An unvaccinated 33-year-old man from Georgia died of COVID-19. A week before his death, he begged his friends and family members to be vaccinated in a social media post.
According to his obituary, Kevin McKenzie from Senoia died on September 2 after a “long battle” with COVID pneumonia at Piedmont Newnan Hospital.
Just a few days ago, on August 24, he wrote in an article Facebook Posting that he wants his friends and family members to be vaccinated.
He wrote: “I hope everyone will do something for me that I am too stubborn to do. If you haven’t done this yet, then go get the Covid vaccine.”
He wrote that when he was first admitted to the hospital, four different doctors told him that none of the vaccinated people had been admitted to the hospital because of the virus.
Mackenzie wrote: “Trust me, you don’t want to be who I am now. Once I overcome all this, I will be vaccinated.”
His fiancee Lori Minatree said she hoped his story would help save lives.
“He doesn’t even know how his story saved so many lives because of the high number of people who were vaccinated after hearing about his battle,” Minatri told Atlanta-based WSB-TV. “He is only 33 years old, and he has been waiting for him all his life.”
In his obituary, he was described as adventurous, outgoing and “everyone’s true friend”.
His death coincided with a surge in COVID-19 cases in Peach State. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, on Friday, Georgia had an average of 10,631 new cases every day, more than double the average of 4,570 a month ago. Less than 43% of the total population has been vaccinated against the virus. The highly disseminated Delta variant has led to an increase in cases across the country.
Georgia has reached several severe milestones in the past week. According to WSB, on Saturday, the Georgia Department of Health reported that more than 95% of the beds in the state’s ICU wards were in use. In the western region—including Columbus, the state’s second largest city—the capacity of ICU beds is 115.4%.
According to reports, 5,893 people were hospitalized with the virus on Saturday. Atlanta Constitution MagazineAccording to WXIA-TV, a report found that Georgia currently has the second highest number of hospitalizations.
The state passed 20,000 COVID-19 deaths on Friday. According to data from the Georgia Department of Health, it has reported 106 new deaths, bringing the total to 20,041.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend the COVID-19 vaccine as a way to prevent infection. Even if the vaccinated person is infected with the virus, the case may be even milder. CDC.
“Even if you are infected with COVID-19, the COVID-19 vaccine can effectively protect you from getting sick. Vaccination is an important tool to help us get back to normal,” the CDC website reads.
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