An anti-vaxxer who filmed himself downplaying Covid-19 before posting it on Facebook has died of the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Solicitor Leslie Lawrenson, 58, died at his home in Bournemouth, Dorset, nine days after he published a video on why coronavirus was \u201cnothing to be afraid of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lawrenson, who reportedly had no underlying health conditions, had previously refused to take up the vaccine because he felt he \u201cdid not need it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead he put faith in his immune system and took his social media followers on his journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 58-year-old recorded two vlogs in June, where he explained his symptoms and described them as \u201cno worse than a cold.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He later criticised the Government\u2019s approach to the coronavirus restrictions, saying \u201cthese are things we have to suffer, it\u2019s part of living\u201d, before urging viewers to \u201ctrust\u201d their own immune systems over vaccines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As his condition worsened, Lawrenson struggled to breath and said he felt pain \u201ceverywhere\u201d, but stated he did not feel like he was in any real \u201cdanger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t get the point where I would have had to be hospitalised,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThings did get worse, but I am glad I got Covid-19.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reacting to his death, Lawrenson\u2019s partner, Amanda Mitchell, who also tested positive with Covid-19 said: \u201cI feel incredibly foolish. Les died unnecessarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLes made a terrible mistake and he\u2019s paid the ultimate price for that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mitchell said her partner, a Cambridge University graduate, decided against having a coronavirus jab after reading material on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said: \u201cIt was a daily thing that he said to us: \u2018You don\u2019t need to have it, you\u2019ll be fine, just be careful\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLes was highly educated… so if he told me something, I tended to believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
An anti-vaxxer who filmed himself downplaying Covid-19 before posting it on Facebook has died of the virus. Solicitor Leslie Lawrenson, 58, died at his home in Bournemouth, Dorset, nine days after he published a video on why coronavirus was \u201cnothing to be afraid of.\u201d Lawrenson, who reportedly had no underlying health conditions, had previously refused […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11597,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[7019,9,13],"tags":[114,113,8635],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/personmatters.com\/Remembering_Covid_19_Victims\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Leslie-Lawrenson-2.jpg?fit=1152%2C768&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4283,"url":"https:\/\/personmatters.com\/Remembering_Covid_19_Victims\/?p=4283","url_meta":{"origin":11596,"position":0},"title":"Dr Ajit Agarwal, cardiologist","date":"April 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Ajit Agarwal, a cardiologist in the United Kingdom, died on April 15, 2020, due to COVID-19. 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