Darwin Award: Man Died After Placing Lit Fireworks on His Head

NOTE: Darwin Award is a satirical award and should not be treated literally. 

South Carolina man was found dead by arriving deputies who responded to a "fireworks accident" at a neighborhood block party in Summerville about 10:23 pm. The man had suffered from massive head injuries. 

The victim, 41-yr old Allen M, according to witnesses which included family members, ignited a large firework device and set it on his head. The device went off, and the victim collapsed. 

It is not known if alcohol played a factor in this incident, but the victim's wife believed the victim was "showing off". 

Source: WCBD-TV news. 

COVIDiocy Victim: Her Co-Morbidity was Belief in Conspiracy Theories

A family grieves after their matriarch has died from COVID. But she didn't have to die. She died because she believed in various conspiracy theories, such as "COVID is a hoax". 

While 75, she is otherwise a healthy individual that have plenty of years left... Her name was Stephanie, and this is her story. 

No doubt, COVID deniers like her will claim that "COVID isn't dangerous to healthy people", and she paid the price while the pundits deny her existence by claiming she had co-morbidities. 

She refused TWO treatments that could have saved her because she heard that the treatments will kill her. 

Her husband, who was infected by her, took all the treatments. He was out of the hospital after just five days. She never left. 

Her co-morbidity is her belief in conspiracy theories. 

Qanon COVIDiocy: How Qanon Carried On Without Trump by Merging with the Antivax Movement

Qanon started as some nameless droppers of info promising new revealing information about a conspiracy... and somehow Trump was battling some sort of "deep state" conspiracy full of child traffickers led by notable Democrats such as former first lady Hilary Clinton. Enough of them stuck around for the January 6th insurrection, and enough of them remain to discredit and undermine the Biden government now. And one of the most obvious targets was the vaccine and mask mandates. 

Before January 2022 came about, there were plenty of doomsday predictions from Qanon fodders claiming that when 5G activates all you COVID vaccine lovers will be turned into mind-controlled zombies. They don't realize they've been repeating an old debunked story when someone uploaded a guitar effect pedal circuit diagram and claimed it's a "5G mind control chip" embedded into COVID vaccine nanotech. 

Then of course Bill Gates gets dragged into it because he's rich. And fearmonger mockumentaries such as Plandemic II made false claims about Bill Gates, among many other egregious factual problems. 

Then there are Qanon fodders who decided to martyr themselves for news. Cirsten Weldon was known for sprouting Qanon beliefs on YT, Facebook, Telegram, and Telegram, still refers to Trump as president, and claiming arrests of enemies are already happening. She also called people who got COVID vaccines "idiots". In December she fell sick of COVID, but chose to use the term "bacterial pneumonia", a common term among Qanon fodder as a euphemism for COVID. In hospital she refused antiviral treatment, and died in January 2022. Apparently her followers harassed the staff of the hospital, some even called for death of hospital staff for contributing to Weldom's death. 

But the weirdest and craziest Qanon fodders actually killed people. Troy Burke killed his wife Jessica after being told by Qanon members that his wife is a transgender offspring of President Biden and is working for the CIA as a child trafficker. So he shot her in the head 3 times. 

And he's not the only one. Another Qanon fodder lighted a pipe bomb and blew up his RV killing himself and injuring 3 others. Another tried to kill his family ahead of Biden's inauguration day because he was convinced the "great revelation" will be horrible. Another tried to kill his own children with a spear gun because he believed they had DNA from lizard people and would "grow up to be monsters". They all are Qanon fodder egged on by other Qanon to do evil. 

Burke was declared not guilty by reason of insanity and will likely spend his life in an institution. 

If you are antivax or on the fence, consider the strange bedfellows you're keeping, They may be insane, or they are egging on unstable people to actually go insane. 

Maybe they are egging you on... 

Sad COVIDiocy: Unvaxxed British Young Pregnant Woman Killed by COVID-induced Stroke

Sadie, 24, was 29 weeks pregnant when she caught COVID. She was not vaxxed. She was pronounced brain dead on December 3rd, 2021 due to a brain hemorrhage caused by COVID blood clot. Her baby was saved via emergency C-section. 

