A DUTCH economist and outspoken skeptic of the Covid-19 vaccines has died from the virus aged 53.

Robin Fransman revealed on December 3 that he had tested positive for coronavirus and he died of the virus yesterday, according to the Parool newspaper.

The economist first spoke out about the coronavirus measures in April 2020 in an article for the magazine ESB.

Throughout the pandemic he became increasingly critical of Covid and used his social media platforms to promote multiple conspiracy theories, some of which denounced the concept of Long Covid as a fantasy.

He also downplayed the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines, and vowed to not yet get vaccinated against the disease.

On November 28, he tweeted that he was not vaccinated but that it was "fine for vulnerable people" to get a jab but that he did not plan to get vaccinated.

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He tested positive for Covid five days later and was soon hospitalised. He died exactly one month after he sent his tweet.

Fransman founded Herstel-NL, a controversial organization that lobbied for an alternative to lockdowns in the Netherlands starting in February.

The group proposed scrapping the lockdown in favour of "safe zones" only for people who have vulnerable health.