lillie and managing to unlock Josie Burko’s phone. The tractor pull. Livestock shows. Dog showmanship. Cloggers. Music. Tragedy followed. The Burkos and Lillie, all unvaccinated, at some point contracted COVID-19. Lillie quarantined for two weeks with a cough and recovered. Her grandmother, who was vaccinated, contracted a breakthrough infection and also recovered…The Burkos didn’t object to the COVID vaccine, per se. “They were 100% pro-vaccination,” Desantis said. But Josie Burko suffered from severe diabetes, a heart murmur and chronic bronchitis and worried her body would react badly. She’d decided to wait until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted full approval of the vaccines and her health recovered. Her husband suffered from muscular atrophy and was concerned about getting the shots, as well…On Sept. 8, doctors intubated him and started him on a ventilator. Tom Burko died that night… There was no will. No life insurance. Hence the GoFundMe campaign, for counseling, for school, for a college fund, for whatever Lillie will need. “The funds would be used for her college education,” Schuler said, choking back tears. 

(19) Edwin and Linda McCullers, Ages 66 and 58, Sept. 2021, Bainbridge GA https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/south-georgia-couple-who-were-business-owners-die-covid-19-same-day/LU5EUBOJWZGPXLEEG47TDHA4HA/  

A Georgia couple who were well-known business owners in their small community died on the same day of COVID-19. Edwin and Linda McCullers both died at Memorial Hospital in Bainbridge on Aug. 28. Edwin McCullers was the owner of Flint River Outfitters, which sells hunting, fishing and other outdoor equipment. The business was closed until further notice after his death. Linda McCullers owned a hair salon. Family members said they died of COVD-19. They were both of the Methodist faith. The family encouraged everyone to wear masks in their joint obituary. Their funeral service will be private. Bainbridge is a close-knit community that is home to around 13,000 people.

(20) James and Carol Sue Surratt, Ages 67 and 64, August 2021, Cartersville, GA  , https://www.wbir.com/article/life/heartwarming/valley-forge-inn-honors-the-lives-of-customers-who-lost-their-lives-to-covid/51-63ece06f-2583-47b0-ad55-0983989a8c36 and https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/cartersville-ga/carol-surratt-10326946

Twice a year, cars and people pack the streets of Pigeon Forge for the Rod Run. "My dad loved to take his car there," Brooke Surratt Wilson said. James and Carol Sue Surratt were Rod Run regulars for the last 20 years. "My daddy James and Carol Sue were diagnosed with COVID back in August, my stepmom received it first," Wilson said. Her stepmom went to the doctor for her symptoms. However, James started showing symptoms three days later. Both James and Carol were in the hospital with severe symptoms for a few days. Then, within 30 minutes of each other, they were transferred to the ICU. The couple both had COVID-induced Pneumonia and they both ended up on life support. On August 23, Carol Sue Surratt passed away first. 48 hours later, to the minute, James Surratt followed her. "I know where they are, where they'll be, and where they'll meet me at one day," Wilson said, "My family and I know that we'll see them again soon." Cansler agreed that the couple is in a better place. "They all believed in the Lord. They believed the Lord would heal them. And He did. He took them on home," Cansler said. The Surratt's had a lot of memories from the Inn. They had fellowship with other Christ-followers that also religiously returned to Rod Run. "My daddy actually even baptized somebody in the swimming pool, there at Valley Forge one time," Wilson said. James and Carol Sue were both active members of Oak Hill Baptist Church in Rydal, GA where they held important roles.

(21) Leroy and Lisa Johnson, Ages 52 and 54, Atlanta, GA, Sept. 2021  https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/georgia-couple-dies-just-days-apart-after-being-diagnosed-with-covid-19

"That man loved that woman and that woman loved that man," said Leodis Johnson, Leroy's younger brother. Johnson said his brother and his wife, Lisa, were made for each other. The couple had been married for 15 years and Johnson said their love was evident, even in the face of illness. "I believe that was the thing that pushed Lisa over when he passed away," Johnson said. Johnson said Lisa was in the hospital due to complications from COVID-19. During that time, Leroy was found unresponsive at home and ultimately passed away last Monday. Lisa followed just three days later. The couple's two children, one who is 15 and another who is an adult, are now without parents. It's a pain Johnson knows far too well. "Myself and Leroy, we have experienced this before because I lost my parents also at a very, very young age," Johnson said. Johnson said his brother and Lisa moved from the Midwest and made Georgia their home. He said they were kind and never hesitated to help those in need. The generosity could be seen in Lisa's dedication to serving the community. She spent decades with the Clayton County Sheriff's Office and most recently was a detention officer with the Fayette County Sheriff's Office… The Fayette County Sheriff's posted a statement on social media: "It is with a heavy heart that we inform our community that we have lost part of our family with the  Fayette County Sheriff’s Office. Detention Officer Lisa Anne Johnson passed away on Thursday, September 16, 2021. Lisa began service in our Jail Division December 16, 2019. Lisa was previously employed with the Clayton  County Sheriff’s Office. She was a veteran with a sweet spirit that was full of knowledge, experience and an example to our younger officers. Early in 2020, she made me a custom face mask that was so impressive, I asked if she would make all our employees a mask. She jumped at the chance, always giving in service to her agency and community. If you'd like to help the family you can donate money to the Legacy Funeral Home in Jonesboro, and specifying it is for Leroy and Lisa Johnson. There is a GoFundMe set up by other family members to help raise money for the funeral. 

(22) Roger and Peggy Higgins, Ages 72 and 70, Gadsden, AL, Aug-Sep 2021  https://www.wbrc.com/video/2021/09/23/gadsden-couple-dies-covid-within-weeks-each-other/ and https://www.al.com/news/2021/09/alabama-couple-killed-by-covid-shared-hospital-room-texted-when-they-couldnt-speak-their-legacy-is-living-on.html

For the five days they shared a hospital room in Gadsden fighting COVID-19, Roger and Peggy Higgins communicated with each other by text message, unable to speak. And though the couple died three weeks apart, their daughter Jana Tarleton feels their story will go on, in the lives of those who knew them and the children they cared for in the nursery at Gadsden’s First Baptist Church. This thought occurred to her as she scrolled through tribute after tribute by friends, students, and others on social media. “There were people all over the country praying for them,” she said. “It just shows you how loved they really were.” A service will be held for both of them Friday at the church. “Their legacy is living on in the life of our church,” said Mat Alexander, their pastor. “They’ve inspired people to step up and serve.” Peggy tested positive for COVID on Aug. 5 and entered the hospital on Aug. 11. About a week later, struggling to breathe, Roger attempted to drive himself to the hospital in the early morning before Jana stopped him and took the wheel. “He knew he needed to go, but he didn’t want to wake me up,” she said. After Peggy died, Jana received a text message from Steve Gilliland, a critical care nurse. When Gilliland finished his shift one Thursday, he asked Peggy what he could bring her when he came back on his Monday shift. She asked for grits. By the time Gilliland returned on Monday with her request, she had died. He was “absolutely devastated.” Eric said he’s been particularly struck by the emotional toll the pandemic has taken on nurses tasked with comforting both family members and those suffering from the virus. And he’s tired of the endless arguments he’s seen over the vaccine. Jana said her parents left a mark on their community, from neighbors whose yards Roger cut as a favor, to former students who passed through Peggy’s class. “They were real,” she said. “You knew they loved God by their actions.”

