Mask Off and 'Cough Cough'... Thought It Was a Joke but a 40s Spanish Man Actually Infected 22 People

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[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A man infected with COVID-19 in Mallorca, Spain, was confirmed to have deliberately removed his mask and coughed, infecting as many as 22 people with COVID-19, leading to his arrest.

According to the BBC on the 24th (local time), a 40-year-old Spanish man, Mr. A, continued to roam around despite showing COVID-19 symptoms such as persistent coughing and a body temperature exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. He went to work, lowered his mask, coughed repeatedly, and boasted about infecting his colleagues with COVID-19. After work, he also went to a fitness center and repeated this behavior.

As a result, five colleagues at his workplace and three people who attended the fitness center with him tested positive for COVID-19. Additionally, 14 family members tested positive, including three one-year-old children, the BBC reported.

According to local police, Mr. A had exhibited COVID-19 symptoms for several days. When a colleague suggested, "How about leaving early and going home?" he instead lowered his mask, coughed, and threatened, "I will infect all of you with COVID-19."

He also went to work and visited the fitness center even before receiving the results of his polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.

When Mr. A eventually tested positive for COVID-19, his colleagues, who had thought his behavior was a joke, were reportedly shocked. However, the police explained that none of those infected by him were in critical condition.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.