Sadie's father, David, said his daughter had a "hunky dory" pregnancy until she started developing migraines and chest pain. She was diagnosed with a blood clot in her lung in October. Doctors sent her home with blood-thinning medication. 

Sadie caught COVID in November, but was mostly asymptomatic. 

On the morning of December 2nd, Sadie found herself paralyzed on one side. A blood clot had traveled to her brain, causing a full-on stroke. She was transported by ambulance to the hospital. 

Sadie died the next day. She is survived by the newborn, Eliot, and two-year-old daughter Harper. 

It is very likely that had she been vaxxed, she may still be with us today. That was the opinion of the folks in the hospital. 

Sad COVIDiocy: Antivax Mom of Three, vowing to live without fear, died of COVID at 29

Bridget Jackson is a mother of three in Port Huron, Michigan, and both anti-mask and anti-vaccine. She claimed in one post that she "understands the risks" but does not "prioritize fear over life", and "your fear (because you wear masks) is your issue". She had shared many different posts about God did not make you to be afraid of COVID. 

Jackson came down with COVID in November, and passed away on December 21st, 2021, at the age of 29, leaving behind a fiancee and three children under age of 10. 

Like many antivaxxers, Ms. Jackson made the mistake of confusing respect and taking precautions with being afraid. 

I respect the potential harm of COVID, so I took every reasonable precaution such as buying N95 masks and wearing them when I go out, getting both of my Pfizer shots plus the booster shot, and I limit my outdoor excursions. Am I afraid of COVID? No. 

The people who vow to "live free" whether from fear or from mandate, are prioritizing some ideals ABOVE their survival. 

And Ms. Jackson found that COVID will take her anyway. 

Please don't be Ms. Jackson. Get vaxxed. Stick around and enjoy your life. 

God did not create us for us to throw away our lives on a dare. 

Sad COVIDiocy: Triple World Champion Kickboxer Frederick "The Undertaker" Sinistra, and antivaxxer, has died from COVID

We are sad but not surprised to report that Frederick Sinistra has died of COVID. He was 41. 

Triple World Champion Kick Boxer Frederick Sinistra, Anti-Science, Anti-Mask, Anti-Vax, dead from Covidiot infection. pic.twitter.com/AVKrvCE3qp

— John O'Connell (@jdpoc) December 21, 2021

What's tragic was Fred was in TOTAL denial over COVID. Months ago he discharged himself from the hospital, claiming to be treating the disease himself at home. He called COVID "the hair flu" and railed against the Belgian government's attempt to control it. Belgium has a 90+% vaccination rate. 

In November, when he got worse, his coach finally got him to go back to the hospital. Fred posted the picture included in the Tweet above, with him hooked up to oxygen. But he posted on social media that "little virus" will not stop him. 

He apparently went home later and was posted as late as December 13th that he's doing fine at home. 

The three-time world champion died on December 15th, before the government added the latest lockdown procedure in order to slow the spread of omicron variant. 

It is a common misconception of antivaxxers who believe their "natural immunity" will save them. But as we have seen many times before, including triathlete John Ayers, when COVID comes for you, it does not care who you are or how fit you are. The best chance of NOT catching COVID is with the COVID vaccines, now supplemented by boosters. 

Don't be a COVIDiot. 

Religious COVIDiocy: Televangelist Marcus Lamb died of COVID after sharing conspiracy theories about COVID

Marcus Lamb was CEO of Daystar TV Network, one of the largest Christian broadcasters in the US. He died on November 30th, after being diagnosed of COVID on November 12th. 

Lamb was well known for his homophobic and transphobic views as well as his endorsement of "gay conversion therapy" where homosexuals are subjected to brainwashing and other abuses attempting to "convert" them back to heterosexuals, a practice that was denounced by the UN. 