(23) Pavel and Olga Kuzmenko, Ages 55 and 41, Dec 2021 – Jan 2022, Missouri https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2022/01/former-troutdale-couple-dies-after-contracting-covid-leaving-behind-4-children.html

An extended family with deep roots in the Portland area has been torn asunder after both parents died while fighting COVID-19. Pavel and Olga died days apart at a Missouri hospital — leaving behind four kids who they had raised in Troutdale before the family’s cross-country move last year. “Lots of people were crying when they were leaving this summer,” said Pavel Sklyaruk, Olga Kuzmenko’s brother. “We were living in Portland for almost 21 years.” Sklyaruk is now raising funds for the Kuzmenkos’ four children — aged 10, 15, 16 and 17 — who now live with other extended family members. More than 1,000 donors have raised over $175,000 for the children, whose parents’ affairs were unsettled. Compounding the tragedy, Pavel Sklyaruk and Olga Kuzmenko’s father, 80-year-old Andrey Sklyaruk, died Dec. 17 of COVID-19. “It’s my third funeral in three weeks,” said Pavel Sklyaruk. “I know he was older. It was still really hard for me to let him go.” The patriarch’s death set off a terrible sequence for the family. Pavel Kuzmenko’s health deteriorated, with COVID-19 and pneumonia ravaging his lungs. He was also placed on dialysis for acute kidney failure, his family said. He died Dec. 27 at age 55. And while 41-year-old Olga Kuzmenko appeared to be beating back the coronavirus, a fungal infection appeared and she began bleeding from the brain, her family said. She stopped breathing on her own Monday, was declared brain dead Wednesday and was taken off life support Thursday. Pavel Sklyaruk said he didn’t know whether the Kuzmenkos were vaccinated. While the Kuzmenkos were admitted to the hospital because of COVID-19, Pavel Sklyaruk doesn’t think his sister and brother-and-law succumbed to the coronavirus. He instead blames doctors and said the couple faced discrimination because of their Ukrainian heritage.

(24) James and Lynn Delarue, Both age 68, Dec. 2021, Milwaukee, WI, https://www.ibtimes.com/i-thought-it-was-heart-attack-milwaukee-mans-entire-family-dies-covid-month-3374801

A Milwaukee man has opened up about how COVID-19 wiped off his entire immediate family within weeks, leaving him a "sole survivor." All of them were unvaccinated. John Delarue told WTMJ-TV (https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/im-the-sole-survivor-milwaukee-man-lost-his-mom-dad-and-sister-to-covid-19-before-new-years ) his family consisting of his parents and sister, who was legally blind, were getting ready to celebrate Christmas when COVID struck. John lived on the ground floor of a duplex owned by his parents James and Susan Delarue. His sister Lynn Delarue (age 44) lived with their parents, who were also their primary caregivers. His mother was the first one to fall ill on Dec. 11. John was home when he heard a thud. He rushed to find out what made the noise when he saw that his mother had collapsed. "I thought she was having a heart attack, so I called 911," John told the news outlet. To his shock, he found out that his mother had COVID. She was immediately put in the COVID ICU. "I talked to my mom. It was the day before they intubated her, and she told me that her nurse and doctors recommended that if my dad and sister were feeling sick that they should get to the hospital right away," he added. Both his father and sister too tested positive for the virus and he found his sister dead in her bed on Dec. 16. He hid his sister's death from his mother, not wanting to upset her while in ICU. "We kind of both agreed that it would be best that we did not tell her until she got better. We had hopes that everyone was going to get better," said John. However, Susan died following an organ failure on Dec. 21, five days after her daughter. James too followed his wife and died on Dec. 31, after spending two weeks intubated in hospital. "He started getting fevers off and on. His organs started failing as well. His doctor was just like, you know, (the) best thing to do in this case is start end of life care, also with him. She’s like, ‘Do you agree?’ and I just lost it at that point, like, ‘I’m losing my dad too?’ You know we really were hoping, he was going to come home," John told WTMJ-TV. John now wants people to take COVID seriously and is getting vaccinated this week. 

(25) Harold and Josefina Conover, Ages 84 and 85, August 2021, Tulsa, OK https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/green-country-elderly-couple-dies-of-covid-19-minutes-apart

Josefina was placed into the Intensive Care Unit at Saint Francis, then Harold was admitted a few days later. The medical staff would suit up and go into one of the parents' rooms with a phone so the family could talk to them. After a few days, the Conovers made a difficult decision. The family requested compassionate care withdrawal for the couple. The nurses at Saint Francis put Harold and Josefina in the same room so they could spend their last few days side-by-side. Family members told 2 News, "From the beginning, the middle and the end. I don’t think either one of them could have gone through life without the other. I really don’t. I think the way the end happened, is exactly how they wanted it". Harold and Josefina passed away at Saint Francis within forty-three minutes of each other.  "I think Harold was standing at the gates saying 'Come on Ina, give it up, it's been forty-three minutes, it's time to come home,'" Michelle Conover said. Still holding hands after all those decades filled with love for each other, till their last breath. The Conover family said they found peace in knowing neither had to live a day without the other. (The end of the video in the link states both were vaccinated against Covid-19.) From video, “When the ER doctor came and said, ‘Are we intubating or not?’ ‘Right off the bat’ ‘I mean that was literally the first words out of her mouth. And we’re like, what? And she’s like – she has Covid.’

