EXCLUSIVE: 4J bus driver, widower of COVID-19 victim speaks out

Brian Alexander lost his wife to COVID-19 and then learned he was positive, as well.

Jillian smukler.

Tonight a man is remembering his wife who died of coronavirus - but also calling on the community... urging them to take this seriously -- because he says this could easily happen to you.

Emma jerome sat down with him in an exclusive interview and has the very latest.

Brian and his wife mary kay took a trip to mercer island washington for a memorial service -- and that's where the story begins "pretty sure we contracted it there" ej: "when you guys came back who was the first person between you and marykay to start presenting symptoms of coronavirus" ba: "well that was me" brian says he woke up one morning - with a 101 degree fever, but with some medicine -- the fever broke next morning -- same thing happened when it happened a third time -- he went to see a doctor not even thinking of coronavirus "so i tried to get in at my free clinic through the school district -- and they said they didn't have any openings" brian works maintenance in the shop for 4j and drives bus routes when needed he called his doctor's office and was told they ddn't have the ability to isolate him "so i ended up going to the urgent care on west 11th..

Went in and told them my symptoms and i was checked out by a nurse who checked my temperature and checked my oxygen levels and listened to my chest and they basically sais 'oh he's fine he doesn't have the symptoms" but they were wrong after a chest x ray came out clear -- he was diagnosed with bacterial bronchitis -- prescribed antibiotics and sent on his way and at this point he was confident he was in the clear "everything we had heard about coronavirus was that it just ravaged your body and it was just a horrible horrible disease" he was even told by the doctor that 48 hours after he started antibiotics he could go back to work and be just fine "i got the ok from doctors to go back to work... i never would have if i had known" but then the unthinkable happened.

Mary kay woke up wth a fever -- so he tried the same things he had tried -- calling doctors and getting no answers that night things got worse "i noticed she was making noises breathing both in and out and sadly it kind of irritated me i was like 'stop that' i even think at one point i put in earbuds so i didn't have to hear her" the next morning -- he knew she needed help... by then it was too late "i was kinding of prodding her saying you need to get up -- and she said 'help me up' so i tried to help her get her feet on the floor and thn she collapsed on the ground" "and she's trying her darndest to get back up and she couldn't do it so at one point i tried to get her legs back under her so i get her legs back under her and at one point she laid back to rest to try one last time to get back up and then i noticed she wan't breathing" he called 9-1-1 the dispatch led him through steps on how to perform cpr "mind you i have my cpr card, but there's a difference between doing cpr in the field and doing it on your wife" when paramedics finally arrived -- they performed cpr for 16 minutes -- they even got her heart back working -- but brian new she was gone "she just wasn't there anymore.

I guess i was hoping in my heart of hearts that she would come back... but she didn't" he says that left him with the most questions.

"the ease came when i got my wife's test results -- because i couldn't understand how she just passed aaway withing a number of hours from respiratory issues she had been having since september" in the weeks following -- brian took to facebook to play music in his home during what he called "socially distant fest" honoring his wife -- the best way he knows how "i've been playing guitar for a few weeks -- ever since my wife passed-- this one's for you hunny" instrumental for 15 second* that was emma jerome reporting.

Tomorrow on kezi 9 news at five we will introduce you to mary-kay..

The woman she was... and why brian says the community needs to take this virus seriously... so that you can keep your family safe.