Idaho nurse dies of COVID-19 after believing misinformation from 'social media' and 'YouTubers': brother

A registered nurse in Idaho has died of COVID-19 after allowing misinformation to trump her science-bested medical education, her brother says. Speaking to CNN on Monday, September 20, Daryl Rise detailed the discussions he had with his sister, Natalie Rise, before her death.

He said she adamantly opposed the COVID-19 vaccine and urged him not to get the shot. However, he believes her decision was influenced by the streams of misinformation circulating on social media platforms. "She was telling me not to get vaccinated," Daryl Rise told CNN. "I think it was from misinformation, I think it was falling into negative social media and bloggers, YouTubers."

Daryl said his sister did not believe enough studies had been conducted to determine the vaccine's safety and efficacy.

While the CDC has confirmed approximately 54.7% of the United States' population has been vaccinated for COVID, Idaho is still one of the states with the lowest vaccination rates as only 40% of residents have taken the jab.

"This is serious; your ability to receive care in a hospital will likely be affected," the Idaho Department of Health explained the measure on its website. "It may look very different than how you have received care in the past. Surgeries are being postponed, emergency departments are full, and there may not be any beds for patients to be admitted to the hospital."

Katherine Hoyer, a spokeswoman for Panhandle Health District which oversees five counties in Idaho, said her state is currently facing the worst outbreak it has seen throughout the entire pandemic.

"We're in the worst state that we ever have been in the pandemic, this surge has been back-breaking for our health care facilities," said Hoyer. "Our case investigators, they cannot keep up."

She added, "It's been like a tsunami wave that continues to hit us each day."

Like Daryl Rise, Hoyer also believes misinformation is playing a major role in individuals' refusal to get vaccinated for COVID. "Social media makes it so easy to spread information quickly that may seem like fact, and it's not. I wish people would listen to credible sources," she said.

Daryl made the decision to get vaccinated for COVID just days after his sister's death. "It was the hardest decision of my life, you know, am I doing right by God? Am I doing right by Natalie?" he said. "And I got it out of fear."