The covid-19 pandemic killed 26 people at a shelter for the elderly in Belgium, after the visit of a volunteer dressed as Santa Claus who apparently did not know he was contaminated Health sources and the unit itself reported on Thursday.
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The Hemelrijck nursing home – located in Mol, Antwerp province – where 169 people lived in early December, now has 85 positive cases of covid-19 among residents and another 40 infected people among staff, he told AFP. a unit official, who requested anonymity.
On December 5, the retreat organized the visit of a volunteer dressed as Santa Claus, to encourage the elderly and give them various gifts. A few days later, that person tested positive for coronavirus.
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Belgian virologist Marc Van Ranst pointed out that most people infected in a nursing home were infected “from the same source”.
Traditional, Santa Claus – or Sinterklaas – distributes gifts in Belgium every December 6th.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the health agency in the Flemish region of Belgium, Joris Moonens, stressed that at this time “there is no certainty” that Santa Claus was the source of the infection and there is no evidence that the volunteer found out that he was contaminated.
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However, the outbreak was detected a few days after Santa’s visit, and fears were heightened when it was learned that the volunteer had indeed tested positive.
Retirements for the elderly in Belgium have been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The country has one of the highest per capita deaths in the world and it is estimated that more than half of those who died were elderly people living in such units.
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