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.
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 claim Mr Matthews may have killed himself, and 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.