They were an anti-vaccine family, they were infected with covid-19 and the mother, father and one of the children died in just 10 days

A family that opposes COVID-19 vaccines has refused to receive doses of the COVID-19 vaccines and three of their members have died of the disease.

Father Basil Gonçalves, 73, his wife Charmagne, 65, and one of their sons, Shaul, 40, fell ill with COVID-19 on the weekend of July 10, after meeting for lunch. All died two weeks after the onset of symptoms.

Another family member, Francis, brother of Shaul and son of Basil and Charmagne, did not catch the disease and told local media he believed his father was the first to contract it and that he perhaps had caught her in the hospital a few days earlier. the fateful family meal.

Francis from Cardiff said his family, who had moved to Portugal, had not been immunized because they were afraid of anti-vaccine misinformation. He insisted unsuccessfully that it was best to get the shot and that they shouldn’t be intimidated by conspiracy theorists.

“Dad went to the hospital on July 6th for kidney stones, it is believed he had the covid there”, Francis told Wales Online.

“On Thursday July 8th my parents had dinner in the apartment my brother shares with his girlfriend and this weekend they started to feel terrible. On Monday, my brother’s girlfriend said that Shaul could sense that something was wrong “François told.

According to his brother’s girlfriend, Shaul reiterated that he had never felt anything like this, that he was heavy and very tired. That’s why she decided to take a COVID test and he came back positive.

“My parents were also very sick at the time. They went to the hospital and I got a text from my dad that afternoon saying they had been admitted to the hospital because they were both positive. It was July 12 “François added.

Her father, Basil, was rushed to the intensive care unit two days later, and her brother and mother quickly deteriorated and followed in his footsteps.

Shaul died in the early hours of July 18 as Francis awaited the results of his covid test so he could fly to Portugal and see his family.

François said that his brother was the “Healthier person” he knew and believed the vaccine would have saved his life.

“If I wasn’t training in the gym or running, I was going for a walk. I hadn’t been drinking for 15 years and was on a plant-based diet. “ he claimed

Two days later, on July 20, the father passed away and the mother, who had underlying health issues including an autoimmune disease, fell into a induced coma.

“They allowed me to go see her, which was already a sign that things were not going well and I had to dress with full personal protective equipment. Then on Saturday July 24 I got a phone call from the doctor saying they were in a situation where they had tried everything and the next two hours would be critical. Later that night I got a call to tell him he’s passed away», Says François.

The family were buried in a cemetery in Lisbon in a section reserved for victims of covid, which is marked.

They arrived in Portugal in 2016, in the footsteps of Shaul who was the first to arrive in this country. A year earlier, the family had emigrated from South Africa to Cardiff in Wales.

According to Francis, the Portuguese authorities told him that they had never had to bury three members of the same family in such a short time and that as Still, information on COVID was limited, they could not assure him that it was possible to carry out the exhumation process to transfer the bodies to Wales.

“It was really horrible”said Francis, who claimed his family had been caught by anti-vaccine propaganda circulating on the internet. He said his case should serve as an example for people that the best thing to do is get vaccinated.

“The message I want to get across is why would the government want to harm him by getting him vaccinated? What is the purpose behind this? I have spoken to so many people who are terrified of the vaccine and it costs lives. “, ended.

KEEP READING