A Covid-denying conspiracy theorist who refused to wear a face mask died a day after testing positive for the virus.
Gary Matthews, 46, had been ill for around a week before
testing positive for coronavirus on January 12. He died alone in his flat in
Shrewsbury, Shropshire the next evening, according to the Guardian of London.
Mr Matthews, who exercised regularly, is understood to have
told a local conspiracy theorist that he suffered from asthma - though his
family said they were not aware of his condition and suggested he may have kept
an inhaler on him to exempt himself from wearing a mask.
His heartbroken family insist that he did not believe
Covid-19 was real, and would not adhere to government pandemic measures including
social distancing and mask mandates.
Conspiracy theorists have bandied about the outlandish
suggestion that he was 'murdered' by the state, the Guardian reports. However,
an autopsy has not taken place.
Britain has recorded more than 100,000 Covid-related deaths, with scientists claiming the victims could have been reduced if the government had taken tougher action earlier in the pandemic.
Mr Matthews' cousin Tristan Copeland
said he had begged him to wear a mask and maintain social distance.
'But he and his friends had the mindset that they needed
to go out and meet people to show they didn't believe the government,' he said.
He called Mr Matthews 'quite shy' and was 'led astray' by
conspiracy theorists he found on Facebook groups.
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