Man Dies From Coronavirus After Claiming It Was Just 'Hype' and Refusing to Wear Face Masks

A 37-year-old man from Port Clinton, Ohio, has died from COVID-19 four days after testing positive for the coronavirus. He once claimed that the coronavirus pandemic was just "hype" and he repeatedly refused to follow the government's recommendations to wear a face mask.

Richard Rose was a U.S. Army veteran who served nine years and did two tours of Iraq and Afghanistan. He loved social media, the paranormal, NASCAR, and the NFL. He was also a fervent supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump

Rose started feeling ill and wrote that he had symptoms of COVID-19 on July 1. On the same day, he announced that he tested positive for the virus and would be in quarantine. On July 4, Rose died it his home in the town where he was born and raised.

An active social media user

Rose was vocal in his support for Trump, who has repeatedly downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic. In one of his posts on Facebook, he declared his support for the U.S. president writing that he is glad to call Trump "MY PRESIDENT."

He accompanied that text with a screenshot of Trump's Twitter post vowing to "crack down" on Black live Matter protesters in Minneapolis and called them thugs. The death of George Floyd sparked the protests.

The previous day, he criticized the Black Lives Matter and described it as a "joke." He also said that if the protesters wanted people to take them seriously, they should start acting like they want change.

"You all start throwing that hashtag around then start burning down buildings, killing shop owners, and looting buildings. You are ruining people's lives by doing this. You are being SELFISH in your THEFT," Rose wrote in his Facebook post.

On April 28, he wrote that the pandemic was just "hype." His post was shared 10,000 times in which he wrote that he was not buying into the hype and refused to buy a face mask since he has gotten far enough without buying one.

Then on May 12, he wrote that he became sick of all the media sharing news and ads about coronavirus and had decided to turn off his T.V. and cable box. He also started snoozing people to block out the negativity.

Read Also: Men are More Likely NOT to Wear Face Masks Because they See them as Being "Shameful" and "Not Cool"

Rose died on July 4

Leading up to his death, Rose updated his Facebook on July 1, announcing that he has been feeling sick for a few days with symptoms of COVID-19. He got a swab test in the morning and got the result on the same day. His results came back positive for the virus and updated his Facebook once again, writing that he will undergo a 14-day quarantine.

He continued to update his Facebook account, writing that he is mostly out of breath even just by sitting. Two days later, on July 4, Rose died of the coronavirus. His friend, Nick Conley, whom he met because they share the same love for video games, said that everyone was blown away by his passing.

Moreover, he said that people in social media criticize Rose for his decision that he made for not wearing a mask. "We should still be compassionate whether we agree with someone's beliefs or not. Someone has passed away and we should have some compassion towards that," Conley said.