PRAGUE — The story of an unvaccinated Czech folks singer who died after she celebrated catching the coronavirus has gripped the nation after her son mentioned her death ought to function a warning to these resisting vaccination.

Soon after the singer, Hana Horka, 57, died on Sunday, her bereaved son, Jak Rek, poured his coronary heart out on social media and to Czech information retailers — providing each a plea for individuals to be vaccinated and a warning in opposition to taking the virus evenly.

Despite what the son described as her household’s robust encouragement, Ms. Horka refused to get vaccinated and rejoiced as soon as her husband and her son, each vaccinated, contracted Covid over the Christmas vacation.

Instead of isolating herself, she intentionally uncovered herself to the virus, her son mentioned. She was ailing for a couple of days however then seemed to be recovering.

In a Facebook submit, she celebrated her obvious restoration and naturally acquired immunity, saying she seemed ahead to “sauna, swimming, cultural life” — all denied to her below virus rules as a result of of her refusal to be vaccinated, however probably accessible as soon as she may current proof of restoration from an infection.

Two days later, her situation swiftly declined and he or she died.

The solely warning the household had that one thing was mistaken, her son mentioned, was her complaining about an aching again.

“We rubbed it with an ointment, and she went to rest for a little while,” he advised the Czech information media, including that she had died inside minutes. “This is how fast it was.”

Family members have mentioned they take into account her death to have been from the virus, although official post-mortem outcomes have but to be revealed.

Mr. Rek, 23, took to social media, blaming these who unfold lies about vaccines for his mother’s death.

“You took away my mom, who based her arguments on your convictions,” he mentioned, directing his feedback to the opponents of vaccination. “I despise you.”

Vaccine skepticism runs deep throughout Central and Eastern Europe and solely 63 p.c of Czechs are absolutely vaccinated, far decrease than most Western European nations, based on government figures collated by Our World in Data. With some 30,000 new infections reported Wednesday, the nation is now recording extra instances than anytime in the pandemic.

Earlier this month, hundreds of individuals demonstrated in Prague and different cities in opposition to its attainable introduction of vaccine mandates. In the face of public strain, the authorities mentioned on Wednesday that it will cancel the plans for obligatory vaccination for some segments of society.

As Ms. Horka’s story gained worldwide consideration, her son mentioned he was not going to make any additional feedback. But he advised reporters that he hoped his private expertise would possibly shake the public.

“People are not interested in numbers and graphs,” he mentioned. “Unless there is a legitimate reason not to get vaccinated, in health-related matters, I believe we can’t pretend it is a question of individual responsibility.”



Source link