As British Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepares to announce that the majority of the remaining Covid-19 restrictions in England will be lifted from July 19, the news that Trivium frontman Matt Heafy and his whole family tested positive for coronavirus last week serves as a reminder that the pandemic has not yet been eradicated worldwide.
Heafy, 35, lives in Florida with his wife Ashley and their two-year-old twin children. Sharing a photo of his positive test result on social media, the vocalist/guitarist added a caption saying, "Welp. Went from a non-vaccinated person to [my wife] Ashley (vaccinated) to the kids (unvaccinated) to me (vaccinated).”
"Thankfully due to being vaccinated it merely feels like a tour cold,” Heafy said, but added, “my dad however got sick without a vaccine and is now 12 weeks into a very terrible recovery with lung/ heart/ liver issues.”
Vaccines authorised for use in the United States offer protection against most variants of Covid-19, however variant strains might cause illness in some people even after they are fully vaccinated.
Death Angel drummer Will Carroll spoke last year about his own battle with Covid-19, after falling ill during the band’s European tour with Testament and Exodus. Carroll spent 12 days in a coma in a San Francisco hospital after catching the virus.
“It looked like I was going to die," Carroll said. "When I did come to, the doctors couldn't believe it. They were coming in just to see for themselves, looking at me like I was a miracle. It was really scary when I saw the looks on their faces. like, wow, I must've been that close, you know?"
The drummer added that his near death experience had given him a new outlook on spirituality.
“I kind of believe there is higher presence, a higher power,” he said. “And between that and everyone's collective positive energy, people rooting for me and sending me messages to get well, I think that collective energy was what got me through it. I do believe in the spirit world now, and energy and karma and stuff like that.”