 (26) Thomas and Diane Fortenberry, Ages 69 and 68, Jan 2022, Clayton, NC https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/couple-of-52-years-dies-of-covid-minutes-apart/20132439/

A Clayton couple who were married 52 years left this life the same way they lived it – together. On its blog, written from an unnamed nurse's perspective, WakeMed told the story of Thomas and Diane Fortenberry, who passed away January 13th at WakeMed Cary hospital. Thomas and Diane, 69 and 68, contracted COVID-19 over the Christmas holidays. When it became clear that neither would be able to recover from the virus, WakeMed said, the couple's two daughters made "the most difficult decision of their lives" to withdraw life support. But first, WakeMed Cary doctors, nurses, and staff teamed up to help move Diane into her husband's room in the ICU so they could hold each other's hand at the end. "Spiritual Care was able to support the family and give them memory stones with their parent’s fingerprints on them," WakeMed said. "The once sterile space of a hospital room became a calm space for a family to spend their last moments together." After their family shared some time with them, the couple were extubated together. She passed away four minutes before he did. "With their daughters standing beside them, husband and wife were side by side, holding hands, their heads facing one another and, I swear Mr. Fortenberry had a smile on his face," the blogpost said. "Our staff watched from inside and outside of the room while they drifted to the next life together. Calm, peaceful and pain free." "It was the most beautiful and heartbreaking experience I have had in my 20 years of nursing," the unnamed charge nurse said. "We did a great thing, and I am so proud of the team that I work with at Cary Hospital." "Tommy and Diane had such an amazing love for each other," the family said in the couple's obituary. "We don’t believe their leaving their earthly home only 4 minutes apart was a coincidence." [And from https://wakemedvoices.com/2022/02/a-story-of-life-love-from-a-nurses-point-of-view/ : The Ultimate Decision- Mr. and Mrs. Fortenberry were high school sweethearts, married at 16 and 17 years old. They had just celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary. According to their daughter, they were always together and loved spending time with each other. We decided that we would move them into the same ICU room and withdraw at the same time while they held hands surrounded by both of their loving daughters. This involved a whole team to coordinate logistics. We worked with clinical administrators, supervisor/educators, our nursing director, respiratory therapists, palliative care and spiritual care to formulate a plan for 7 pm that evening. One of their daughters was at the bedside. The other was on her way from out of town. We were worried Mr. Fortenberry would not make it until 7 pm. He was tachycardic, dyssynchronous on the ventilator and requiring multiple drip titrations to keep him stable. His care nurse did not crack under this pressure. He was steady, calm and did what needed to be done to care for his patient.]

(27) David and Sondra Zorn, Ages 89 and 83, Jan 2022, Lombard, IL, https://abc7chicago.com/covid-illinois-lombard-good-samaritan-hospital/11514082/

A suburban couple of 64 years recently died from COVID-19 complications. David and Sondra Zorn of Lombard were treated for COVID at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, and died earlier this month, after being put in the same room. Their daughter said it brings her comfort to know her parents spent their last days together -- even holding hands in their final moments. "They knew they were together; my mom couldn't talk, but they knew they were together, and it just calmed my dad down because he was very upset at that time," Deanna Wilkins said. "It was really special because it was their first day together for their marriage and their last day on earth together." Wilkins said the hospital went above and beyond to make that special moment happen.

 (28) Anthony and Susan Tanski, Ages 76 and 73, Hackensack, NJ, Feb 2022   https://www.app.com/story/news/health/2022/02/28/hazlet-couple-die-covid-same-day-hospital-visitation-rules/6891596001/

Word reached Suzanne O’Dwyer in the wee hours Feb. 9. Her mother, 73-year-old Susan Tanski, had died at Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel due to complications from COVID. A few hours later, another gut-wrenching phone call came in, this one from Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. “Your father’s blood pressure is very low; we don’t think he’s going to make it through the night,” O’Dwyer was told. At 5:03 p.m., with O’Dwyer and four siblings at his bedside, Anthony “Tom” Tanski passed away due to complications from COVID. This Hazlet couple was married for 55 years. For their close-knit family, it was a heartbreaking loss with just a touch of consolation. “It was hell, but we found peace,” said O’Dwyer, who lives in Keyport. “I could hear my mom saying, ‘Come on, Tom, I’m waiting for you. I can’t go in the gate without you.'”… Sue and Tom met at a VFW dance in Keyport in 1962. They married four years later. Sue worked as a nurse on the postpartum floor at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, receiving an Excellence in Nursing Award before retiring in 2010. Tom worked in construction. In late December they fell ill. Tom tested positive for COVID, and daughter Lori DiGioia took him to Jersey Shore University Medical Center to receive antibody treatment at the suggestion of the family physician. With no visitors allowed, DiGioia had to drop him off and wait for word. As DiGioia and her siblings would learn, word was hard to come by. Tom listed his point of contact as Sue, who rapidly became too ill to answer the phone. On Jan. 6 Sue was taken by ambulance to Bayshore Medical Center. Her point of contact? Her husband Tom, who would be placed on a ventilator Jan. 9. “It was such a hassle to get updates,” O’Dwyer said. “We would call (the hospital) and they would say they couldn’t tell us anything (because of privacy laws). We would tell the same story to the same people every day: My mom is not getting your updates because she’s in Bayshore, in the ICU, and she’s ventilated. Take some notes.” Eventually the point got across. Even then, visitation rules prevented them from seeing their parents in person until they were on ventilators. “I kept calling every day saying, ‘We need to see our parents,’” O’Dwyer said. “When I finally went in there, it broke my heart to see them because I knew there was no way they were coming home.” It was a difficult message to deliver. “The first time I went in there I told my sisters and brother, 'I’m not turning the camera on daddy until you brace yourself, because it’s worse than you think,'" O'Dwyer said. "I flipped it on and right away they all started crying.” In a statement to the Asbury Park Press, Hackensack Meridian Health explained: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family in this time of such devastating loss. We understand how difficult it is for families to be separated during any hospitalization…“Regarding the issue of updates, unfortunately, it was complicated by the hospitalization of both parents who are also each other's contact. The issue was resolved, but we regret any frustration this caused the family during a stressful time.”

