A 64-year-old woman became the 12th coronavirus-related death in Costa Rica, the Health Ministry announced Wednesday morning.
The Costa Rican resident of San José province died Wednesday after 70 days in intensive care at Hospital México.
She first tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on March 24 after returning to Costa Rica from an international trip. While she began testing negative for the coronavirus in mid-May, her condition never improved enough for her to leave the ICU.
In addition to her age, the woman suffered from hypertension, diabetes and liver disease, according to the Health Ministry. These complications hindered her chance of recovery.
Costa Rica has confirmed 1,375 cumulative cases of the novel coronavirus, the Health Ministry announced Tuesday afternoon. Of those, 717 people (52.1%) have recovered, 12 people have died (.9%) and 647 cases (47%) remain active.
Costa Rica’s 12 coronavirus-related deaths are distributed among nine men and three women with an age range of 26 to 87 years old.
The case of the 26-year-old woman who died on May 30 remains under investigation; she wasn’t tested for SARS-CoV-2 until after her death, when an autopsy revealed she suffered from pulmonary edema (excess fluid in the lungs).
Twenty people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Costa Rica. The country’s health authorities have said that hypertension and smoking are the biggest risk factors for patients infected by SARS-CoV-2.
If you believe you may have COVID-19 or have questions regarding the coronavirus, contact Costa Rican health authorities by dialing 1322.
We updated this story on June 9 with more information from the Health Ministry.
