Texas man dies after attending ‘COVID party’

A Texas doctor said a 30-year-old man has died there after attending a “COVID party,” believing the coronavirus pandemic was a hoax.

The patient, who was treated at a San Antonio hospital, is just one of thousands to test positive in the state in recent days.

“We cared for a 30-year-old patient at Methodist Hospital who told their nurse that they had attended a ‘COVID party.’ ... Just before the patient died, they looked at their nurse and said ‘I think I made a mistake. I thought this was a hoax but it’s not,’” said Dr. Jane Appleby in a video statement obtained by USA TODAY.

Appleby is the chief medical officer for Methodist Healthcare in San Antonio.

Appleby said the parties are held by those skeptical of the virus and include someone who has tested positive. Attendees go to see “if the virus is real and if anyone gets infected,“she said.

Similar parties have been reported in other areas of the nation, including Alabama and Kentucky.

Young people are increasingly catching and spreading the coronavirus. People under 45 made up 42% of cases before Memorial Day weekend but 55% of cases reported since then, a USA TODAY analysis found in late June.

Although COVID-19 has been known mainly for its impact on seniors, experts said the disease can debilitate and kill younger patients as well. And they warned that an expansion in cases among younger people ultimately threatens any vulnerable person with whom they come in contact.

Methodist Hospital in Texas is currently treating multiple COVID-19 patients in their 20s and 30s, Appleby said. Some are requiring intensive care, she said.

Appleby urged people to wear a mask, stay at home when possible and avoid spending time with groups of people.

Information from the Associated Press was included in this report.