Anti-vaccine podcaster dies of COVID-19 after attending right-wing gathering in US

An anti-vaccine podcaster died after he was infected with COVID-19 while attending a conspiracy conference by a right wing group that eventually became a super-spreader, WION reported.

Doug Kuzma, 61, succumbed to the infection on Monday after being hospitalised for 10 days in Virginia. He got infected following a visit to the right-wing “ReAwaken America Tour” in Dallas, Texas on December 11.

Kuzma used to work with the FROG News podcasting network, which stands for “Fully Rely On God.”

The podcaster used to spread conspiracy theories surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. His theories ranged from hospitals intentionally killing patients, doctors inflating infection numbers to claims such as vaccine was being used to kill elderlies.

Earlier, Kuzma said that it was his chronic bronchitis. On December 15, he shared a post on Facebook informing that he had a fever and had to call a doctor.

After suffering from a fever for five days, he was forced to admit that he had likely contracted COVID-19 and was reportedly found unconscious at his home on Christmas Eve, after which he was taken to hospital and placed on a ventilator.

When a social media user commented that he should get a Covid test, Kuzma responded, “No way.” When the commenter said it was better to be “safe than sorry,” Kuzma slammed him, writing: “You must have lost your mind, so they can kill me, and try and give me the jab. I’ll die at the house before I go to the hospital.”

As per a member of FROG News, the final message Kuzma sent was a picture of himself with a “refill of ivermectin.”

The drug has not been approved for treating COVID-19 and is best known as a horse dewormer.