First person to die with Omicron was unvaccinated pensioner, man claiming to be stepson says

Caller, who gave his name only as John, said his stepfather had been taken in by conspiracy theories

A man claiming to be a relative of the UK’s first person to die with Omicron has spoken about how his stepfather refused to get his Covid-19 vaccinations.

The caller, who only gave his first name as John, rang in to the radio station LBC on Thursday.

John said that his stepfather, who was in his early 70s, had died on Monday at a hospital in Northampton despite being fit and healthy.

He said his stepfather had not had any of his vaccines because he believed “conspiracy theories” online.

He described him as a recluse who “never went out” and “had his shopping brought to him.”

“The only place he went to was the bin, outside the block he lived in, and the postbox”, John said.

He added: “He was one of the cleanest guys I ever knew. He wasn’t vaccinated at all.

“My sister, she’s gutted - but on the other hand she’s a little bit angry that he never took these vaccines.

“She did have an argument with him at the end of October about this very thing, getting vaccinated.”

Speaking about his stepfather’s decision not to get the vaccines, John said: “He thought it was a conspiracy. He was an intelligent man but it’s all these different things you are getting from online and different media things.. about oh it’s not real.. conspiracy theories really.”

He later added: “Had he been vaccinated, he would probably still be here. He might be ill, but he’d still be here.

“If you’re vaccinated and you’ve got your booster, you should be alright. It’s the ones that haven’t got it, they’re the ones that need to be worried now.”

John said his stepfather fell ill with Covid at the start of December and was hospitalised at the beginning of last week.

“He started to look good and then just went boom downhill,” he continued. “He was fit, he ate healthy, he didn’t smoke, he hadn’t drunk in 30 years near enough.”

Prime minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that at least one person had died in the UK after contracted the Omicron variant.

He gave no further details of the death other than the person had been diagnosed in hospital.

Mr Johnson said: “Sadly at least one patient has now been confirmed to have died with Omicron.

“So I think the idea that this is somehow a milder version of the virus - I think that’s something we need to set (to) one side - and just recognise the sheer pace at which it accelerates through the population.”

As of 16 December, there were 15 people currently being treated in hospital with Omicron.