A good many COVID deniers say, I don't know anyone with COVID. My eldest sister's daughter and husband both had COVID and were very ill. So, yes I do have family members that have met CORONA up close and personal.
My eldest sister, her husband, and kids are definitely not left-wing. Actually they are very staunch in their conservative republican views and are ardent President Trump supporters. Yet? They wear masks in public and observe social distancing even when visiting with their children!
It has been said before and I will reiterate, Corona Virus does not care about one's politics! Looking at the accounts politicizing this topic, I am not surprised. Do I believe that some people in power will and have used this pandemic to consolidate their positions and as a political tool? Of course! That does not mean that the COVID-19 pandemic is a hoax.
The spreading of disinformation by anti-vaxxers is very dangerous. It not only threatens the lives of others but the lives of their own children.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions and Free Speech is very important. That does not give them the right to holler fire in a crowded theater, nor do people have the right to endanger the lives of others by spreading disinformation concerning a worldwide health crisis!