Church Deacon Dies Of Coronavirus In Vitsebsk

The therapist in the clinic mistook his disease for tonsillitis.

In Vitsebsk, on May 3, the 58-year-old deacon of the Evangelical Renaissance Church Anatol Sakalou died of pneumonia complicated by the coronavirus. For almost half a month the man was on mechanical ventilation. This was told by his brother, pastor of the same church, Mikhail Sakalou, writes tut.by.

The Evangelical Renaissance Church in Vitsebsk is visited by Protestants. It is located in the outskirts microdistrict Mishkava.

Anatol Sakalou, 58, was a plumber at Vitebskvtorchermet.He also served as a deacon in the church.

Anatol, according to his brother, fell ill in April, more than three weeks ago.

- He had a fever. He went to the clinic, where the local therapist mistook his disease for a tonsillitis. Then my brother became so ill that they called an ambulance. They took him to the hospital. It turned out that this is bilateral pneumonia. For almost two weeks, Anatol was on a ventilator. And on May 3, he died,” said Mikhail Sakalou.

In the hospital, the patient was tested for the coronavirus - and the test came back positive.

Anatol, according to his brother, had suffered pneumonia several years ago. He also had hypertension.

Mikhail Sakalou says that his brother’s body is in the morgue now. The family organizes the funeral.

- The church is not working now, we closed it until the epidemiological situation improves.