Friesen says Ontario hospital stay ‘initiated by COVID,’ has no plan to get vaccinated

Former People’s Party of Canada candidate Mark Friesen says he has “never denied” that COVID-19 landed him in hospital in Saskatchewan — and eventually Ontario — earlier this year.

“This was all initiated by COVID and I’ve never denied that,” Friesen told Gormley on Monday.

“There’s a narrative floating around — especially on social media — that I’m denying I had COVID. If you look at my Twitter, there’s a number of tweets I’ve put out that obviously this was started by COVID.”

Friesen said his COVID infection eventually turned into pneumonia and then necrotizing pneumonia — one of the outcomes of COVID on the lungs, Friesen agreed — which has left him with three lung cavities. While initially doctors weren’t sure those would heal, Friesen said they’ve been reducing in size.

“(The) prognosis is good,” Friesen said. “Obviously, I have a long road ahead of me, but I’m hopeful.”

Friesen was one of 27 patients Saskatchewan sent to Ontario to ease the strain on intensive care units in this province due to COVID. Having been home for a couple of weeks, Friesen said he’s feeling “not bad,” though he has been better.

“Progress is working out fairly well,” he said.

His weeks-long hospital stays haven’t made the former Saskatoon-Grasswood candidate rethink his opinions on COVID-19 vaccination or mandatory mask requirements, though.

“I cherish freedom, I cherish the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, I cherish people’s ability to make their own choice and I will continue to fight for that,” he said. “Regardless of the experience I’ve had, that doesn’t change my principles or my values around freedom. It’s too important.”

Friesen continued: “Without freedom, we have nothing. It’s just something I’ll never back down from.”

Friesen also shared information on his own health status, stating he is precluded from vaccination because of an “autoimmune situation.”

He explained he has had opinions given to him by “a number of doctors that I’ve been in discussion with and they’ve all recommended do not take the (vaccine) based on my health condition.”

Friesen also shared a post about that to his Facebook page on Friday.

“What about all the other people throughout our province and our country that have these conditions, that can’t take a (vaccine) but are still being discriminated against in our society?” he asked.

“Because of the vitriol and the hate that’s directed to me, I’ve chosen to make it public, so maybe … some of these people will derive some understanding instead of wishing me dead.”

On the issue of masks, Friesen told Gormley his primary concern is that they are mandated.

“If we’re social distancing, what are we wearing masks for?” he posed. “If you want to wear a mask, go ahead, wear a mask, I don’t care … but don’t tell me what I have to do.”

Being a PPC candidate, Friesen said these issues are inherently political for him, but stated he has been involved in activism for personal freedoms since before the PPC was founded in 2018.

When asked if he agrees that people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have better health outcomes against the virus than those who have not, Friesen said he’s not sure he agrees.

“If I’m going to take a vaccine, I’m going to take it with the understanding that it’s going to stop me from getting sick,” he said, pointing to countries with high vaccination rates that are still facing rising COVID case numbers.