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The father of a four-year-old Belgian boy who spent six days in a coma after contracting COVID-19 has warned other parents of the risk the virus poses to children.
After posting photos of his son Kais in the hospital, Gregory Chaudy told Sky News that he never imagined his son had contracted coronavirus when she took him there with a fever.
Doctors initially sent him home, but within days, the boy had developed spots on his skin and tested positive for the virus.
Mr. Chaudy said, “You see your baby in this situation and it is very difficult to see that. It created a lot of emotions.”
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The boy formed a rash on his back.
When Kais’s condition deteriorated, he was placed in a medically induced coma and his parents were “terrified” that he might die. He had no underlying health problems and was otherwise fit and healthy.
Chaudy said she wanted other parents to be aware that children are vulnerable to the virus, “not just the elderly.”
Kais is now out of his coma and on the mend, but the Chaudys are among the thousands of families in Belgium who are now forced to deal with COVID-19 every day.
The virus is growing faster there than almost anywhere else in Europe.
A prominent virologist told Sky News that the government made a big mistake in easing restrictions, while experts warned of a second wave.
Kais has come out of a coma and has improved.
Professor Marc Van Ranst from KU Leuven University said the virologists “were right”.
“And they said, ‘okay, there will be a second wave, and it’s starting.’ And then people in government said ‘no, they exaggerate, it’s not that bad. Let’s remove the measures. ‘ [It was] very populist, people loved it, “he said.
The professor said that one of the biggest mistakes a month ago was to remove the rule that prohibited the gathering of more than five people.
“Suddenly more people were able to meet more people,” he said.
“That is exactly what the virus needs … people who know people.”
Professor Van Ranst said that a second wave would still have reached Belgium, but maintaining the restrictions would have drastically reduced the number of those affected.
Belgium faces resurgence in COVID-19 infections
He said: “It is much easier to handle an epidemic where there are, for the size of our country, 500 or 1,000 new cases per day, than when there are 15,000. That makes a big difference.”
And now Belgium must prepare for the most extreme step: another national blockade to control the virus.
Professor Van Ranst acknowledged that it can be politically unpleasant, but said he “would have done it yesterday.”
“A short lockdown to really bring the numbers down to a manageable level,” he suggested.
“Saving Christmas: That would be one of the results you could have.”
New restrictions have been established in Belgium. There is a curfew, bars and restaurants have been closed for a month and it is mandatory to cover your face in public again.
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The challenge will be to make people adhere to the rules.
A group of young people met in Brussels and produced a video to encourage other people their age to wear masks. They come from the densely populated Molenbeek neighborhood, which has been particularly hard hit.
One of those people, Amina Mohammadi, 18, said: “Personally, I don’t think it is easy to respect the measures, but we are trying to do everything we can to protect those closest to us.”
Anwar Laarbi Barghou, 19, said the goal of the video was for them to “participate in the fight against COVID-19 and encourage citizens to protect themselves as much as possible against the virus.”
Even with compliance, many think that a new national blockade in Belgium is inevitable.
It may not be popular, but given the spread of the virus, it may be necessary.
