Amanda Kloots, who watched her husband Nick Cordero succumb to coronavirus after a devasting months-long battle, is responding to President Donald Trump‘s “hurtful” message downplaying the seriousness of the disease.
On Monday, after being discharged from the hospital following his own COVID diagnosis, the 74-year-old shared a message on social media that coronavirus, which has killed more than 210,000 Americans, isn’t so bad.
“One thing that's for certain: don't let it dominate you. Don't be afraid of it. You're gonna beat it. We have the best medical equipment, we have the best medicines, all developed recently. And you're gonna beat it,” said Trump.
Earlier, he tweeted: “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!”
The 38-year-old Kloots responded on social media: “To all the over 208,000 Americans who lost loved ones to this virus – I stand by you, with you, holding your hand. Unfortunately it did dominate our lives didn’t it? It dominated Nick’s family’s lives and my family’s lives. I guess we 'let it' – like it was our choice??”
She continued: “Unfortunately not everyone is lucky enough to spend two days in the hospital. I cried next to my husband for 95 days watching what COVID did to the person I love. It IS something to be afraid of.”
Cordero died on July 5th at age 41. He left behind Kloots and their son, Elvis.
“After you see the person you love the most die from this disease you would never say what this tweet says,” wrote Kloots. “There is no empathy to all the lives lost. He is bragging instead. It is sad. It is hurtful. It is disgraceful.”