A former Alabama state senator’s dying words last week provided yet another heart-rendering example of the coronavirus pandemic’s tragic legacy.
Larry Dixon, who was also a former executive director of the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, died from the coronavirus on Friday at age 78, according to the board.
Dr. David Thrasher, a pulmonologist in Montgomery who was a friend of Dixon’s, said Dixon’s wife, Gaynell Dixon, told him her husband’s last words to her were a warning.
“We messed up. We let our guard down,” Dixon said, according to Thrasher as reported by NBC News. “Please tell everybody to be careful. This is real, and if you get diagnosed, get help immediately.”
Dixon, a Republican, served the state Senate from 1983 to 2010. He previously served in the state House from 1978 to 1982 and was the medical examiners board’s executive director from 1981 to 2016. When he retired, the board’s building in Montgomery was renamed in his honor.
“While we mourn Larry Dixon’s passing, we are forever grateful for his distinguished service to the medical profession and to the state,” the organization said.
Dixon was reportedly exposed to the virus at a social gathering about two weeks ago. Dixon’s widow has also tested positive. The couple’s two daughters contracted the virus earlier this year but have since recovered.
As of Monday, Alabama had almost 270,000 COVID infections and more than 3,880 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
On Tuesday, the U.S. was approaching 15 million confirmed coronavirus cases, further solidifying its position as the world’s leader in not only cases but also virus deaths.
As of Tuesday morning, Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine reported more than 14.9 million cases in the U.S., far more than India’s 9.7 million, the second most in the world. More than 283,000 U.S. deaths have been recorded.
On Monday, Georgia surpassed yet another milestone in the coronavirus pandemic, topping 9,000 deaths in the state, as a long-predicted fall surge continued its grip on the nation. Overall, the state agency has recorded more than 448,000 cases in Georgia since the pandemic began.
Globally, there have been more than 67 million confirmed coronavirus cases, with a worldwide death toll of more than 1.5 million.
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