(29) Ray and Barbara Coble , ages 90 and 86, Jan 2022, Greensboro, NC https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/life/greensboro-couple-dies-within-hours-of-each-other-after-battling-covid-19/83-702dd639-43a8-4fa8-acd3-25bf41b49015

Ray Coble Sr., the brother of the late congressman Howard Coble, died Sunday night from COVID-19. The virus took his wife of nearly 70 years, Barbara, just hours later. The children of Ray and Barbara Coble explain how strong the couple's love was throughout their marriage spanning nearly seven decades. “They said until death does us part, and they truly meant it. It's kind of rare these days,” said Ray and Barbara's son, Bryan Coble. “It was almost like a notebook ending.” Ray Coble was the brother of the late congressman Howard Coble. WFMY was able to sit down with Ray almost seven years ago, where his dedication to his brother was apparent, just like his dedication to his wife their entire lives, even after she developed dementia. Now, the couple leaves behind a legacy for their daughter, three sons, ten grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. "Through thick and thin, mom and dad would always tell you that life wasn’t always easy, but they stuck together and the support that they had for each other,” said the couple's daughter, Amanda Ratliff. Both Ray and Barbara died overnight within hours of each other at Wesley Long hospital from complications with COVID-19.

(30) Billy and Shannon Berardis, both age 50, Aug 2021, Statesboro, GA  https://www.sorryantivaxxer.com/post/billy-and-shannon-berardis-50-statesboro-ga-business-owners-anti-vaxx-died-from-covid 

According to this obituary and https://www.gofundme.com/f/shannon-billy-berardis-memorial-fund-for-elijah this GoFundMe both Billy and Shannon have passed away from COVID. They leave behind a 5 year old son. https://www.gofundme.com/f/shannon-billy-berardis-memorial-fund-for-elijah Cassandra Godwin is organizing this fundraiser. There are no words to express our grief and shock as we share that both Shannon Percy Berardis and Billy Berardis have both passed suddenly and shockingly from covid within a couple weeks of each other. They leave behind their everything, their beautiful perfect five year old son, Elijah. We are setting up this scholarship fund in hopes to help secure Elijah’s future and immediate needs as he has endured more heartbreak than any child should ever have. Your contributions would be deeply appreciated.

 https://www.joineranderson.com/obituaries/Shannon-Berardis/#!/Obituary  Shannon Ann Percy Berardis  11/23/70-08/22/2021: Shannon passed unexpectedly at the age of 50 in Statesboro GA. She was born in Red Bank New Jersey and graduated from Keyport High School in 1989. She loved to explore and go on new adventures especially to beaches and collecting sand dollars. Her favorite color was pink. She loved her kids and grandkids as if that was her purpose on earth. Shannon was kind, a giver, loud, strong willed, passionate, the life of the party and that party was always big! She loved without bounds, and you could go to her for anything and she was there for you wholeheartedly. She will be missed on this side of Earth but we will see her again in Heaven. She is now resting peacefully with God. Without a doubt, watching over all her family and friends making sure we know she is not too far away. You are our sunshine. We love you.
Shannon was a daughter, mother, sister, and Nana. She is survived by her husband, William Berardis, children; Cassandra Godwin (husband Scott), Natalee Pizarro (husband Juan), and Elijah Berardis, her father, Jim Percy (wife Marie), her mother Michele Svizeny (husband Michael), 3 grandchildren; Chloe, SJ and Blake, and siblings; James Clapham (wife Tiffani), James Percy, and Elizabeth Percy. The viewing will be on Friday August 27, 2021 from 2-5pm. Please join us at Joiner Anderson Funeral Home at 502 Miller St Ext, Statesboro GA 30458.”

(31)  Clint and Carla Smith, Both age 63, August 2021, Newnan, GA  https://times-herald.com/news/2021/08/local-couple-succumbs-to-covid-19-within-two-days-of-each-other 

The family believes their deaths were preventable, according to their only child, Elana Brown. “I would particularly like to encourage everyone to get vaccinated so that your sons and daughters never have to feel that kind of pain,” Brown said. A memorial service will be held at Grace Covenant Worship Center in Hogansville.  https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/smith-couple-georiga-covid-19-deaths/85-aac32c29-0cc6-4b7d-9168-733c2774165e Carla Smith was at Piedmont Newnan Hospital while Clint received treatment at Wellstar in LaGrange. Their daughter is pleading for others to get vaccinated. A Georgia woman lost both of her parents from COVID-19 just days apart. Elana said what hurts the most is knowing they could still be with her today. While Clint and Carla Smith both died from the virus, Elana said the false information and conspiracies are as much to blame. "My entire family is vaccinated except for my parents," she said. Elana hopes their story encourages others to get the vaccine. "I begged both of my parents to get vaccinated and they wouldn’t and now I am basically an orphan," she said. "I lost both of my parents within two days of each other and they suffered a lot." Carla was at Piedmont Newnan Hospital while Clint received treatment at Wellstar in LaGrange. Elana and her grandmother, over a video call, had to make the final decision that the ventilator would stop. She described that moment as "awful." "It was terrible and then I had to do it two days later with my dad," she said. The family held one funeral for the husband and wife - a service Elana said could have probably been prevented.  The couple was against getting vaccinated. "If they had been vaccinated, I truly believe they wouldn’t have died," she said. "They said that there were tiny microchips in the vaccine and by inserting in body thought government was tracking you," she explained. "False information that they got from Facebook and propaganda that has been spewing out." She said she's sad her parents believed the misinformation. She would much rather for them to still be alive. "I am angry that everything that they read that they took to heart, I am angry for every person out there that has, you know, 'drunk the Kool-aid,' as they say." She is pleading for others to learn from this lesson. "Please listen to me, please," she begged. "I know you don’t know me, but please listen to me. Please go get vaccinated. Please care about yourself and care about your loved ones enough to do this for yourself and for them. Please."

*** Analysis ***

In the scatter plot above, each symbol represents the age of an individual described in the foregoing 62 accounts as a function of time. There is a clear shift toward stories about the deaths of younger couples, especially in the summer and early autumn of 2021 when the Covid vaccine mandates were brought forth. Contemplate what might explain this trend.

There are three specific couples named in the scatter plot, and the stories about each of them is the subject of a deeper analysis.

First, consider similarites in the information available about the couples Daniel and Davy Macias of Yucaipa, CA and Alvaro and Sylvia Fernandez of Loma Linda, CA as identified with arrows.

1. The Macias and Fernandez couples lived in close geographic proximity, with the two cities in Southern California (Yuciapa and Loma Linda) being less than 15 miles apart.

2. Both were said to have large families. The Washington Post and CNN state that Daniel and Davy Macias left behind 5 young children of ages 8, 5, 3, 2, and a newborn baby.  The GoFundMe site and two individuals (Salvador Fernandez and Alma Hernandez) interviewed by Tony Shin of the local NBC affiliate (Los Angeles, Channel 4) stated that Alvaro and Sylvia Fernandez left behind 4 older children named Emily, Daniel, and 17-year old twins Destinee and Nicholas.

