Camarillo hospital receives threats after COVID-19 vaccine opponent dies there

A Camarillo hospital received repeated threats after a QAnon promoter who urged people not to use COVID-19 vaccines died there Thursday, a Ventura County sheriff's official said Monday.

Multiple media reports said Cirsten Weldon's death at St. John's Hospital Camarillo was caused by COVID-19 though a hospital spokeswoman declined to comment.

On social media platforms that drew tens of thousands of followers, Weldon advanced the QAnon far-right conspiracy theory. Known as CirstenW, she spoke out against vaccines and White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci.

The Daily Beast, which reported Weldon's death on Friday, quoted from a video in which she spoke to people waiting for vaccinations.

"The vaccines kill. Don't get it," she said. "This is how gullible these idiots are. They're all getting vaccines."

The Daily Beast reported Weldon developed COVID-19 symptoms in late December. A picture posted on her Instagram account on Dec. 31, showed her in what appears to be a hospital bed with a medical apparatus covering her face. "Almost died of bacterial pneumonia," the caption says.

The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office did not conduct an investigation and "is not at liberty to release information," said spokeswoman Dr. Renee Higgins.

Ventura County Sheriff's Capt. Shane Matthews confirmed the Thursday death and said the hospital received at least a dozen anonymous threats in the hours after it.

"We did investigate," he said. "No crime could be established. The threats were more generic and non-specific in nature."

A Facebook live video posted in support of Weldon on Thursday, apparently before she died, included threats against the hospital, doctors and employees if certain treatments were not used including ivermectin, not approved for COVID-19.

Matthews said the majority of the threats being investigated "expressed anger at the hospital over Weldon's death."

The threats continued over the weekend, tapering off in frequency, Matthews said. The FBI has been contacted and the sheriff's office investigation is ongoing.

"At this point there is no credible threat, but we are keeping it open for the time being until things die down," he said.

Christina Zicklin, spokeswoman for Dignity Health, declined comment, citing patient privacy laws. Dignity operates the Camarillo hospital.

Weldon's videos described her as a model, actress, author, journalist and influencer. Her Facebook site lists her home as Florida.

Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com or 805-437-0255.

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