On Saturday, Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said President Chavez "had overcome" the respiratory infection he had contracted following his fourth cancer surgery on 11 December.
His passing is the second tragedy to hit Ulster sport following the sudden death of GAA star Cormac McAnallen with a rare heart viral infection less than a month ago.
It was this sort of careful science starting with a scientific hypothesis, following it up with observations in the field and ending with clinical trials which proved that circumcision protects against infection.