3. As the scatter plot indicates, the two couples were among the youngest found in the search. The Macias ages were only 37 and 38 while the Fernandez ages were 44 and 42 when they died.

Now consider differences, especially relating to the level of detail reported in the new stories surrounding their deaths.

1. “Daniel Macias graduated from Rialto High School, his wife from Eisenhower High.” The report for the Fernandez couple states, “They were high school sweethearts. They've been together since she was 15," Salvador Fernandez, Alvaro's brother, told the news station. However, the specific high school where “Alvaro and Sylvia Fernandez became sweethearts” is not stated in the story.

2. The place of employment for both Daniel and Davy Macias are reported in careful detail. According to the Washington Post: “Davy was a registered nurse at the labor and delivery ward at Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center, and Daniel was a teacher at Jehue Middle School in San Bernardino County.” By contrast, no employment information was given about Alvaro and Sylvia Fernandez.

3. According to the CNN report, Daniel Macias’s mother, Terry Macias, told CNN “the (Macias) couple was unvaccinated and died on August 26 and September 9 (of 2021), respectively…” In other words, Davy and Daniel Macias died 14 days apart. By contrast, in the NBC affiliate interview by Tony Shin, the Fernandez couple is said to have died the exact same day – December 19, 2021.

4. Consider the vast differences in the details available online about the online profile of each couple, as well as the acquaitances who express condolences. According to the Washington Post, Davy Macias had an easy-to-find online profile: “Davy’s TikTok account is almost entirely dedicated to chronicling life with her children. One video from last year shows her with her four kids, all of them dressed in shark costumes, dancing to Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise.” Daniel Macias also had an online profile which included a local story about his  https://iecn.com/rialto-school-district-loses-beloved-educator-alumnus-to-covid-19/ provides more information about the source for the CNN story: “Daniel’s mother Terry Macias, who recently retired as a teacher at Morris Elementary School in the RUSD, has been caring for the five children ages 8, 5, 3, 2, and 5 weeks.” Additionally, comments were made by several of Daniel Macias’s colleagues, such as, “Daniel was the kind of guy who was everyone’s friend,” Michaeline Kellmer, Jehue Middle School AVID English teacher and family friend, reflected. “Truly, he was liked and loved by all, staff and students alike. If there was any fault to be said of him, it was that he was too nice! And Davy was much the same. They were an incredible duo. We definitely feel the void without Daniel here. He was a one-of-a-kind type of person. Davy too.” Other remarks by Jehue Middle School Principal Carolyn Eide and fellow teacher Troy Holland are included in the story. Furthermore, other specific individuals were named in the story: “AVID tutors Jennifer Orozco, Atianna Williams, Damaris Orellana, Jennifer Meneses, Sierra Jaramillo, Larena  Renova, Mariah Pina, Gina Viorato, Tiana Catchings and Stephanie Orozco released a public statement: “Daniel loved his wife and kids with all his heart. He would always be ready to show us pictures of the kids from their latest adventures, Spirit Day at school, or the latest idea his wife had for him to build….” The story of the death Davy Macias was described in: https://ktla.com/news/socal-nurse-dies-of-covid-19-after-giving-birth-never-met-newborn-daughter-family/ “In a statement, Julie Miller-Phipps, president of the Southern California region for Kaiser Permanente, expressed sympathy for the family and encouraged everyone to get the vaccine and take other COVID-19-related precautions. “Kaiser Permanente is deeply saddened by the passing of our colleague and friend,” Miller-Phipps said. “Losing any patient is difficult, but losing one of our extended family is particularly hard. Our heart goes out to the Macias family as they are suffering this tragic loss.” Thus, Julie Miller-Phipps confirm the work history of Davy Macias.

By contrast, there was nothing readily found online to corroborate the work history of either Alvaro or Sylvia Fernandez. Although they are said to be “high school sweethearts” by Alvaro’s brother (Salvador Fernandez), ther eis no mention made of the high school they attended. There is also no simple means to corroborate that either individual interviewed by Tony Shin are actually siblings of Alvaro Fernandez. Moreover, in the interview, both Salvador Fernandez and Alma Hernandez are wearing masks (outdoors), which may obscure their identity.

Furthermore, no details were provided in the video interview regarding any school or church support for either the adult children of the Fernandez couple nor for the 17-year-old twins: Destinee and Nicholas. Teachers often remember and discuss a twin (or both twins) in class simply because it is out of the ordinary. Even school administrators will generally recall having twins in the school. Yet no mention was made of the high school that Destinee and Nicholas Fernandez attended.

Likewise, no details were provided regarding the hospital where Alvaro and Sylvia Fernandez died or about what type of care or treatments they received.

Rather, much of the interview focused on the vaccination status of Alvaro and Sylvia Fernandez. The following is transcribed from the video in the link (repeated here https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/coronavirus/southern-california-coronavirus/couple-dies-same-day-covid-vaccine-unvaccinated-loma-linda/2787838/ ).

Interviewer (Tony Shin, NBC affiliate): “Family members say just days before their deaths, Alvaro and Sylvia tested positive for Covid-19 after possibly contracting the virus from their 17-year-old twins. Family member also say Alvaro (Fernandez) suffered from underlying health conditions, including diabetes – but he wasn’t vaccinated…. ”

Tony Shin cont.: “Alvaro’s sister Alma says Sylvia wasn’t vaccinated either – but she was planning to get her first shot.” 

Tony Shin asked Alma Hernandez: “Doesn’t it just break your heart to think that Sylvia was on the verge of getting vaccinated?”

Alma Hernandez replied: “Yes - because Sylvia was an awesome mom. So it does break our heart that, you know, they both are gone…This is real. It is leaving a lot of people without loved ones. It is terrible, especially around the holidays.”

Tony Shin (NBC): “Both Alma and Sal say they are fully vaccinated. And they are hoping no other family will experience their devastating loss, especially because doctors say, ‘Covid-19 vaccinations are saving many lives.’”

Alma Hernandez:  “This is kind of an eye-opener to everyone in our families that whoever is not vaccinated should have their vaccinations, you know.”

Salvador Fernandez: “Because it is not about you. It is about protecting everyone around you.”

***

One especially curious detail is that the memorial web site (https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/chino-ca/alvaro-fernandez-silvia-arreola-10520061 ) for the Fernandez couple shows “Sylvia Fernandez” as “Silvia Arreola.”