Lamb was also caught buying a private jet with the Trump Administration COVID business loan called "paycheck protection program", which as the name suggests, was meant to be used to keep people employed. He ended up paying that back almost immediately. 

During COVID times, Lamb featured an antivax panel featuring antivax misinformation superspreaders such as RFK jr ("I am pro safety!"), Sherry Tenpenny ("vaccines makes you magnetic!"), and Ryan Cole (IVM will cure you!). 

It is believed that Lamb treated himself with IVM, HQL, and more. It clearly didn't work. 

His son blamed everything on "the enemy", which is Daystar's euphemism for "the Devil". 

COVID Update: 4-year old Texas Girl's Death now ruled as Undetermined

 Previously we reported the death of Kali Cook in Texas as a COVID death, as that was what the initial report says. However, now that a full autopsy had been performed in November, the cause of death was changed to "undetermined", because while COVID virus was found in her system, there seems to be not enough damage that could cause her to stop living. 

Sad COVIDiocy: The story of John Eyers, Triathlete, Fitness Fanatic, COVID casualty

John Eyers was the epitome of fitness. He ran triathlons. He is a bodybuilder and a mountain climber. He's got a six-pack and much more. But not even his family can change his mind about "no COVID vaccine for me". And he died of COVID in July 2021. 

In June 2021 he met with his family to celebrate his nephew's 10th birthday (son of his twin sister Jenny McCann) and he started spouting some nonsense about "people are getting COVID jab to get free McDonald's" or "it's got formaldehyde". Naturally, his family fact-checked him, but he won't change his mind. He kept saying "I won't be a guinea pig."  The subject was eventually dropped. Later they went to a health club, and John refused to put his mask on, but eventually did. And the weekend ended with no other incident. 

It was to be the last time they ever see each other. 

John tested positive for COVID on June 29th. By July 3rd he's so sick his girlfriend had to force him to call for paramedics to transport him to the hospital. Next day, he was vomiting blood. A week later he's on a ventilator, unable to breath himself. COVID first attacked his lungs, causing blood clots, as his body's immune system started attacking the lung tissues AND COVID. Doctors tried to put him on ventilator and use steroids to control the immune response, but that caused other illnesses to take hold, such as a lung infection, which cascaded to other organs. Doctors helped with dialysis, but lungs are not recovering. His body used all its reserves, fighting the virus and the complications. It was not enough. 

On July 27th, he lost the battle with COVID before his family can don PPE to spend the final moments with him. He was 42, in prime physical condition before COVID got him. 

John told the doctors before he was put on the ventilator, that he regretted not getting the vaccine. 

John's funeral was August 16, 2021. His family chose to share his story... John was a COVIDiot, and they don't want anyone else to share John's fate... or their fate of losing one of their own to something that could have been easily prevented. 

Don't be a COVIDiot like John, or one of the dozens all over the world like John. COVID can come for you no matter how healthy you are. And if you are not doing everything to prevent it, such as masks and vaccines, you are a part of the problem.  

Sad COVIDiocy: Couple set to marry are instead dead of COVID due to vaccine hesitancy

Chicago couple Luis Suarez and Norma Franco had been together for years, and planned to get married just after Thanksgiving, and get vaccinated so they can visit their folks. However, they would never get married now, as COVID claimed both of their lives before they can even tie the knot. 

Their surviving son hoped that by publicizing their story, they can save lives. He said, "People are worried about the side effects. The side effects of losing a family member are terrible, and that's what happens if you don't get vaccinated."

They cannot even be together in the hospital because they are not married yet. They had to be admitted separately to the hospital and unable to get information or communicate with each other. Both were eventually put on life support and died a week apart. 

Don't be a COVIDiot... get vaccinated ASAP.  COVID may come for you sooner than you think. 

Sad COVIDiocy: Anti-Masker and Anti-vaxxer Naturopath Christopher Foley died of COVID

Christopher Foley, a doctor in Minnesota, who also got credentials as a naturopath and homeopath, has died of complications of COVID, according to his son. The 71-year old doctor was famously anti-mask and anti-vaccine, claiming masks are "downright dangerous" if worn for extended periods of time, and called vaccine "a human experiment". 

