California couple dies of Covid, leaves behind 5 children, including newborn daughter

Daniel Macias wanted to wait until he and his wife Davy Macias recover from the coronavirus before naming their newborn daughter. But about a week after giving birth, the mother died of complications from Covid-19. And almost two weeks after her death, her husband too.

Davy Macias was 37 and Daniel Macias was 39, Davy Macias’ sister-in-law Terri Serey told NBC News on Monday. The couple, both from Yucaipa, Calif., Left behind five children aged 7, 5, 3, 2 and 3 weeks.

“They were the nicest, most amazing people,” Serey said. “They’re the ones who brought everyone together – for every birthday, every holiday.”

The two are among more than 660,000 people in the United States who have died from the coronavirus. Davy Macias was not vaccinated because she was pregnant, Serey said, but it was not clear if Daniel was vaccinated.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged all pregnant women to be vaccinated against Covid in early August – about two weeks before Davy Macias died on August 26 – as hospitals in hot spots across the United States saw a number worrying about unvaccinated future mothers. sick with the virus.

The family have all tested positive for the coronavirus after traveling in early August, according to Serey. But as their children recovered quickly, the parents’ symptoms worsened. And shortly after returning from their trip, they were both taken to hospital and placed in the intensive care unit, less than a week apart – “just a few pieces apart,” he said. Serey said.

Davy Macias was 32 weeks pregnant and “optimistic” about her recovery when she was hospitalized the first weekend in August, Serey said. But, she said, the expectant mother was intubated and never met her daughter when she gave birth by caesarean on August 18. Daniel Macias only met his fifth child briefly before being intubated about three days after birth.

Their now 3 week old daughter remains unnamed.

Davy Macias was a nurse at Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center, and Daniel Macias was a teacher at Jehue Middle School in Colton, Calif., According to Serey. Because she worked nights and he worked during the day, Serey said the children were “the center of their world”.

According to Serey, she was unsure whether Davy Macias regretted not having taken the coronavirus vaccine earlier; she only knew that the couple believed they would recover quickly and present their fifth child to the rest of the family on their own.

“They never did,” Serey said.

Davy and Daniel Macias are survived by their five children, all of whom are being looked after by their grandparents.

Serey said she had not spoken to grandparents since Daniel Macias died. But, she added, after their mother’s death and their father’s stay in intensive care, the children “wondered where their parents were.”

Suzanne Ciechalski and Ali Cotonien contributed.