The NBC Los Angeles affiliate story unambiguously states her name as “Sylvia Fernandez” using the exact same picture with a caption describing it as a “high school prom photo.” The website lists the following location for the funeral: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/funeral-homes/chino-ca/funeraria-del-angel-chino/4782 with a location of 13002 South Central Ave, Chino, California 91710.

*** Published medical article: yet another coincidence? ***

Perhaps coincidentally, an influential study entitled “Clinical outcomes among patients infected with Omicron (B.1.1.529) SARS-CoV-2 variant in southern California” was carried in December 2020. Its results were published as a pre-print on 11 January 2022 and is available here: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.11.22269045v1.full.pdf . In layman’s terms, the goal of the study was to compare the outcomes for people hospitalized with two different variants of the SARS-Cov-2 virus that causes Covid-18 (Delta and Omicron)

The authors of the study include:

(1) Professor Joseph A. Lewnard, University of California, Berkeley,

(2) Vennis X. Hong of Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, California,

(3) Manish M. Patel of COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia,

(4) Rebecca Kahn COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta,

(5) Marc Lipsitch, COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, and

(6) Sara Y. Tartof, Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, California and also Department of Health Systems Science, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, Pasadena, California

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.11.22269045v1.full.pdf

The authors analyzed a time frame and location that matched that of Alvaro Fernandez and his wife, described as follows:

“Methods: We analyzed clinical and epidemiologic data from cases testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection within the Kaiser Permanente Southern California healthcare system from November 30, 2021 to January 1, 2022, using S gene target failure (SGTF) as assessed by the ThermoFisher TaqPath ComboKit assay as a proxy for Omicron infection… 

Kaiser Permanente of Southern California (KPSC) is an integrated, comprehensive healthcare organization serving 4.7 million members (~19% of the population of southern California) enrolled through employer-provided, prepaid, or federally sponsored insurance plans. Members of KPSC closely resemble the socio-demographic profile of the surrounding geographic area in terms of age, racial/ethnic composition, and community characteristics...”

The study was on a large scale, stating, “Results: Our analyses included 52,297 cases with SGTF (Omicron) and 16,982 cases with non-SGTF (Delta [B.1.617.2]) infections, respectively. Hospital admissions occurred among 235 (0.5%) and 222 (1.3%) of cases with Omicron and Delta variant infections, respectively.” The authors ussed the data to report all kinds of demographic data, including vaccination status, for the people in their study. Their concluding remark in the article was, “Thus, implementation of concurrent prevention strategies including vaccination, masking, and appropriate infection mitigation strategies remains important to curb transmission, decrease morbidity and mortality, and reduce burden on health systems nationwide.” (emphasis added)

Given the strong language stating that “vaccination… remain(s) important to…decrease morbidity and mortality” in the conclusion, one might anticipate that an in-depth analysis of deaths due to Covid-19 would be a prominent part of their discussion. However, on page 5 of the document, the authors stated the following: “Among patients with Omicron variant infections, 7 received intensive care (including 5 whose infections were first identified in outpatient settings), 1 died, and none received mechanical ventilation, as compared to 23 ICU-admitted patients, 14 deceased patients, and 11 ventilated patients among those with Delta variant infections (Table 1). The observed number of patients meeting each of these endpoints was inadequate for multivariate analyses due to the absence of counts within multiple covariate strata.”

In other words, the authors found 15 deaths (14 from the delta strain and 1 from the omicron strain) in their study, but they did not explicitly state how many of the 15 were unvaccinated. Given that President Biden tweeted, less than a month after the study had been completed that “Unvaccinated individuals are 97 times more likely to die compared to those who are boosted,” one might anticipate that all 15 deaths occurred among unvaccinated.

But the authors did NOT report the vaccination status (that is the “…inadequate for multivariate analysis”). Reflect that if ALL 15 were unvaccinated, the authors certainly would have reported it. Even if 14 or perhaps 13 of those who died were unvaccinated, it would have been straightforward for the authors to point out that vaccination rates are higher for the elderly, who are more likely to die from Covid, and work out an “adjustment” favorable to the Covid vaccine. That the authors omitted the number suggests that it was far lower than the authors desired.

Now consider the other extreme. What if all 15 patients who died had received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine? One cannot rule out the possibility, and reporting it would have been disastrous, especially for the authors affiliated with both the CDC and with Kaiser Permanente. If such an outcome had occurred, the lead author (Professor Lewnard, unaffiliated with either group but rather with the University of California at Berkeley) might have been motivated to alert the public that there was a serious problem with the way vaccine effectiveness was being communicated to the public. And perhaps that provides a motive to explain many the curiousities surrounding the NBC affiliate story.

What if one of the entities involved in the study wanted to ensure that the statistical outcome of deaths did not cast the vaccine in an unfavorable light? Wouldn’t it be interesting if Alvaro Fernandez and/or Silvia Arreola (or Sylvia Fernandez) were among the 15 deaths? Tony Shin stated that “Family members say just days before their deaths, Alvaro and Sylvia tested positive for Covid-19 after possibly contracting the virus from their 17-year-old twins.” Since they both died on 20 December 2021 (per the obituary) and the study went from 30 November 2021 through 1 January 2022, the couple would have been tested, and presumably hospitalized, well within the time frame of the study. Furthermore, the purported couple lived within 15 miles of the home of the late Davy Macias, who worked at a Kaiser Permanente facility. So it is quite possible that the Fernandez couple died in a Kaiser Permanente hospital.

Were those two deaths of Alvaro and Sylvia Fernandez real or were they faked? If they were real, could it be that the CDC and/or Kaiser Permanente made certain that at least two deaths in the study would occur among unvaccinated patients? And what the news media and other journalists do their jobs appropritely, or was the news media complicit in, at a minimum, misleading the public?

Of course, it would be easy to ask the authors of the study how many deaths occurred among those who had not received any Covid vaccine doses. Furthermore, one could query them about whether any of the deaths matched the demographic data of either Alvaro or Sylvia Fernandez. But at this point, why would anyone believe their answer?

Perhaps coincidentally, the pre-print by Lewnard et al. was released on 11 January 2022, only two days prior to the 13 January 2022 WBUR news story introducing the concept of “Covid orphans” described in the introductory portion of this article. 

*** The story of the Hunter family ***

As mentioned, Alvaro and Sylvia Fernandez were said to have 17-year old twins. As it happens, another 17-year-old lost his parents in July 2020 - Justin Hunter, whose parents are the late Eugene and Angie Hunter, ages 59 and 57, Atlanta, GA (listed as #28 in the first group). His live interview by Chris Cuomo was broadcast on 3 August, 2020. 