According to his obituary, he died back in Mid-October. He had promoted taking Ivermectin, carrageenan, and vitamin D for treating COVID, and believed COVID was a Chinese bio-weapon. 

A reminder that Ivermectin is NOT an approved treatment for COVID and has no demonstratable effect except in a petri-dish at way too high a concentration. Carrageenan is believed to potentially cause gut tumors and ulcers, and is banned in Europe.  

Political COVIDiocy: If you wear a MAGA cap, you are far more likely to die of COVID

NYTimes reports that the death gap between red and blue counties is widening. 

In October 2021, 25 out of 100000 in heavily Trump counties died of COVID, compared to 7.8 per 100000 in heavily Biden counties. And this difference is accelerating for the FIFTH month. 

The difference is very simple: Republicans are about 40% unvaxxed, compared to 10% of Democrats. 

(Cited via Boingboing)

Sad COVIDiocy: San Francisco Policeman and Antivaxxer Died of COVID

SFPD Chief Bill Scott was sad to announce the passing of Office Jack Nyce, at the age of 47. Nyce was one of the 41 holdouts who refused to abide by the city's COVID vaccine mandate for all city employees by November 1st. Apparently he was diagnosed with COVID in late October and died on November 6th in the hospital. He had been a policeman in San Francisco for more than 17 years. He is survived by his wife and unknown number of children. 

San Francisco Human Resources stated that 98% of all city employees are vaccinated. 

Sad COVIDiocy: Grieving Mom Implores Antivaxxers to Get Vaccinated After Losing Her 10-Year Old Daughter to COVID

A 10-year old girl in Virginia, US has died of COVID. Her mother implored all who can receive to a vaccine to do so. In the US, the vaccine is only approved for 12 year-olds or older. 

The ten-year old felt a headache on September 22nd. By 26th, she was coughing so hard she was throwing up. Her mom was on the phone with 911 when she stopped breathing. She survived upon resuscitation, but her condition did not improve. The hospital lost her in the ICU a day later when she stopped breathing again and was unable to resuscitate her. 

The mother went to a school board meeting where COVID deniers continue to claim things like "[COVID] doesn't affect healthy people." 

The grieving mom is calling out the antivaxxers / COVID deniers. COVID comes for EVERYONE, and not all will survive it. If everyone get vaccinated, they can protect those who can't receive the vaccine yet. It's not about the freedom, but the social responsibility

Read the full story here:  https://www.comicsands.com/mom-antivaxxers-daughter-10-dies-2655204749.html

Don't be a COVIDiot. 

Classic COVIDiocy: Antivaxxers Refused To Believe Nurse is NOT Dead After Fainting on TV Receiving First COVID Vax

 If you have kept up with COVID news since 2020, you may remember this episode... 

Tiffany Dover is one of the first nurses in the nation to receive the COVID vaccine back in December 2020. She fainted a few minutes after the injection, just as she stood up, to answer reporters' questions, all on TV. 

She was up a few minutes later, explaining that she had an overactive vagus response, i.e. she's prone to fainting spells if overly excited or stimulated. It affects 20% of all people. That part was on TV. 

Fainting spells are a thing. Some people faint at the sight of blood, or even seeing one's toenail pulled under an anesthetic. (There's a video on The Toe Bro's Youtube channel about a mother who fainted when someone else was in the chair getting a nail pulled) 

That's all antivaxxers need to construct a giant conspiracy... That she died. This was bolstered by antivax videos editing out the part with her a few minutes later, very much alive. 

The antivaxxers then started to flood the hospital's phone lines and social media seeking "verification" that Tiffany is alive. Antivaxxers also reached out to anyone linked to Tiffany on social media asking for "proof" that she's alive. An announcement by the hospital is not enough for them. 

