There you go again, making up things so you can make a point. No one ever said or even hinted COVID isn't present, although I'd argue it is now and will for the foreseeable future be firmly endemic. I'm a microbiologist, remember? I actually worked in public health for years. We tend to believe in science.
There are also numerous things that aren't COVID that can cause pneumonia. Until we know what that might have been in this case, any statements claiming with any surety that COVID caused these symptoms are purely supposition.
Edit: Oh no! OP caught that I accidentally posted and immediately deleted this comment on my old .world account. Such scandal!