Ohio Man Who Criticized Shutdown Measures During Pandemic Dies From Coronavirus

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Marion, Ohio, resident John McDaniel died from complications with coronavirus after a near-month long battle with the virus
McDaniel had been a vocal critic of the state's measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, calling it a "political ploy" in one post that was shared widely online
McDaniel's family have issued warnings in contrast to his posts, telling people to follow quarantine and lockdown orders to keep people safe

An Ohio man, who was a vocal critic online of shutdown and quarantine measures to combat the spread of coronavirus, died on April 15 after contracting the virus.

John W. McDaniel, 60, died at the Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, after a near-month-long battle against COVID-19. His obituary said he died peacefully “with his loving family by his side,” who also thanked the staff at Marion General Hospital in Marion, Ohio.

🚨#Ohio man John McDaniel – who railed on social media against @GovMikeDeWine's lockdown order and posted, "I Say Bullshit! (DeWine) doesn't have that authority" – contracted #coronavirus weeks later and now has DIED from #COVID19.#CoronavirusPandemic https://t.co/hqQzA19Igm
— Dena Grayson, MD, PhD (@DrDenaGrayson) April 20, 2020

McDaniel is survived by his wife and two sons.

McDaniel's family posted the thank you note to hospital staff on a local funeral home's website and also noted that the family would "like to remind everyone to continue practicing social distancing to keep each other safe."

McDaniel had gained attention in March as a vocal critic of the shelter-in-place orders by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.

McDaniel had called the pandemic a “political ploy” in a post on March 13. McDaniel added on March 15 that DeWine “doesn’t have the authority” to issue such lockdowns and urged people to continue living their lives.

McDaniel’s social media accounts have since been deleted.

After McDaniel was diagnosed with coronavirus, his family became vocal on social media to share messages contradicting McDaniel's anti-quarantine statements. His sister, Lisa McDaniel Hoppe, urged people in a post on March 30 to stay home and follow quarantine guidelines while he was in isolation and on a ventilator.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that as of Tuesday afternoon, 557 Ohioans had died from COVID-19 and 13,725 people were infected.