Michigan College Student Dies From COVID-19 After Being Refused Testing

Source: Taechamanodom / Getty

Friends and family of a 25-year-old Michigan college student “with enormous potential” are reeling after he passed away from COVID-19. Bassey Offiong, a senior majoring in chemical engineering at Western Michigan University, had no known prior health issues before succumbing to COVID-19 on Saturday, reports WZZM 13.

“I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of our students, Bassey Offiong,” said WMU President Edward Montgomery. “Bassey was a young man of enormous potential… On behalf of the entire Bronco community, I want to extend my deepest condolences to his entire family, including his sister Asari, who has been generous in communicating with us regularly. They are in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

Offiong’s death comes after the university announced that three students tested positive for the coronavirus. Offiong’s sister Asari Offiong said he told her he had shortness of breath, a fever, and fatigue but wast turned down SEVERAL times for the coronavirus test.

“I told him to ask them to test him,” Offiong said to The Detroit News. “He said they refused to test him.” She also added that a nurse told him he only had bronchitis.

Later her brother was hospitalized at Beaumont in Royal Oak and spent the last week on a ventilator before succumbing to the illness. His sister said he was “someone who thinks so big” and had dreams of creating an organic makeup line with Loreal.

Terrible, terrible, news.

It’s clear that there’s an issue when it comes to COVID-19 testing and even the doctors themselves know it.

“It’s the wild, wild West out there,” Dr. Edward Goldberg, a Manhattan internist said to The NY Post. “There’s very little unified messaging and when that happens, the rich and privileged jump the line. And the rules about testing keep changing and they differ state to state — and country by country.”

Things have to change or more people will die.