Man who believed virus was hoax loses wife to Covid-19

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

Man who believed virus was hoax loses wife to Covid-19

By Marianna Spring
Specialist disinformation reporter, BBC News

24 August 2020

A Florida taxi driver, who believed false claims that coronavirus was a hoax, has lost his wife to Covid-19.

Brian Lee Hitchens and his wife, Erin, had read claims online that the virus was fabricated, linked to 5G or similar to the flu.

The couple didn't follow health guidance or seek help when they fell ill in early May. Brian recovered but his 46-year-old wife became critically ill and died this month from heart problems linked to the virus.

Brian spoke to the BBC in July as part of an investigation into the human cost of coronavirus misinformation. At the time, his wife was on a ventilator in hospital.

-snip-

Her husband explained that the couple did not follow health guidance at the start of the pandemic because of the false claims they had seen online.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53892856

______________________________________________________________________

Read more: Coronavirus: The human cost of virus misinformation (BBC)

[Skittles]

1. I can't help it

I feel very sorry for this man - regardless of how stupid and naive they were, he has lost a loved one because of the absolute negligence and outright criminality of the repuke party under Trump......it is sickening beyond belief

[essme]

4. and FOX news has contributed to those deaths

also.

People of a certain age are brought up to believe "the news," and "the President."

We have had some real twits in office before (that's how DU got started), but W would not have called a pandemic a "hoax," and led so many down this horrid path.

[Skittles]

5. absolutley correct

their long vendetta against SCIENCE is having predictable results

they need to be SUED

[essme]

7. Sued out of existence

I agree. Just like the old snake oil salesmen of yore- they need to go.

[gratuitous]

2. And then there are people who took every precaution and got infected by folks like this

Every one of these lives can be laid at the feet of Donald J. Trump and his complete failure of leadership.

[JI7]

3. How do people end up so ignorant like this ? Even if you don't understand the science

do you see everything going on in the world and they are all in on this hoax ? All medical professionals from around the world are behind a hoax ?

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

6. It wasn't because off "false claims on line." It was because of Trump's continuing to lie about it.

"It's another Democratic hoax," he said at one rally.

BTW, he has used "hoax" 250 times so far this year.

R.I.P., Erin.

[grantcart]

8. "She's in a better place". Could any place be worse than living with you?

[genxlib]

9. I find the framing on this story to be strange

Am I the only one that finds it odd that it is about the man. After all, the woman was an adult and apparently believed and behaved the same way.

Framing it as his fault (and his loss) makes it seem as if he had her tied up in the basement bringing her tainted bread. I could even understand it if they had disagreements but he brought it home despite her objections.

But she had free will and joined with him in both attitude and behavior.

They were both at fault for their own misfortune but she is the one that paid the ultimate price.

[JI7]

10. It's because he is telling the story since he is still alive and she is dead . But both are to blame

and at fault .

[DrToast]

12. Yes. I've seen some of her Facebook posts.

If anything, she was more dismissive than he was. I can only assume they’re framing the story this way because he survived and she didn’t.



https://bnonews.com/index.php/2020/08/florida-pastor-who-dismissed-coronavirus-as-just-the-flu-dies/

[BannonsLiver]

11. It's a powerful reminder of several things

1. There are people out there who are really that willfully uninformed about the world around them.

2. The power of Facebook and other propaganda laden social media platforms has on willfully stupid and ignorant people. In what world would someone think electronics could create and spread a respiratory virus.

Sorry for his loss. But this is an example of how not paying attention can get you killed. It’s no different from not looking both ways before crossing a street.