‘Anybody else lose a 'nobody'?’: Zach Braff invites people to share tributes to loved ones who died of COVID-19

Zach Braff spoke up about the loss of his friend Nick Cordero to the coronavirus after President Donald Trump made a statement saying, “The virus affects virtually nobody” — and now people are responding to Braff’s tweet with their own personal stories of those who they lost to the virus, putting names to the “nobodies” that died.

Trump’s statement was made during a rally in Vandalia, Ohio, as the nation was hitting the grim milestone of 200,000 deaths by COVID. “It affects elderly people, elderly people with heart problems and other problems,” he said. “It affects virtually nobody. It’s an amazing thing.”

Braff, who experienced the death of his close friend, who was just 41 years old, responded to the clip on Twitter writing, “This one hurts when you lost a best friend.” A follower then wrote, “I’ve lost 3 ‘nobodies’ to COVID-19.”

The actor responded to ask, ”Anybody else lose a ‘nobody’?” on Tuesday afternoon. As of Wednesday, the tweet has 179 replies, most of which highlight the death of a friend or family member from the coronavirus.

Amanda Kloots, Cordero’s wife, also responded to Trump’s comments via Instagram story. “And to all the families that have lost someone to this awful virus I am with you. I cry everyday because this virus affected my husband. My person. It does affect people and our people’s people,” she wrote. “This one really hurt.”

The widow, and mother to the couple’s 1-year-old son, Elvis, was also featured in The New York Times on Tuesday, where she spoke about the deep impact that the virus has had on herself, her son, her friends, family and even her Instagram followers, for whom she chronicled the difficult, months-long journey of Cordero’s illness. She even touched on the country’s response to the virus, and how being better prepared might have led to a different outcome for many.

“Yeah, sure. I mean, we weren’t prepared. I think anyone working in the hospital would say that, and I’m not even trying to get political. I’m just saying, were we prepared for the pandemic? No. Did we have the information to be prepared? I don’t know, and I’m not even going to go there,” she told the publication. “But we should have been prepared better, and I do think that if we were, it could have made a difference in a lot of people’s lives, not just Nick.”

Aside from the lives lost, one of Braff’s followers also responded to his tweet to shed light on the countless other ways that the pandemic has truly affected everyone.

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• What to do if you think you have the coronavirus

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• Glossary of public health terms to stay informed

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• Taking care of a loved one with COVID-19? Here’s how to stay healthy

• COVID-19 and pregnancy: What we know so far

• How to find a job, unemployment insurance

• Q&A with Dr. Kavita Patel: How to keep your family safe and maintain your mental health

• Opening and cleaning delivery packages

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