Alexandria Nurse Decried Coronavirus Conspiracies Before Death

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A nurse who tested positive for the new coronavirus worked at a memory care community in Alexandria. Before her death, Nina Forbes shared her experience with the virus.

Forbes' family told NBC4 she worked at Silverado Alexandria Memory Care Community, where an outbreak of the virus was reported. The Alexandria Times previously reported the facility did not share how many coronavirus cases it had.

On April 16, the 56-year-old Forbes wrote on Facebook about learning she had the new coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 illness. She criticized "conspiracy theories," including doubts about who can get the virus. Forbes described herself as healthy with no underlying health problems when she found out she had the virus.

"I realized something was wrong when I started feeling worse than I’ve ever felt in my life," she wrote.

Forbes was a certified nursing assistant for many years and studied to become a nurse, which she achieved at age 52. She had been a nurse for four years, most recently at the Alexandria memory care facility, according to her obituary.

"Nina loved being a nurse, taking care of her clients and creating relationships with her client’s families," reads her obituary.

A statement from the Silverado facility to NBC4 addressed the "tragic loss" of Forbes and recognized her work on the front lines of the crisis. While the facility said staff had personal protective equipment, Forbes' family questioned whether workers received enough information about the outbreak as well as PPE.

Forbes was treated at Inova Fairfax Hospital before she died. A memorial service will be announced at a later time when a gathering will be safe.