The son of Czech singer Hana Horka says that the anti-vax movement has "blood on their hands" after his mother contracted COVID-19 on purpose, before dying of the disease shortly afterwards.

Horka, a member of the folk group Asonance, was not vaccinated when her vaccinated son and partner both became ill with a mild form of the disease just before Christmas. The 57-year-old, according to her son Jan Rek, decided that she would become infected with the disease, intentionally exposing herself to it, in order to acquire an infection.

In the Czech Republic you must prove that you are vaccinated or have had a recent infection in order to get into certain venues, such as bars and cinemas. It was the allure of being able to attend more of these places that made her seek out the virus.

"She should have isolated for a week because we tested positive," Jan Rek told the BBC. "But she was with us the whole time."

Rek described his mother as not believing some of the more "out there" conspiracy theories surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines, but that attempts to persuade her to take the vaccine were shut down.

 "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."

Horka got ready to go for a walk on Sunday morning, the day she died, but started to experience back pain so she lay down in her bed.

"In about 10 minutes it was all over," her son told the BBC, in the hope that explaining the story of his mother's death would persuade others to get vaccinated. "She choked to death".

Two days before her death, believing she was recovering, Horka wrote on social media:

"I survived, it was intense," adding. "So now there will be the theatre, sauna, a concert... and an urgent trip to the sea."