LI Newlywed Loses Husband To Coronavirus: 'I Feel Robbed'

HUNTINGTON, NY — When Tulsi Patel got married in September 2019, she never could have foreseen the virus that would leave her a heartbroken widow at the age of 27. Luke Workoff died at the age of 33 on April 4 after a battle with the coronavirus. Two months later, Patel, of Huntington, is using her grief to share the couple's story in a bid to raise awareness of COVID-19 and potentially save lives.

Workoff was described by his wife as "a very successful, loving person who loved life." The pair had two dogs and were planning having children this year after recently buying a home.

"These are little things that make him human and not just a story or a stat," Patel told Patch. "We had so many plans. I feel robbed."

Around March 27, Workoff began experiencing symptoms, including fever, fatigue, gastrointestinal issues, the chills and irritation. He had standard COVID-19 symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. The last time he went into work in Midtown Manhattan, via train was March 12, so Patel believes the only place he could have contracted the virus was at a grocery store. Other than that, the couple remained home, following social distancing guidelines.

Upon feeling symptomatic, Workoff would get plenty of sleep, stay hydrated, use an inhaler solely to clear his airways and take vitamins. He wasn't experiencing any "severe" symptoms, Patel said, which is why she didn't see his death coming.

After both started having coronavirus symptoms, Workoff and Patel decided to temporarily sleep in separate rooms. She noted on April 2, Workoff mustered the energy to go up and down two flights of stairs and make a king-size bed himself. Two days later, it happened.

"On [April 4], I let the two dogs out and came up," Patel said. "I went to check on him. I walk in and I’m like, 'How are you feeling?' He didn’t respond, which is very unlike him. He always responded. I kind of gave his body a little shove tap. He didn’t respond, and that's when I went onto the other side and found him unconscious."

Patel immediately called 911. At the hospital, it was determined Workoff had died in his sleep a couple hours prior when he went into cardiac arrest. He tested positive for COVID-19 and his death was deemed coronavirus-related. Workoff did not have any preexisting health conditions, Patel said.

"My worry was, was he calling for me? Was he struggling?"

Patel also tested positive for the coronavirus, but her symptoms were "very mild" compared to her husband's, she said.

After Workoff died, Patel says she was a "lost soul." She wouldn't eat, sleep, talk to anyone or do anything.

"It f------ sucks," she said. "To be completely honest, seeing these people not taking this quarantine seriously and it potentially being extended, and grieving during this period, it has been such a challenge. It really messes with reality, because it kind of doesn’t feel real still. I’m still stuck in a house. Never did I think that I would lose him."

Eventually, Patel spoke to a therapist and joined support groups, where she met a woman named Kathryn, who she says has been her saving grace.

"The people she put me in contact with, the support groups, they have been so supportive, and I am so thankful for them," Patel said. "To this day, if I have a hard time, I’ll call her. She’ll talk me through anything I’m feeling. A lot of me being able to hold my head right now, is because of her group."

Kathryn launched the Long Island Young Widows and Widowers Group on Facebook, as well as the website WidowedNotAlone.com.

Patel has shifted her focus toward telling her husband's story in hopes that it will potentially save lives.

"The weather is getting warmer, and people think that they’ll be OK. They don’t want to wear masks. They’re like, 'Alright, it’s been awhile. I can go out, and I can be with my people and I’ll be OK.' But what people don’t realize is that you can be a carrier and you can transmit whatever you have to another person and potentially put their life at risk. I think that's what happened to Luke."

She can't help but feel frustrated when she goes out and sees people not wearing masks and gloves while delivering food, at the grocery store or elsewhere.

"It doesn't make sense. For me, I feel this way because I lost my husband to COVID. [Other people] don’t know these stories of young people passing to COVID who don’t show these severe symptoms who could’ve came in contact with somebody who's a carrier."

Patel urges everyone to follow the guidelines presented by state officials, especially given the population density of Long Island and New York City. People should cover their mouths, wear gloves and wash their hands, she said.

"Ultimately, it's just listening. Listen to what other people have to say. Don't be selfish, because God forbid you have it, you’re going near somebody, and if they have an elderly or an immunocompromised person at home, you’re putting them at risk. If you can just follow the rules. That’s all it is. Follow the rules."