A North Texas military veteran is among the many Latinos in Dallas County who have tested positive COVID-19.
The coronavirus has disproportionately affected Hispanics locally and across the nation.
Dallas County said more than half of the county’s COVID-19 cases are Latino residents.
Considered by his kids as "the best pop around," Marine veteran Erasmo Arciba, known as Eddie, is in the fight of his life after contracting COVID-19.
The Lancaster man has been cared for at Methodist Charlton Medical Center in Dallas since he was hospitalized on July 2, according to his family.
His condition worsened overnight with his fever spiking at 103, they said.
“It’s hard to sleep at night because you don’t want your loved one there and to know that he’s going through that,” Arciba's daughter Gabriella said.
Gabriella Arciba, 23, said she first contracted the virus then mistakenly allowed her twin sister, who lives with their parents, around her.
Their father then got sick.
“It was that risk that we didn’t have to take and we did take it and so I feel guilt all the time,” she said.
Arciba and at least six family members have contracted the virus that’s disproportionately affecting Latinos.
In Dallas County, which has about a 40% Hispanic population, Latinos make up over 60% of coronavirus cases, according to county reports.
When it comes to hospitalized COVID-patients over 80% are essential workers.
“When you hear ‘Latino’ you automatically think ‘hard worker’ and so a lot of cases are being brought up through work,” Gabriella Arciba said. “Some of us that are still essential and some of us that still have to go to work we’re taking that risk because we have to feed our families.”
Arciba's family has a GoFundMe account for hospital costs.
