'This disease exists, whether you believe it or not': Sydney man's passionate plea for people to take the virus seriously as his friend 'gasps for breath' in hospital while 'dying' of Covid
A western Sydney man has given an impassioned plea for people in his community to take Covid seriously, saying his friend is gravely ill in hospital and 'gasping for breath'
In a video shared on Thursday and viewed by more than 200,000 people, the frustrated man implores people to 'start thinking about the damage this virus is causing'.
'I have a close friend who is dying in hospital 'cause of Covid-19. They're gasping for air 'cause they've got Covid-19,' the man says.
Sydney residents are currently in a lockdown to control an outbreak of the delta variant of Covid (pictured: Bondi on Wednesday)
He then addressed people 'continuously' advancing conspiracy theories on social media, asking them to 'open their minds'.
'It's come to a point where people are dumbf***ed thinking this disease doesn't exist. It does exist. Whether you like it or not it f***ing exists.'
'The government isn't here to f*** us over. The government is here to assist us. The jab isn't to turn us into zombies. The jab is there to help us. So wake up to yourselves,' the clearly emotional man pleads.
In another video from earlier on Thursday the man addressed people in Melbourne and Sydney in particular - saying the reality of the virus had 'unfortunately hit home' for him.
'You've got 20-year-olds dying. Rather than us taking advice of activists that think it's a conspiracy, let's stand united and understand that this disease is real and that is does affect us'.
The Western Sydney man pleads with Sydney and Melbourne residents to take Covid seriously in his clip to TikTok
'If we do the right thing, we will be out of lockdown, it's simple' he adds.
He also revealed he has had two vaccine doses and hasn't experienced any negative effects.
The video has received thousands of comments with many agreeing with the man, but a minority pushing anti-lockdown and Covid conspiracy messages.
'I had Covid-19 last year I was in hospital. It's not fun and I'm still suffering from after effects,' one woman said.
'It's a flu bro, relax,' argued another.
Thousands of anti-lockdown protesters and Covid conspiracy theorists flooded the Sydney CBD on July 24
'Covid might be real but the rest is false,' claimed another .
'Well said, hope your mate pulls through,' added a well-wisher.
NSW reported 390 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 on Friday and at least 101 of those people were circulating in the community for all or part of their infectious period.
Two deaths were record: an unvaccinated woman in her 40s in Sydney and a vaccinated man in his 90s from the Hunter region. The toll for the current outbreak in NSW is now 38.
'Behind every single statistic is a loved one, a family, and many carers,' Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Friday.
Greater Sydney and surrounding regions are in lockdown until at least August 28, as are multiple parts of regional NSW, as health authorities battle to contain an outbreak of the virulent Delta strain.
Ms Berejiklian said Blacktown and Mount Druitt in western Sydney had become areas of particular concern for health authorities, with a rise in cases.
There are 63 COVID-19 patients in NSW in intensive care, 30 of whom are ventilated. All of them are unvaccinated.