St. Nicholas is a great contagious? Tragedy in Belgium as 18 people died in a nursing home after a visit by Santa on Corona!

An estimated 160 people linked to a nursing home in Belgium are at risk of contracting Covid-19, and 18 have succumbed to the disease, after a "stupid" visit by a volunteer dressed as Santa Claus, who became a manager.

The tragedy struck Hemelrijck, a large relief center located in the Mol Municipality area, which serves as a home for 169 elderly residents. The virus spread like wildfire, affecting 121 residents and 36 workers and killing 18 people in three weeks. The outrage is directed at the home of caregivers, who are accused of misleading the public in an effort to curb the scandal.

The suspect is the son of a citizen, who volunteered in Hemelrijck and was a trusted person there. On December 4, she came to broadcast the joy of the year, dressed as St. Nicolas, who spends time in the usual places of the center and associates with the adults there. Three days later, the man, who lives in the neighboring municipality of Balen, developed symptoms of Covid-19 and was diagnosed with it.

While local authorities rushed to address the outbreak and segregation of affected people, Mayor Mol Wim Caeyers assured the public that, although the trip was not addressed to the Covid-19 response authorities, guidelines were followed on how to reduce accidents.

However, this soon became a reality. Photos from the event clearly show St. Nicholas and another volunteer dressed as Black Pete - a character in the Christmas tradition in Belgium - stood next to the villagers, some of whom were not wearing masks. The mayor accused his superiors of Hemelrijck of misleading him but gave them an opportunity to cast doubt.

Playing freely and freely with facts and poor communication are not the only reasons people are angry with the nursing home nurses, however. The man's visit came at a time when regular visits by family members were banned due to the Covid-19 threat, and many questioned his goodwill.

The volunteer was also interrupted after angry people stormed a social media site and tried to harass him. The municipal council where he lives has appealed to the public to be ashamed, saying the man was very upset about the situation and some of the comments he received were shocking.

Marc Van Ranst, of KU Leuven University, one of Belgium's leading specialists, said the disease appeared to be serious even in the most widespread cases, even though the evidence points to the same source. Laboratory tests revealed four different strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a nursing home, but most of the infections came from one of them, which plagued the unfortunate man.

Van Ranst said, while the visit was clearly "sensible," it is possible that the man was even assaulted by a citizen or employee while volunteering at a nursing home earlier. If so, this case underscores the importance of proper ventilation to reduce the viral load, he added.

With so many workers infected with the virus, there is now a shortage of people to provide care for Hemelrijck residents. The mayor asked the Red Cross and troops to send helpers and also asked for help from the Antwerp provincial leadership, where Mol is located.

The Covid-19 condition is slowly being controlled in Belgium at the moment, following the outbreak of the disease that was diagnosed in late October. But the death toll of 19,158 from a minority group puts it one of the worst situations in the world with an individual death. Their vaccination campaign launches next week.