Love in the time of Covid

EL PASO, Texas - Sal and Maritza Soto survived the worst Covid symptoms inside their UMC hospital room, which the nurse coined, the honeymoon suite.

That was November 2020.

And on this Valentine's day, they looked back on what that virus, and that stay, did to their marriage.

"It made us stronger as a couple." That's how Maritza Soto, a former UMC nurse, describes her time inside the Covid unit at U-M-C alongside her husband, Sal.

"She was my angel; she was my angel because she actually saved my life," said Sal about his wife.

Sal described what it was like seeing his wife with tubes attached to her nose, struggling to breathe.

"It was horrible. It was horrible. Looking at her was like looking at myself in the mirror. Like she said, I didn't know if she was gonna come out of it alive. Because she's got asthma." Sal responded.

The Sotos have been married for 22 years.

And they feel they moved from their honeymoon suite at UMC to their Honeymoon home in the city's eastside.

ABC-7 asked the couple whose love endured during the pandemic what advice they have.

"I learned to be patient with him. And our advice to other couples just understand each other. Accept your flaws. Love each other despite the flaws. Cause you're gonna have flawed people. And if you keep waiting for that perfect person, your never gonna find him. He's perfect for me, and I'm perfect for him."

Maritza retired shortly after their hospital stay.

Covid may not have taken a toll on their marriage, but it did take a toll on her career, caring for so many patients during the pandemic.

Now she says her number one patient is Sal.