A truck driver from California penned a tragic last Facebook post tinged with regret just a day before dying from coronavirus.
Tommy Macias, 51, who lived in Los Angeles, said he caught the killer virus at a party in early June as coronavirus restrictions in the state were eased.
In the post he admitted he ‘f***ed up’ by not wearing a mask and failing to keep a distance from people, saying he felt guilty for putting his family at risk.
Tommy Macias, 51, a truck driver from California (left), caught coronavirus at a party early last month before being rushed to hospital on June 21 (right), where he died just a few hours later
A day before he was taken to hospital he uploaded this message to Facebook, admitting hye ‘f***ed up’, begging people to wear masks in public, and praying for his own survival
Macias, who was overweight and had diabetes, ended the post by writing: ‘Hopefully with God’s help I’ll be able to survive this.’ He died a day later.
Gustavo Lopez, his brother-in-law, told NBC that from March until early June, Macias was following guidelines and only going out when necessary.
However, in early June Macias traveled 70 miles to Lake Elsinore to attend a party with a large group of others.
Included in the crowd was a friend, who Lopez did not name, who had tested positive for coronavirus and knew about the diagnosis.
But because he did not have symptoms, the person thought he could not infect other people.
Lopez said he next saw Macias on June 11, shortly after the party, when he ‘didn’t look right’ and appeared to be very sweaty.
It was around that time that the infected friend informed people at the party of his diagnosis, prompting others to get tested.
California is currently in the midst of a major spike in coronavirus cases that has prompted Governor Gavin Newsom (pictured) to lock parts of the state back down
There were more than 6,000 coronavirus cases reported in California on June 29, while hospital and ICU admissions have jumped by almost 50 per cent
Macias took a test on June 16, which came back positive on June 18.
More than a dozen people who also attended the party have since come back positive for the virus.
Macias penned his last Facebook post on June 20, writing: ‘Some of you know, but most don’t. I f***ed up and went out a couple of weeks ago and I contracted the coronavirus.
‘Monday I tested for it and it was confirmed on Thursday. Because of my stupidity I put my mom and sisters and my family in jeopardy. This has been a very painful experience.
‘This is no joke. If you have to go our wear a mask and practice social distancing. Don’t be a f***ing idiot like me.
‘Thank you to all my friends who have brought me food, and to everyone who has been there for me.
‘Hopefully with God’s help I’ll be able to survive this. I love you all.’
Macias was rushed to hospital the following day around 11am after struggling to breathe. A final photo in the hospital shows him being given oxygen with a mask.
Some time between 6pm and 7pm doctors took the decision to put him on an invasive ventilator. Two hours later he was dead.
Lopez said: ‘I think what he wanted people to know, this is a real thing. It’s serious, and it kills people.’
Macias, who was affectionately known as ‘Big Sexy’, did not marry and did not have children. His friends and family remembered him as a big-hearted man who was always willing to help others.
He is survived by his mother, two sisters, four nieces and two great-nieces.
Under the new measure, restaurants are permitted to continue with outdoor dining service but must shut down indoor operations
The US is now logging more than 50,000 coronavirus cases per day in a second wave of infections that is already larger than the first
California is currently one of the worst-hit states with coronavirus in the US, which has seen its daily case toll balloon to more than 50,000.
More than 6,000 people tested positive for the virus in California alone Wednesday, while admissions to hospital and ICU also climbed by around 50 per cent.
That has seen governor Gavin Newsom vow to roll back reopening plans with restaurants, bars, wineries, movie theaters, and other indoor venues closed across most of the state for at least three weeks, shortly after reopening.
Some beaches are also being closed ahead of the July 4 this weekend, and while there is no state-mandated closure Newsom said parking and road access will be restricted to ensure there is no overcrowding.
He is also recommending that large firework displays are cancelled, and warned people not to meet with those outside of their household.
The US now has more than 2.6million coronavirus cases and 128,000 deaths, the most of any country in the world.
