Ohio Man Who Refused To Buy Face Mask And Called Pandemic ‘Hype’ Dies Of Coronavirus
https://www.unilad.co.uk/news/world...and-called-pandemic-hype-dies-of-coronavirus/
A 37-year-old man who refused to wear a face mask because he thought it was a ‘hype’ has died from complications due to coronavirus.
Richard Rose, from Port Clinton, Ohio, openly dismissed the use of face masks in a
Facebook post made in April, in which he stated: ‘Let’s make this clear. I’m not buying a mask.’
Though state lockdowns were somewhat successful in initially slowing the spread of the virus, a rush to re-open the US and residents’ refusal to wear face masks has led to a dramatic increase in the spread.
Cases in the country have hit record-breaking levels in recent weeks, with 3,364,547 confirmed cases and 135,615 deaths recorded at the time of writing, July 14.
Rose’s Facebook post came after health officials encouraged lockdowns and social distancing measures following the outbreak in March, and he made it clear he felt a mask wasn’t necessary, writing: ‘I’ve made it this far by not buying into that damn hype.’
A couple of months later, on July 1, Rose was diagnosed with coronavirus and announced he would be in quarantine for the next two weeks.
He had no known pre-existing health conditions, but sadly passed away at his home in Ohio on July 4 at the age of 37,
Cleveland 19 News reports.
Posts from Rose’s Facebook page indicate he visited public places before he fell ill, and without a mask to help protect him the 37-year-old increased his risk of contracting the virus.
Rose’s friend Nick Conley, said his friends and family were ‘blown away’ at the news of his death. He added: ‘You hear about this virus and you don’t expect it to affect people, younger people like ourselves.’
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