American Man in His 30s Who Mocked Vaccines Dies from COVID-19

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] A man in his 30s in the United States who mocked the COVID-19 vaccine on social networking services (SNS) died after battling COVID-19.

According to major U.S. media on the 24th (local time), 34-year-old American Steve Harman, who was battling COVID-19, passed away on the 21st at a hospital in Los Angeles (LA).

Harman, who was hospitalized due to worsening symptoms after being infected with COVID-19, posted a photo of himself lying in a hospital bed on SNS shortly before his death, writing, "I am intubated and on a ventilator," and "I don't know when I will wake up. Please pray for me."

Before being infected with COVID-19, Harman had mocked the U.S. government's vaccination campaign on Twitter. Rejecting COVID-19 vaccination due to religious beliefs, he said, "I have 99 problems but the vaccine is not one," and stated, "President Biden's vaccine overseers should be called witnesses of JaCovid." The "witnesses of JaCovid" is a play on the Biden administration's efforts to encourage COVID-19 vaccination, likening it to the evangelizing activities of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Dr. Orin Friedman, Harman's attending physician, said, "The number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients has increased tenfold," and "virtually all patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were unvaccinated."