The transcript published by CNN, referenced above, is also given here and below (emphasis on certain statements added):

CUOMO: This is a tough story. But if we want to change our reality, we have to deal with reality. And this is the reality. A Georgia couple, who was doing it all right, they were taking necessary precautions, they were wearing masks, they still got sick, and they both lost their battle to COVID, just last week, and they were young. Eugene and Angie Hunter, they were in their 50s. They died just days apart at the same hospital. And it happened fast. They tested positive for Coronavirus just the week before. They left a child on this Earth, 17 year-old Justin Hunter. He tested positive with them as well. Thankfully, he's been asymptomatic. He joins us now. Young man, how are you doing?

JUSTIN HUNTER, LOST BOTH PARENTS TO COVID-19, TESTED POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS: I'm doing good, doing good.

CUOMO: I know you're with family. How are you handling this so far, in terms of why do you think this happened?

HUNTER: To be honest, I really don't know why it happened. I'm not really sure why it happened. But I'm doing good. At first, I was very angry, very sad and very confused. But I'm doing really good now.

CUOMO: What's helping you along? What are you telling yourself to keep yourself heading forward?

HUNTER: That, well first of all, my parents are in a better place. And they aren't suffering at all. They are probably up there partying, having fun. And, second of all, God's got my back.

CUOMO: Tell me about your parents. And tell me about what this was like for them.

HUNTER: They were, if you knew my parents, they were very loving, very caring. They will be - they're the type to give and not even expect anything to give back to them. They were - they were just some of the nicest people you would ever meet.

CUOMO: Did they have any what we call pre-existing conditions? Were they sick? Were they battling anything? I know they were young. They were in their 50s.

HUNTER: No, Sir, not that I know of.

CUOMO: Has anybody asked the doctors to explain why it took them so quickly?

[21:55:00]

HUNTER: Yes, Sir. And we haven't - they don't really have an explanation for it.

CUOMO: When they told you, could you believe that this was happening to somebody at your age?

HUNTER: No, Sir. I was shocked. I didn't believe it.

CUOMO: Just a few days apart. Were you able to visit at all or they wouldn't let you in the hospital?

HUNTER: They wouldn't let me in.

CUOMO: And you are with family now? How's that going?

HUNTER: It's going good. It's going good. I have a lot of support and a lot of - I feel a lot of love coming from them. So, it's good. They're really helping me.

CUOMO: You say your parents were good people. They gave, and they gave you a lot, and they obviously gave you the start that you needed because you are doing very well with your young life. What do you want people to know about them in terms of telling the story of how they lived as opposed to just what took their lives.

HUNTER: How they lived? They really lived with no regrets. They - they just lived their life. That's really all I can really say is that they lived their life. And they were very successful in their life. And I want to be just like them when I'm older.

CUOMO: What do you want to do with your life? Because I'm sure now, as you're figuring out, everything is going to have more meaning for you. You're going to carry purpose because you know you have people looking down on you. And you know they're watching. And you know they're going to see what you do. What do you want to do with your life?

HUNTER: I really love - I love to play college football, and then take it to the next level, and play at the pros. And if that doesn't work, then I would like to go into cyber security, and just be the best at what I do, and do it for them.

CUOMO: How are you keeping your spirits up? I am amazed by how you are handling this. I've got a daughter your age. I'm around people your age all the time. What is giving you what is a huge testament to your character that you've got an incredible sense of perspective? Why? What are you telling yourself? What do you have inside you, you want people to know?

HUNTER: Well, first of all, my dad, he told me, in situations like this, I have two choices. The first choice is I can sit here, cry, feel sorry for myself, and just kind of be useless and not do any - do anything, or, I can cry, realize what happened, and accept what happened, and move on from what happened, and do everything and their name and do everything for them from now on.

CUOMO: What was the last thing that mom told you?

HUNTER: "I love you."

CUOMO: And those are the most powerful words.

HUNTER: Yes, that was--

CUOMO: And they put in you a faith that God has your back, right?

HUNTER: Yes, Sir.

CUOMO: Well, I have to tell you, I cannot imagine what you're having to deal with. But, when they put those kinds of ideas, in your head, and in your heart, that's the most powerful armor, that you could have, to protect you, against the kind of pain that comes with this. And I know you have family. I know you have people who care about you and you're going to have more than you know. I know there's a GoFundMe page. I'm going to put up the information right now because you should have arms around you.

HUNTER: Thanks.

CUOMO: And it's an honor of the Hunter family. People can see it there, up on the screen. And I want to make an offer to you that we'll make through your family, who's taking care of you. When you are ready, when we are allowed to do so, because everything is crazy right now, and you have school, and you're going to have to figure out, and the season is going to be shortened, if you have it at all, I know you got to deal with a lot of things, when you guys are ready, I'm going to bring you up here. I'm going to show you the City, I want to help you live your life, and help you understand that even though your parents are gone, there are going to be a lot of people who want to put their arms around you, and you deserve that, and you're going to make them proud, and I can't wait to see it, Justin. God bless you.

HUNTER: Thank you. Thank you so much.

CUOMO: I'll be in touch. No, thank you. Thank you for letting us see, how someone who is so young, who has every reason to be looking down, is looking up, to where their parents are, and to God's strength and direction to go forward. You're an amazing testament to your parents. And I hope you keep being that every step of the way. And we'll be watching.

HUNTER: Yes, Sir, thank you.

CUOMO: All right, God bless you, young man. Justin Hunter, our thanks to him. And we'll let you know how he's doing, if he wants. He is so courageous. Let's carry that courage into more coverage of what matters to all of us together, let's continue it right now.

*** Brief Author statement ***

I would like to pause to express my sincere condolences to those in this story who have lost loved ones. One goal I had when assembling the data for this article was to present the information regarding all 62 couples in a neutral context and allow readers to form their own opinions independently. Remember - it would be scandalous if even ONE of these 62 accounts were associated with something which is unethical.

I do make two exceptions regarding the expression of my opinion. First, in my opinion, the individuals who provided interviews to the NBC affiliate interview regarding the Fernandez couple provide information which is highly dubious. To be blunt, I think they were lying about many details in their interview with Tony Shin. Naturally, I am open to new information which might change my opinion. Perhaps the NBC affiliate will follow up with a second story.

Second, I believe Justin Hunter. It is my very strongly held opinion that this young man, only 17 years old at the time, was courageously telling the truth as he knew it. His story would not rule out the possibility of foul play enacted against his parents - of which Justin Hunter would not have been aware, in part because he was not allowed to see his parents in the hospital (per his statement in the interview).

