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Hers was another needless and easily avoidable death.
By Dan O'Reilly — Written on Jan 19, 2022
A well-known Czech folk singer has died after intentionally exposing herself to Covid-19 in a bid to gain greater access to venues and events.
Her family has shared her story as a cautionary tale that reenforces the importance of taking the virus seriously — even if it means altering our lives to abide by public health guidelines.
Depending on what exactly you classify as the start of the pandemic, year three may have already started. At this point, we all should have the knowledge and understanding to know both the severity of the illness and how best to avoid it or at least know who to ask or where to loom for the most up-to-date information.
But for one woman, not taking heed of these precautions has resulted in a tragic outcome for her and her family.
Czech Hana Horka died after deliberately contracting Covid-19.
Hana Horka, a well-known Czech folk singer, died after a short but difficult battle with the virus. .
Horka’s son, Jan Rek, reported that his mother intentionally exposed herself to him and his father, Horka's husband, when they were sick with Covid-19 in order to obtain a recovery pass.
This pass would allow Horka to access venues and shows that she would otherwise be barred from due to her vaccination status.
Hana Horka was unvaccinated.
Though her husband and son were vaccinated, Horka had no plans to get the vaccine and wanted to get a recently-recovered certificate to bypass vaccine regulations.
As an unvaccinated person, Horka was initially lucky to not catch Covid at the same time as her son and husband.
Horka did not see it that way, she believed that this was her opportunity to escape restrictions by catching Covid and then recovering from it.
Horka’s son spoke on her behavior while he and her husband were sick with Covid, saying, “She should have isolated for a week because we tested positive. But she was with us the whole time.”
Horka had decided not to get vaccinated and was limited by the Czech government in where she could go for both hers and the safety of others.
Rek also discussed his mother’s decision not to get vaccinated, saying, “Her philosophy was that she was more OK with the idea of catching Covid than getting vaccinated. Not that we would get microchipped or anything like that.”
The vast majority of deaths of the unvaccinated to Covid-19 are preventable.
This isn’t a time for “I told you so” or demeaning comments. This should be a learning moment so that we can stop needlessly losing grandparents, parents, spouses and children.
The virus is not something to be underestimated, the vaccines are proven safe and effective. You are 20 times more likely to die if you catch Covid-19 and are not vaccinated than you would be if you were vaccinated.
If that isn’t reason enough to get vaccinated then consider changing subjects of that statement, your loved ones are 20 times more likely to die of Covid-19 if they catch it and aren’t vaccinated.
Hana Horka’s death was preventable as are the many that will in the future because people will continue to refuse to get vaccinated. We can rail against misinformation and bad actors all that we want but ultimately it is up to the individual to make the smart decision for themselves and their families.
Do not underestimate Covid-19, do not join the millions that have died worldwide.
Dan O'Reilly is a writer who covers news, politics, and social justice. Follow him on Twitter.