Remembering Covid-19 Victims as World Hits 1 Million Deaths

As the world reaches a grim milestone of 1 million coronavirus deaths, Angela Conti shares her grief of losing her husband to Covid-19.

"The number to me is the one death," Angela says wiping away tears as her daughter Sofia Scala reaches over to give her mom a hug.

Six-year-old Sofia is at an art therapy session that is held every week at Emma's Place in the New York City borough of Staten Island for children ages six to 10 years old. The grief center was founded in 2013 to help families through the grieving process, which now includes children talking about losing a loved one due to the coronavirus.

"We woke up," Sofia began, and her mother, Angela, continued, "and then one day Daddy was sick and then he was gone."

Angela says her husband, Jason Scala, was a healthy 47-year-old who got sick early in the pandemic and deteriorated quickly. He died in late April from complications of COVID-19. After his death, Conti says she and her two daughters were in quarantine because one of her kids had also tested positive for the coronavirus.

"We were isolated for about six weeks after it happened, which was also hard on them because when a tragedy happens, you have your loved one next to you or you have your friends next to you or your teachers next to you. But it was just us," says Angela.

Grief counselors say the pandemic has created additional trauma for people mourning a loved one. Many have been unable to keep a bedside vigil or say their final goodbyes at the hospital. Memorial services and funerals have all been curtailed. Support groups specific to Covid-19 loss have sprung up across the country.

Carolyn Oglio –Taverner, the co-founder of Emma's Place, says the virus has also taken away children's way of life - going to school, seeing their friends, or playing sports. She says art therapy gives them a chance to show their emotions, especially when they may not have the words for it. "There's something very powerful about putting something down concretely on paper that not only allows them to express the loss, but almost allows them to come face to face with it and begin coping with it."

Angela is in the process of moving from Jersey City, New Jersey, to live with her parents on Staten Island to give her daughters some stability as she goes to work.

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[LuisCalderon-bwxh]

I lost my dad to COVID back in June and I still expect to see him when I get home.

[gregvangaasbeek]

Why did they have to put next to the child "Lost her Dad to covid" I think her Father died of something else. This seems like Theater.

[thomashatcher]

Why so many dislikes, this lady is crying. It’s disgusting that someone would dislike this

[rodneywoodcock]

1 million deaths with COVID is not the same thing as 1 million deaths from COVID.

[shelbykunz]

Remembering C19 lockdowns that have and will continue to ruin infinitely more... =(

[cathyhagerman]

My ❤ goes out to everyone who lost their life

[laurelking]

For all the victims who passed away, or are suffering from this Virus. May a God be with you and your families!!

[LMNevada]

Our very bad president is responsible for many of these losses. Rest in peace dear loved ones

[piperbalderas]

Prayers for everyone that has lost someone 🙏

[-astrangerontheinternet]

To the tens of millions lost to diabetes each year. To those who die from medicine being prescribed correctly by their doctors. To the thousands who die in freak accidents each year.

But more so, for those who are so afraid of losing their life they refuse to risk it through living.

[small_ed]

Does anyone die from anything other than COVID these days?!

[TreasureX]

Let's remember also those who has died from tuberculosis, opioids, !!!hospital infections!!!, cancer, heart disease.

[ezakustam]

Good grief. If you downvoted this, you're either totally heartless, a foreign enemy operative, completely delusional, or you just don't understand how downvotes work. Whatever the case, you should be ashamed of yourself.

[mike]

Can't remember the victims if you don't know any.

[benniecrawford]

To all the ones who died and all that lost a friend, family member or loved one, we are so sorry for those here in American and around the world. It’s not over yet and it is still striking many of us and we the people of the world must stand together and help each other through this.

[KSealedvsK]

I’ve lost a grandmother to breast cancer, grandpa to colon cancer, grandpa to suicide, 2 uncles to brain tumor and aneurysm, uncle to Alzheimer’s, cousin to cardiac arrest, sister to neuroblastoma, father to alcoholism.
Where’s my video? We can not transcend death, it’s a part of life and yes, a grieving process we deal with as human beings.
Stop this BS narrative.

[EntirelyObsolete-smrn]

Only 7, 799, 000, 000 survivors left. Let's take moment to remember that too.

[spaghety]

2000+ children go missing every day in the us alone.. where's the sad videos about them?

[skinquest]

Loss of life is terrible but they are magnifying a small problem into something it is not. We arent as ignorant as they assumed or hoped.

[suserman]

Will the MORE than 1 million victims from the lockdowns be remembered? How about the added drug abuse? The added domestic violence? The added joblessness and subsequent depression? Yeah let's face it folks, these videos that purportedly are about caring, aren't really.