They did everything right, but this led them to die of covid

(CNN) -

Mike and Carol Bruno did everything they could to prevent covid-19.

They refrained from hosting the large, traditional family gatherings they were used to.

This couple became attached to phone calls and video conferencing with family, even though they didn't live very far away.

But a simple family visit to get a haircut claimed their lives.

The Brusons were married for nearly six decades before dying from the virus, their son Joseph Bruno told CNN.

These Chicago husbands, who died 10 days apart, are now among the more than 337,000 people who have died from coronavirus in the United States.

Bruno hopes his family's grief will serve as an important reminder of how easy it can be to get COVID-19, no matter how safe one is.

"Even when we think we did everything right, we catch it," Bruno told CNN.

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The precautions failed

At the end of November, Bruno's mother, Carol Bruno, went with her daughter to Joseph Bruno's apartment for the latter to cut her brother Joseph's hair.

Before the visit, the sister, who works in a beauty salon, had undergone a covid-19 test that came back negative.

She had also been in quarantine for three or four days, a sign the family took to indicate that it was safe to be around her.

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His mother, on the other hand, hadn't been out much during the pandemic.

During the visit, which lasted about 40 minutes, the Brushes wore masks and avoided hugs, Bruno explained.

They also made sure their mother sat by the windows they had opened as an extra precaution.

One day after the visit, Bruno's sister began to show symptoms of Covid-19.

Mother and son began to feel ill soon after.

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A visit turns into tragedy

Carol Bruno, the mother, was admitted to the hospital on Thanksgiving, but was released that week because her condition improved.

Two days later, she returned to the hospital where she was hooked up to a ventilator.

Later, her husband became ill.

Mike Bruno did not even accompany his wife and daughter to see their son, but he began experiencing symptoms and was admitted to a hospital about two weeks after Thanksgiving, according to Bruno.

The day after her husband got a fan, Carol passed away.

Nine days later, two days before Christmas, Mike died too.

"I think what gives us peace is knowing that my dad didn't know my mom passed away," Bruno told CNN affiliate ABC7.

All it took was making a simple choice after months of caution, a choice that they thought was safe.

"If I had made that sacrifice and hadn't spent, you know, 30 to 40 minutes with my mom, they would still be here," Bruno said.

CNN's Kay Jones contributed to this report.

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