Anti-vaxxer Belgian kickboxer dies from COVID after calling it ‘little virus’

They say ignorance is bliss, but sometimes it can turn out to be fatal. In a series of unfortunate events, a Belgian kickboxing champion died on December 15 after refusing to believe he had COVID.

Frederic Sinistra, a 41-year-old kickboxing icon from Belgium shared pictures of himself on a hospital bed almost a month ago. In the pictures, the kickboxer is seen rather unwell, with an oxygen tube going through his nose. Just three days before his demise, Sinistra shared on Facebook that he was improving, and would recover at home and emerge from this “little virus”, stronger than ever. After being discharged from hospital in late November, he told his followers that he had decided to treat his symptoms from the comfort of his home.

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Prior to his death, the kickboxing champion had also stated he strongly disapproved of vaccines and mandatory mask rules.

His coach Osman Yigin told SudInfo, a Belgian news outlet, about Sinistra’s refusal to be vaccinated. His coach had urged him to get inoculated stating that he would stop training him if he failed to do so. Regardless of the warning, Sinistra stayed rigid about his anti-vaxxer decision.

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Sinistra died on December 15 at his home in Ciney, Belgium. His partner shared the tragic news on Facebook.

Sinistra was known as “The Undertaker” by his fans and  peers. He was a two-time world champion and had a stellar record of 39 wins and only 9 losses.

 Just two days before his death, Sinistra wrote on Facebook that his setbacks and challenges made him the person he was. He further thanked his supporters for being there for him during his fight against COVID.

 After his death, Sinistra’s wife thanked people for the tributes and condolences that were offered to her husband. She  added that the kickboxing champion was a man with a generous heart, who would always help others.

 Recently, Belgium has begun to see a rise in covid cases, resulting in the government frantically introducing measures to tackle the new coronavirus variant omicron.

In the past week, Belgium has recorded more than 7,000 covid-19 cases.