Unvaccinated couple dies of COVID-19 within hours of each other, leaving 2 teenagers behind

Martin and Trina Daniel, married for more than 20 years, both died of COVID-19 within hours of each other, leaving behind two teenagers facing unimaginable loss.

The Daniels met at Savannah State University in the 1990s before Martin Daniel went to Tuskegee University in Alabama for his graduate studies, their nephew, Cornelius Daniel, told ABC News.

The couple moved to 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 was there.”

The Daniels’ niece, Quintella Daniel, added that she traveled to Savannah state because of her uncle.

“He was just a very motivating person,” she said.

When the COVID-19 pandemic broke, Quinella, a nurse, traveled to New York, the first epicenter in the United States, calling it “a life-changing experience.”

“It could be that a lot of people, 10 or 20 people, are waiting for one of them to die before putting on a ventilator,” she said. “I thank God everyday for about 35 tests I had 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 reluctant to get vaccinated in part because of the legacy of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, which traced the progression of syphilis in unconscious black men from the 1930s to the 1950s. 1970.

Martin Daniel had “a stubborn attitude towards vaccines in general,” Cornelius said.

“He trusted vaccines that had been around for a while,” such as with polio, but felt the COVID-19 vaccines were developed too quickly, Cornelius said. (The rapid development of the COVID-19 vaccine was made possible by decades of previous scientific studies demonstrating safety, as well as an unprecedented multibillion-dollar commitment by the federal government to accelerate research.)

The Daniels finally accepted the idea and were due to get the shot in mid-July – the week after their death, their nephew said. Daniels’ symptoms hit at the end of June and quickly “spiraled” around July 4th.

Martin Daniel died at home on July 6. Trina was hospitalized and died that night, the family said.

“We were already baffled by his passing, but having to endure his passing… was traumatic,” Cornelius said.

Miles and Marina, battling COVID-19 as their parents died, went to the hospital on July 7 for treatment. They were released hours later, Cornelius said, but had to self-quarantine for two weeks while coping with the loss of both of their parents.

After a painful month, the two teenagers are “doing well” and “adjusting to the new normal,” Cornelius said.

The family dropped Miles off at college this weekend and Marina is starting her sophomore year of high school.

Miles and Marina are now planning to get the vaccine, Cornelius said, adding that he hopes others who have yet to receive the vaccine will follow the teenagers’ lead.

“The only bullets we currently have in our gun are vaccines,” Cornelius said. “So I would prefer a vaccine to a ventilator every day. Too many families have already felt the pain we feel.”