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Couple married for 48 years die from COVID within minutes of each other

A couple married nearly 50 years have died within minutes of each other from coronavirus while holding hands.

Johnny Lee Peoples, 67, and his wife Darlene, 65, from North Carolina, died from COVID last month.

Their son Shane told WBTV his parents were sick for about a month and their health deteriorated.

After two weeks, they were sent to the ICU but things only got worse.

“The next day they put them in the same room, same ICU room, they put their hands together, the nurses gathered around and they passed within four minutes of each other," he told WBTV.

Johnny Lee Peoples, 67, and his wife Darlene, 65, are pictured.
Johnny Lee Peoples, 67, and his wife Darlene, 65, both died from coronavirus within minutes of each other. Source: Facebook/ Shane Peoples

Their funeral was held Wednesday morning. Mr Peoples said the couple were together for 50 years and married for 48.

On Facebook he wrote of his grief and frustration people still believe the virus is a hoax.

“We were cheated,” he wrote.

“The lives of mum and dad were stolen by a virus that many joke about on a daily basis or just straight out believe it’s a hoax of some sort. Both of them took this pandemic seriously and still got sick, still died.”

Johnny Lee Peoples, 67, and his wife Darlene, 65, are pictured.
The couple's son Shane said they were together 50 years. Source: Facebook/ Shane Peoples

He called his parents a “blessing”.

“I miss them so very much. I’m not sure how I’m going to deal without being about to talk to them every night on my ride home from work or not being able to send them pictures and videos of my family,” he wrote.

Mr Peoples asked for people to wear masks, wash their hands, practise social distancing and “be kind to each other”.

The US currently has 6.4 million cases of COVID with more than 193,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Johnny Lee Peoples, 67, and his wife Darlene, 65, are pictured.
The couple were sick for about a month before they died. Source: Facebook/ Shane Peoples

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