***

Perhaps coincidentally, in an early segment of the very same CNN show as the Justin Hunter interview, Chris Cuomo interviewed Dr. Ashish Jha. One question stood out.

CUOMO: …One other thing I want to ask you about, that I don't understand. Only 2.5 percent of Italians have antibodies. A government study shows that despite them being one of the countries hardest-hit, only 2.5 percent of them have antibodies, but their numbers are going in the right direction. Where is the sense in that?

JHA: Yes. So, what we know, from a lot of these studies, is that even though Italy, certainly North Italy was hit pretty hard, a lot of folks - only a small number of folks ultimately were infected in the whole population. If - compare that to us, we've been hit very, very hard. Our best guess is, probably less than 10 percent of the American people have gotten infected. So, I'm not totally surprised by the Italy data. It just means that kind of trying to go for herd immunity is a bad idea. We've got to really protect people until we have a vaccine.

***

Dr. Jha’s response regarding a ten percent infection rate by the end of July 2020 can be combined with other data to estimate the odds that both Justin Hunter’s parents would die from Covid-19.

The Office of National Statistics of the United Kingdom reported the following (per  https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/transparencyandgovernance/freedomofinformationfoi/covid19deathswithandwithoutpreexistingconditions ) : “The publication states that of the 50,335 deaths that occurred in March to June 2020 involving COVID-19 in England and Wales, 45,859 (91.1%) had at least one pre-existing condition, while 4,476 (8.9%) had none.” In the interview with Chris Cuomo, Justin Hunter stated that neither his mother nor father had a pre-existing condition. As discussed in the introduction of this article, CDC data indicate that individuals between ages 50 and 64 have slightly less than a one-percent chance of dying from Covid if infected. According to the CNN transcript Dr. Jha, on the same show, there was only a ten-percent likelihood that a person in the United States of America had been infected by the end of July 2020. 

To calculate the probability of an even taking place, assuming independent variables, the probability of the occurrence of each individual event occurring is multiplied together. Therefore, the probability that two specific individuals between ages 50 and 64 without contributory pre-existing conditions would (1) be infected and (2) die from Covid (3) by July 2020 results in: [0.10*0.089*0.01]* [0.10*0.089*0.01] = 7.0*10^-9. Put another way, the calculation leads to the odds of both of Justin Hunter’s parents dying of Covid-19 by July 2020  as being one in 126 million.

Returning to Chris Cuomo’s interview with Justin Hunter, consider also this comment by Cuomo: “They (Eugene and Angie Hunter) tested positive for Coronavirus just the week before.”  According to a study from Belgium published in October 2020, the median length of time in the hospital for patients who die of Covid-19 was 12.2 days within the working age population. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7589278/ ). The group analyzed in that particular study included patients with pre-existing conditions, and one would certainly expect patients without them, like the Hunters, to survive longer. Therefore, it is unsurprising that Chris Cuomo followed up by asking, “Has anybody asked the doctors to explain why it took them so quickly?” Justin Hunter’s reply was simply, “Yes, Sir. And we haven't - they don't really have an explanation for it.”

*** Death drives our impression of severity ***

A second aspect of the interchange between Cuomo and Jha, referencing the perception that Italy “was among the hardest hit countries,” may be understood by considering the article entitled “Response to COVID-19: was Italy (un)prepared?”

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985656/

“On 31st January 2020, the Italian cabinet declared a 6-month national emergency after the detection of the first two COVID-19 positive cases in Rome, two Chinese tourists travelling from Wuhan. Between then and the total lockdown introduced on 22nd March 2020 Italy was hit by an unprecedented crisis. In addition to being the first European country to be heavily swept by the COVID-19 pandemic, Italy was the first to introduce stringent lockdown measures. The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and related COVID-19 pandemic have been the worst public health challenge endured in recent history by Italy. Two months since the beginning of the first wave, the estimated excess deaths in Lombardy, the hardest hit region in the country, reached a peak of more than 23,000 deaths…”

The article also includes this excerpt:

“These excess deaths, flagged up by a newspaper investigation, prompted the Istituto Superiore di Sanità to conduct a targeted survey, which revealed that an average of 9.1% of all nursing homes’ residents died in Italy, with a peak of 14% in Lombardy, between 1st February and 14th April, of which about 37.4% officially due to COVID-19 (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 2020).”

And this one:

“Italy was the first EU country to be hit by the COVID-19 epidemic. …The decision to impose strict lockdown measures, similar to those imposed by China, was a difficult exercise as it required dealing with the unprecedented trade-off between enforcing measures that impinge on individual liberties in a democratic system, and the need to contain, or at least mitigate, the spread of the virus…Moreover, the early phase of the emergency was characterised by low level of compliance with and adherence to public health measures.”

It is easy to understand the reason for Chris Cuomo’s question to Dr. Ashish Jha about Italy. The high number of deaths reported in Italy led to Cuomo’s perception that Italy was “one of the countries hardest hit.” Fear of the deaths of innocent people “just living their lives” can cause a society to compromise their freedom in exchange for perceived security in a way that a mere infection or illness cannot. Italian government authorities followed the lead of the Chinese Communist Party in “impinging on individual liberties,” and its population went along with the measures. Most US government authorities were not too far behind Italy in doing the same, and deaths were required in order to convince the population.

It is grotesque to many kind and well-intentioned people to raise the question of whether bad actors might have intentionally orphaned children in order to bring about a fundamental change to society and exert control over people. The revulsion is understandable, particularly when one reflects upon the fate of the children, including a newborn baby, of the late Davy and Daniel Macias. Many simply cannot envision that anyone could inflict such a horrific act upon people “just living their lives” (to quote Justin Hunter) in a free society. Yet, if we are committed to protecting our children and our country, we must admit that history demonstrates that ‘the ways of mankind’ do include such monstrous acts. Ruling out the possibility without applying objective analytical rigor, simply to avoid breaking taboos, leaves our population vulnerable to precisely this form of attack.

Our society places a special level of trust in those who protect us and serve us in many ways. This includes not only police, but doctors and medical staff, and government public health officials. Journalists, including not only national but local news achors, once trusted as honest brokers, should be included in this category too. If that trust is betrayed for reasons beyond the comprehension of the average citizen, then people suffer. It is within the realm of possibility that we may be the target of a well-organized campaign of terror, and only a precious few in those trusted positions have stepped forward to protect us. It is time for the truth to come out. And it is time for accountability.