Hotel Corona

Many of the first Belgian corona infections can be traced back to one hotel in northern Italy. The first days after spring break turn out to be crucial days in which a lot went wrong.

During spring break, thousands of Flemish people enjoy their skiing holiday in the north of Italy. At that moment, there seems to be no problem. COVID-19 infections have already occurred in Lombardy, 300 kilometers away, but not in the ski areas. And so the skiers dont worry. It seems a holiday like any other year.

Many returning skiers fear that they have been infected with the corona virus. They want to be tested, but that turns out to be difficult. Thats because the criteria for testing are very strict. A patient must have a fever and cough or have breathing problems and come from a risk area.

These risk areas are very limited in the first days after the spring break: China, Iran, South Korea and three provinces in Italy. The ski areas in Northern Italy are not considered a risk area. Most skiers should therefore not be tested. They do not meet the strict criteria.

"Pano: Hotel Corona " investigates the first weeks of the epidemic in Belgium and spoke to four families who were all staying in the same hotel in northern Italy. What lessons can we learn from those crucial weeks?