It got bad enough after six weeks that the hospital asked her to pose with staff and a signboard with a date and a hashtag as "proof of life". But this is where the conspiracy gone off the rails and claimed an actress was brought in to pose as her and/or wanted ADDITIONAL proof of life. Some trolls even suggested scour the city and stalk her family members. 

When family members posted a rebuttal, they got comments like "why don't you admit she's dead?" "how much did they pay you?" and "Why don't you let her speak for herself?" and so on. 

And this is when claims of a "body double" started. 

The conspirators, usually with a distrust of the medical establishment, need to validate their self-worth by harassing others. And they keep moving the goalpost. 

The hospital learned its lesson and started ignoring such demands. It is a hospital, not a PR agency to satisfy antivaxxer bull****. 

You can read the entire saga here: https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-wont-stop-harassing-tiffany-dover-nurse-theyre-convinced-is-dead-after-covid-shot

Don't be a COVIDiot antivaxxer who can't handle the truth. 

Crazy COVIDiocy: Antivaxxers Lie About Death to Discredit Vaccine, Enraging Surviving Family

 A 17-year old beautician died in her sleep due to unknown causes on September 14th, in Sudbury, Suffolk, England. The grieving family is horrified that many antivaxxers, desperate to discredit the vaccine any way they can, started to claim that the death was due to the COVID vaccine. 

Maddy Campbel is a beautician with a promising future, but her life was cut short, and a postmortem was unable to establish a definite cause of death. Yet after the limited release of news on Instagram, antivaxxer trolls started to inundate the announcement and the inbox with claims that "COVID vaccine killed her", probably accompanied by "it's a government cover-up". 

What the trolls don't know is that Maddy had NOT received any COVID vaccine. Not even a single dose. So her death has NOTHING to do with the COVID vaccine. 

Her father called out the antivaxxer trolls, "Anybody spreading such rumours should hang their heads in shame." 

Her place of employment also issued a statement: "We are horrified to hear that people are trying to sue Maddy's death as an 'anti vaccine' news story. Maddy would not wish to have her name used to dissuade people against having the vaccine. I would like to confirm that Maddy had neither doses of the COVID vaccine, her unexpected death was in no way linked."

-----

Unfortunately, this sort of vaccine-blaming happens QUITE OFTEN online. Any time there's a death, antivaxxers assess the death, and see if it can be blamed on vaccines somehow. Baby deaths are most often blamed, because a lot of children receive vaccines when they are young. Some grieving families are harassed into quitting social media, then the antivaxxers claim "cover-up". 

For example, Ashley Spivey, one-time contestant on The Bachelor back in about 2010 or so, suffered a stillbirth, at 30 weeks. It appears that the cord has twisted around the fetus's neck. Such things happen. What Ashley did NOT expect, however, are the antivaxxers who insisted that the flu shot she got a week earlier was what killed her fetus. And given that Ashley had announced that she's getting her flu shot to protect the herself and the baby, the antivaxxers claimed they "tried to warn you [Ashley]". 

It's a bit perverse when a mom's story about the death of a child/fetus, or even the struggles of her child with a medical condition was targeted by the antivaxxers for harassment. And Ashley is hardly alone in that. 

Don't be a COVIDiot or antivaxxers. Don't join a group so eager to prove a falsehood they are willing to harass grieving mothers and families. 

Sad COVIDiocy: 20-year Old Man Believed Himself Immune from COVID. He died.

An family is mourning the loss of a young 20-year old man who resisted getting the COVID vaccine for months. 

Tyler Gilreath told his mother Tamra Demello that he's healthy, and he has no pre-existing conditions, therefore he does not need the COVID vaccine, despite frequent reminders by his mother. Finally, he agreed that he will get the vaccine by August 30th, which is his mom's birthday. He would never get the chance. Not long after arrival at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where Tyler was about the start his sophomore year, he was diagnosed with COVID on August 20th. He seems to have recovered initially but picked up a sinus infection and a staph infection by mid-September. The infection entered his brain and caused swelling that started to destroy his brain. He was admitted to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain, but his condition worsened. The doctors determined there was no hope on 25th... and took him off life support on 27th. 

