Alabama nears 20,000 COVID-19 deaths since start of pandemic

DRIVER SUFFERED. ONLY MINOR INJURIES NOW ALABAMA IS APPROACHING ANOTHER GRIM MILESTONE AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC NEARLY 20,000 PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROM THE CORONAVIRUS SINCE THE START OF THE OUTBREAK IN 2020 AS OF THIS WEEK. YOU’RE LOOKING AT THE NUMBER 19,974 FOLKS. THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CLAIMED BY HERE IN ALABAMA WVTM 13’S CHIP SCARBOROUGH SPOKE TO THE MOTHER OF ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE TODAY. IT’S NOW BEEN 70 WEEKS SINCE LUKE RATLIFF LOST HIS BATTLE WITH COVID-19 AT THE YOUNG AGE OF 23. HIS MOTHER IS STILL COUNTING THE WEEK SINCE SHE LOST HER SON AT THE SAME TIME. SHE’S BOTHERED BY THE FACT SO MANY OTHER FAMILIES ARE STILL LOSING LOVED ONES TO THE VIRUS. ALSO. IT’S LIKE A GOOD SHOT EVERY TIME I SEE IT WHEN THEY’RE WHEN I SEE THAT THERE’S SOMEBODY ELSE LOST TO IT THIS FAR INTO THE GAME. WE WE’VE BEEN BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL ON IT THE WHOLE TIME. WE JUST CAN’T GET A JUMP ON IT. LUKE RATLIFF WAS KNOWN AFFECTIONATELY AS FLUFF THE BAMA BASKETBALL SUPER FAN. HE DIED IN TUSCALOOSA JUST AS THE COVID-19 VACCINE WAS ON THE VERGE OF BECOMING AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL POPULATION. I’M REALLY OPEN ABOUT. MY STRUGGLES AND WITH MY GRACE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE’S A PARENT OUT THERE SOMEWHERE THAT’S GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING. IT FEELS LIKE THEY’RE THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD FEELS LIKE THAT. AND I WANTED TO KNOW THEY’RE NOT THE ONLY ONE FOR DOCTORS IN CENTRAL, ALABAMA LOSING COVID-19 PATIENTS THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC HAS BECOME A GRIM REALITY, BUT THOSE LOST SOME MORE RECENT MONTHS ALSO FRUSTRATING IN SOME WAYS TOO. BUT NOW THERE’S NO EXCUSE WE HAVE THE TOOLS AND THERE’S ALWAYS GONNA BE SOMEONE THAT DOES ALL THOSE THINGS AND THERE’S GONNA BE STILL SO SAD CASES WHERE PEOPLE CAN STILL GET SICK BUT THE VAST MAJORITY HAVE A REALLY GOOD FIGHTING CHANCE. WELL THE FAMILY OF LUKE R IS BACK HOME IN NORTH CAROLINA? THEY’LL ALWAYS HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN THEIR HEARTS FOR TUSCALOOSA AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA. SO MANY PEOPLE MISS HIM AND SO MANY PEOPLE LOVED IT AND YOU KNOW, WE STILL GET CALLS EVERY DAY EVERY WEEK. THERE’S SOMEBODY REACHING OUT TO US. THAT LUKE TOUCHED THEIR LIVES IN SOME WAY NEARLY TWENTY THOUSAND, ALABAMA. IT’S LOST TO COVID-19 SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC BUT NOT SOON FORGOTTEN.

Alabama nears 20,000 COVID-19 deaths since start of pandemic

Updated: 11:04 PM CDT Aug 6, 2022

Alabama is approaching another grim milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the video above to hear from the mother of one of the nearly 20,000 Alabamians lost to COVID-19.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

Alabama is approaching another grim milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the video above to hear from the mother of one of the nearly 20,000 Alabamians lost to COVID-19.