Many people are quarantining at home to try to stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic. Some businesses are closed, and anyone who can work from home is doing so. Schools closed in the spring and students and teachers were forced to embrace distance learning. Of course, this was all to slow down and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Most people don’t want to get sick. Even the common cold or the flu is not a pleasant experience. Now with the novel coronavirus on the scene, most people are trying to do their part to follow guidelines and try not to get sick.

Then, there are some people who believe the coronavirus is a hoax or who believe that the pandemic is over. Too many times, not understanding how serious the novel coronavirus really is can lead to tragic results. For example, one teenager in Florida got COVID-19 and died after attending a church party. Then there’s a California man who got sick and died after attending a backyard BBQ. 

In the situations mentioned above, the people who attended the parties thought they were safe. They thought the pandemic was over. They thought they didn’t need to wear a mask or worry about social distancing. 

Then there are people who actually try to get COVID-19 on purpose. Have you heard of COVID parties? Jane Appleby, Chief Medical Officer at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, says that a COVID party “is a party held by somebody diagnosed with the COVID virus, and the thought is that people get together to see if the virus is real and if anyone gets infected.”

Yes, this is a real thing. Appleby is speaking out because she witnessed the devastating results of a COVID party first-hand. One of her patients was a 30-year-old man who attended a COVID party. She describes his story as “heartbreaking.” He really, truly regretted going to the party. Watch the video below to learn what this patient told Appleby right before he died.

Appleby doesn’t want to scare anyone, but she wants everyone to know that they are not immune to COVID-19. She says, “What we’ve learned about this virus is it doesn’t discriminate, and none of us are invincible.” She urges everyone, “Please wear a mask, stay at home when you can, avoid groups of people, and sanitize your hands.”