Ecuador: Corona patient declared dead is alive

Guayaquil (dpa) - The confusion of two corona patients is causing a sensation in Ecuador: A 74-year-old woman who was declared dead at the end of March has now emerged alive, according to media reports in the South American country.

Her family had long since received the alleged ashes of her relatives. Whose cremated remains were initially unknown.

The error was reportedly revealed after the 74-year-old regained consciousness in a hospital in Guayaquil city on Thursday after three weeks. Having recovered from Covid-19 lung disease, she asked to be picked up by her sister.

"It is a miracle in the midst of so much death," the El Comercio newspaper quoted a relative of the woman. How the confusion came about was initially unclear.

Ecuador's health minister Juan Carlos Zevallos called the case on Saturday in conversation with journalists "scary". He had contacted the hospital management. This worked on the clarification of the matter.

Guayaquil is one of the worst places in South America affected by the corona virus. More than 15,000 infections have been registered in the Guayas province. In the metropolis, the dead stayed in apartments for days. The morgues of the hospitals were overcrowded. Corpses were even deposited on the street. According to official information, 576 people have died in Ecuador after being infected with the corona virus. The actual number is likely to be significantly higher.

Report from "El Comercio" with information from the Minister of Health