His mother had no doubt that had he gotten vaccinated, he would not have died. 

Don't be a COVIDiot like Tyler. Do NOT delay in getting the vaccine. You may catch it BEFORE you have a chance to vaccinate. 

Sad COVIOdiocy: Antivax Nurse who Told Family Not to Vaccinate Has Died from COVID

An Idaho registered nurse with special-needs twins has died from COVID. Normally this is just sad news, but this is extra sad because she actually told her own family NOT to vaccinate, while her own mother was in the hospital in a coma from COVID. 

Idaho was a hotbed for antivax misinformation, so much so only 40.8% of residents are fully vaccinated in Idaho, compared to 54.7% in the whole US. 

And Natalie Rise fell for the misinformation so hard, she actually told her family that there were no studies done on the vaccine, even though the vaccine went through trials on thousands of people, and then was administered to millions of people with minimal side effects. Apparently, her own professional education cannot defeat misinformation. 

Her family members have no doubt that she was killed by those bloggers and Youtubers peddling misinformation. 

And it is these unvaxxed Idahoans that are clogging up hospitals and ICUs in Idaho, that Idaho has started rationing care to only the most essential and those that can be saved. 

In fact, Rise was transferred to nearby Spokane, Washington for ICU treatment, and died there. And the flood of the Idaho COVID cases is filling up ICUs in nearby Spokane, Washington as well. One hospital director said that they normally accept 90% of transfers, but in the past two weeks, they have to turn away HALF of requested transfers. They are trying to expand ICU, but they fear they will be forced to ration care soon like Idaho. 

Her brother Daryl got the shot the day after she died. He had to quit his job to take care of the twins she left behind. 

Sad COVIDiocy: Irish Man Died From COVID After Antivaxxers Encouraged Him to Release Himself From Hospital

Irishman Joe McCarron, age 75, passed away at Letterkenny University Hospital on 24-SEP-2021 from COVID. He attracted media attention when a bunch of anti-medicine anti-vax pro-COVID protesters encouraged him to check himself out of the hospital on 12-SEP-2021, even though his doctors told him he needed treatment for his very serious COVID complications. 

Protesters heckled hospital staff both inside and outside the hospital, and convinced McCarron to leave the hospital, by telling him lies like "you'll die if you stay here" and "you don't need the ICU". He was released, despite pleas from his doctors, while yelled at by the protesters. 

A far-right protester Antonio Murredu, aka Antonion Graveliu, a Freeman, among the protesters, claimed "We are saving Joe's Life! Today is a winning day for Ireland!"  Murredu also thanked Dr Dolores Cahill, a famous Irish Antivaxxer, who was dismissed from her teaching position recently. 

McCarron was brought to a hospital a few days after his release and was immediately put on a ventilator. But despite best efforts, he expired. 

His family apologized to the hospital and slammed the "friends". 

Encouraging sick COVID patient to leave the hospital? Can they be charged with manslaughter? 

Don't be a COVIDiot or have COVIDiot friends. They can LITERALLY kill you with their "kindness". 

Sad COVIDiocy: Daughters Blame Misinformation for their Mom's COVID death in Washington State

 A mother from Western Washington has died of COVID because she got the idea that COVID vaccine is not good for her, despite her daughters' plea for her to be vaccinated for months. 

According to her daughters, mom supposedly caught COVID back at the beginning of pandemic, and mistakenly thought she's immune. She was never checked by a doctor to confirm this. She caught COVID at the beginning of September and died 12 days later, at the age of 57. 

Both daughters blamed "conservative media" for their mother's death. One said their mother believed that news sources are biased and only gets her information from conservative media. The other said their mom refused to listen to facts from everything, including themselves, and made everything political. 

And she's hardly the only one who died from COVID from misinformation. This is playing out across America in various conservative households. 

Don't be this mom. Don't be a COVIDiot. Get vaccinated. Your family will thank you.