The Virus is Not a Hoax: Texas Man Dies After Attending COVID-19 Party
To some people, COVID 19 is not something to take seriously. It's just the ordinary flu that can be cured with over-the-counter drugs until they get hit by it. Others survive, while others lose their lives.
A 30-year-old Texas man reportedly died after attending a "COVID-19 party." A doctor said the victim thought coronavirus was a hoax.
The patient, whose identity was not released, died at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jane Appleby said the patient told a nurse he had attended a party hosted by a person diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus. The host allegedly wanted to gather people "to see if the virus is real," NBC 4 San Antonio reported on Friday.
Appleby said those skeptical of the virus hold the parties with someone who has previously tested positive.
Earlier this month, authorities in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, said college students organized parties and gatherings with a coronavirus-infected person. The attendees put money in a pot. Whoever gets infected with the pandemic first wins the money, USA Today reports.
Texas COVID-19 Cases
On Saturday, state officials set another record high after reporting 10,351 new cases in a single day. Dallas County health officials said 1,101 new cases. It was the ninth-consecutive day the county surpassed a thousand cases.
Tarrant County health officials also recorded 423 new cases and four deaths, as reported by WFAA.
On Friday, Texas's hospitalizations hit 10,083. It was the first time the state had surpassed 10,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients. The previous week closed out with an average number of daily cases at 1,121. Health officials also reported 54 deaths.
According to a tweet by WFAA reporter William Joy, Texas's hospitalizations increased by 365 percent since June 10. The weekly average of cases surged by 393 percent, with the weekly positivity rate of 111 percent and weekly deaths up by 184 percent.
Texas Coronavirus Outbreak
In early June, hundreds flocked Corpus Christi, a popular beachfront vacation spot for Texans, after word spread that the city hardly had any positive cases.
Residents from various cities in Texas drove to Corpus Christi. At the time, the city did not require masks indoors. Peter Zanoni, the city manager, called it "a getaway from the rules and regulations."
However, the flood of tourists led the city to have one of the fastest-growing outbreaks. Corpus Christi has recorded 38 deaths, with 30 recorded in July. The victims who died from the virus include a 6-month-old baby, as reported by The New York Times.
The city's two dozen contact tracers are facing difficulties seeking detailed information about each new infection. Local officials are scrambling to curb the virus's spread that has affected 445 residents as of Wednesday. Hospitals are rapidly losing bed spaces for COVID-19 patients.
Data gathered from cellphones showed the city returned to a pre-pandemic level in early June, with restaurants seeing the most activity. Local bar owners also noted that they did not ask patrons to observe social distancing or wear masks. Retail stores did not start requiring face coverings until last week.
The outbreak forced city leaders to acknowledge that the tourists, who helped the city's economy thrive, may have also been the ones who caused the outbreak.
So, is COVID-19 still a hoax? You decide.