Maynard James Keenan has had first-hand experience with COVID-19 and he’s pretty pissed off at how some people are still underestimating the deadly disease.

After catching COVID-19 during Tool’s Australian tour back in February at some point, Maynard James Keenan has had a rough go of it in terms of recovery and getting back to full health. Eight months on, the singer says he still has lung damage and daily coughing fits due to the disease.

So when he sees how the U.S. has seriously dropped the ball with its COVID-19 response, Keenan is pretty pissed at people’s attitudes towards the pandemic and how many people are still not taking it seriously.

Chatting to Consequence Of Sound about his COVID-19 experience and this thoughts about America’s response to the pandemic, the Tool singer doesn’t mince words.

“There’s logic attached to just looking out for each other,” said Keenan. “I have a lot more questions than answers, honestly. Is this thing like a flame on a candle? If you stand in the corner far enough away from somebody, does the flame burn the candle down, and then it can no longer light your candle? Or is it not like that at all, and it’s going to live on beyond its own cycle within you? I have no idea, but the idea of temporarily isolating and really adhering to the isolation, it seems like that would’ve worked.”

He continued, “But we tend to be fairly arrogant. I knew what I went through and I know what I’m still going through, so I would recommend that you take this seriously, but I feel like that’s just going to fall on deaf ears. It’s just going to be a polarized, politicized statement, so it’s pointless. In that case, I’m just going to worry about keeping my family safe and keeping my friends safe.”

Watch Maynard James Keenan discuss his coronavirus experience with Joe Rogan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz0ka4DuxPw&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=PowerfulJRE

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