Teresita ‘Tely’ Cruz is Belize’s Eleventh COVID-19 Related Death!

Teresita ‘Tely’ Cruz

Back to the eleventh death. That victim is fifty-year-old Teresita ‘Tely’ Cruz of San Felipe. We reported on Cruz’s case on Tuesday – and as we shared from our interview with her son – Cruz was swabbed after she died. The housewife and mother of five experienced some fever and shortness of breath last week Monday – notably, her husband and daughter also experienced similar symptoms. But by Wednesday, all three reported feeling better. It wasn’t until Saturday evening that Cruz began to experience extreme fatigue. Her son reported that she was sleeping a lot and by Sunday her condition was deteriorating and when she decided to go to the hospital on Monday it was too late. She died on the way to the hospital just after six that evening. Today, DHS Manzanero spoke with us about this latest death.

Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services

“We had to make a diagnosis post mortem in a female who died on the way to the hospital on Monday evening. We just went back to review her history but there is no history, at least in the electronic history that we have, that she had any history of chronic disease.”

Marvin Manzanero

Andrea Polanco

“On Tuesday, her son mentioned that he knows her to be a hypertensive patient. So none of that came up on your radar?”

Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services

“Well, in the interactions with the electronic system which is where we can review – it isn’t there. So, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have. It is just that that is what the preliminary data says. The team on the ground gathers that data because we are trying to find out what’s happening with those patients that are arriving – I mean, she died on the way to the hospital which is kinda similar to her relative who died over the weekend and we have had a couple other persons who suddenly became ill and died on or upon the arrival at the hospital.”