38-Year-Old Elias Yacab of Succotz is Latest COVID-19 Victim!

Elias Yacab

There is a new COVID-19 death to report tonight. But before we tell you more, let’s take a look at the latest numbers released on Tuesday night.  There are thirty-four new cases out of one hundred and ninety-three tests.  There are nine new cases in Corozal; fifteen in Orange Walk; seven in Belize District; one each in Cayo, Stann Creek and Toledo. There are a total of thirty-seven recoveries and the total active cases stand at six hundred and forty-four.  Now back to the latest COVID-19 death. He is thirty-eight-year-old Elias Yacab of San Jose Succotz Village. He was hospitalized for three weeks and passed away at the K.H.M.H. on Tuesday night just before seven o’clock.  Today, Edwin Yacab spoke with reporter Andrea Polanco about his brother’s experience leading up to his death. He says his condition deteriorated and by the time he died, he had a number of complications. According to Edwin, Elias was a diabetic, but he didn’t know until he was hospitalized.

On the Phone: Edwin Yacab, Brother of Deceased

“He was infected with COVID and he was hospitalized since August thirty-first. He spent there – up to yesterday it was like twenty-three days. He spent a week with just oxygen and serum. After the week he was intubated because his saturation was very low. And every time we used to call the hospital we were told that he was improving. But after the week when we called the doctor told us that his saturation went down again and they discovered that the infection due to COVID was still in his lung. They found a blood clot in his lungs as well and a bacteria. So, those three things were what were affecting his health and that is the reason he couldn’t recover properly. And beside that lately his kidney stopped working and he couldn’t urine. And that was the last – when yesterday around six-forty-five we got a call from the doctor stating that he died.”

Edwin Yacab

Andrea Polanco

“Did he have any pre-existing conditions? Did he suffer from anything – any of the non-communicable diseases – pressure, diabetes – anything at all?”

On the Phone: Edwin Yacab

“Well, apparently he was diabetic. And we didn’t know – not even he knew and so it was a surprise when the doctor told him that he was diabetic. And according to the doctor when they tested him and his results came out his glucose was above four hundred and that it had been like that for three to four months according to the doctor. He didn’t have any idea and he felt good all the time. He didn’t have any pain or feel bad because he is the type of guy whenever he reaches from work he would chop the yard and he would do that extra work and all that time he had no idea he was diabetic.”