Italy: 101-year-old World War II survivor dies two weeks after COVID-19 recovery

Alberto Bellucci, a 101-year-old World War II veteran, has died two weeks after leaving hospital following his apparent recovery from coronavirus. According to reports, Bellucci was born during the infamous Spanish flu pandemic in 1919 that had killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide and had infected around one-third of the world's population at that time. Media reports suggest that Bellucci died on April 9, two days after he celebrated his 101st birthday at home in Rimini, northern Italy, the most affected region in the country. 

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Bellucci had earlier became one of the oldest patients in Italy to survive coronavirus infection. Bellucci reportedly stayed positive throughout his fight against coronavirus and died next to his wife and daughter. Media reports suggest that the real cause of death is not yet clear but it may well be because of the weakness his body had to suffer while fighting the disease. Bellucci's daughter while talking to the press said that he managed to say 'hi' to his grandchildren before he died. Currently, Italy's oldest coronavirus survivor is believed to be 104-year-old Ada Zanusso, while Cornelia Ras of Holland is apparently the oldest in the world at the age of 107 to survive the deadly virus. 

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Italy surpassed China to became the most affected country in the world last month until the United States took over the European nation earlier this month. However, the death toll in Italy continues to rise with over 1,59,500 confirmed coronavirus cases detected so far. According to data by worldometer, over 20,400 people have lost their lives due to COVID-19 in Italy, while 3,260 remain under critical condition. 

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Coronavirus outbreak

The deadly coronavirus infection has claimed more than 1,19,700 lives across the world and has infected over 19,26,300 people globally since it first broke out in December 2019. China was the most affected country until last month before Italy and Spain surpassed it to record the most number of deaths anywhere in the world due to COVID-19. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally.

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(Image Credit: @bernardallorent/Twitter)