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Family shaken after 18 relatives test positive for COVID-19 after birthday party

As North Texas watches COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surge, one family is shouldering a health crisis that they never expected to face.

That crisis, all began on May 30 when just a single relative, unknowingly infected with COVID-19, interacted with seven family members at a surprise birthday party.

Those seven family members then contracted and spread the virus to 10 other relatives.

Now, Ron Barbosa is keeping track of 18 people in his family who have tested positive for COVID-19.

Barbosa didn't attend the party himself, but the celebration was for his daughter-in-law who turned 30.

However, Barbosa's nephew hosted.

That nephew is the one who was unknowingly infected, thinking a slight cough was the byproduct of working in construction.

Before the party, he played golf with a few family members who also attended the event, according to Barbosa.

Even though everyone did their best to stay socially distant, Barbosa said it wasn't enough.

"It wasn't that long. It was only a couple of hours," Barbosa, a volunteer EMT said. "But during that brief time, somehow the other 18 family members are now infected with COVID."

Barbosa, who is also married to a doctor, said he and his wife refused to go to the party due to safety reasons.

However, it was a party that by current state health standards appeared harmless. A total of 25 people attended, and not all of them arrived and stayed for the same duration.

"When people started getting sick, we really let everyone have it," Barbosa said. "We knew this was going to happen, I mean this whole time this has been going on we've been terrified."

Among those infected are two young children, two grandparents, a cancer patient and Barbosa's parents, who are in their 80s.

Three are now hospitalized: Barbosa's parents Frank and Carole, along with his sister Kathy, who is battling breast cancer.

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"When people started getting sick, we really let everyone have it,"

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Barbosa, who is also married to a doctor, said he and his wife refused to go to the party due to safety reasons.

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A man says he lost his father to coronavirus and 28 family members got infected

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Garay does not know how the family members got coronavirus — there was no party and no big gathering. They believe one person got infected and it spread through minimal contact among various family members.

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Originally posted by ShiroKuro:
Aaaand I just found out that my sister-in-law is planning on taking my neice to Six Flags "in a few weeks."

(And we are also having an awkward exchange about it on FB)