A family in North Texas had more than a surprise when they discovered that a nephew had unknowingly infected 17 of them with the new coronavirus at a recent birthday party.
The man, who later tested positive for COVID-19, interacted with seven others at a May 30 meeting before those family members interacted with 10 others, further spreading the virus.
Now 18 have so far contracted the disease, including two children, four seniors, and one cancer patient.
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Ron Barbosa, the man’s uncle, did not attend the party, but told ABC8 that he is aware of everyone who did and tested positive. He said the nephew, who organized the event and played golf with the family beforehand, shook his cough as a result of working in construction.
“It wasn’t that long. It was just a couple of hours,” Barbosa, a volunteer EMT, said of the party. “But during that brief time, somehow the other 18 family members are now infected.”
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Three of the people with the disease are still in the hospital: Barbosa’s parents, 80, and her sister with breast cancer. His father is in the ICU on life support and almost needs a ventilator.
The news comes as COVID-19 cases rise at new hotspots across the country, including Texas, which has just added 55,125 cases to its near-total of 132,000. Around 2,207 people have died.
Governor Greg Abbott announced Thursday that the state would pause its planned reopening while still allowing some activity under specific health guidelines and safety practices, explaining in a statement that “the last thing we want to do as a state is [to] Go backwards.”
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