Isha Sesay
THE first doctor has died of coronavirus in the Balearic Islands.
Bernd Harald, 59, lost his life to the virus yesterday, according to the Official College of Metges (COMIB).
The German national had relocated to Mallorca almost 10 years ago and worked primarily at Clinica Rotger in Palma.
Harald also ran his own practice in Son Severa, in addition to attending to patients at private centres across the island including the renowned Llevant Hospital.
Reports indicate that the physician was a professional swimmer in his early adulthood and that he had no underlying health problems.
However, at the end of last week, Harald began to suffer from a high fever and dry cough, suspecting that he had contracted coronavirus.
A COVID-19 test was subsequently performed at his home over the weekend, with a positive result being confirmed.
Unfortunately, his health dramatically declined in just a matter of days until he went into cardiorespiratory arrest on Tuesday morning.
Cronica Balear reports that the doctor’s wife, also a healthcare professional, had attempted CPR on her husband until the paramedics arrived at their home.
Despite their swift arrival, Harald was pronounced dead after two hours trying to revive him.
COMIB has expressed its ‘deepest sympathies for the loss of a deeply respected doctor in the Balearic Islands.’
A minute of silence at the doors of the collegiate institution has also been organised for today.
It comes as hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Madrid over the weekend to show their anger against the COVID-19 restrictions.
The rally served to criticise the government’s handling of the pandemic where many held signs stating that the ‘the virus does not exist.’
Despite the growing conspiracy theories, the Balearic Islands itself recorded its highest number of new infections last week since the start of the pandemic.
This sharp rise in active cases led to the Balearic government introducing tougher measures to combat the spread of the virus, including a partial ban on smoking in the street.
