Coronavirus: Further tests will be done after post-mortem on woman with Covid who died at home (Updated)

A post-mortem on a 52-year-old woman who was self-isolating at home with Covid-19 was carried out at Nicosia General Hospital and samples have been sent for further tests, Paphos police spokesman Michalis Nicolaou said on Thursday.

The woman was found unconscious at her home in Paphos around midday on Wednesday by her son who became concerned after he was unable to contact her. She was taken by ambulance to Paphos Hospital, where doctors certified her death. No cause of death was given.

Nicolaou, who is also head of Paphos CID, said that the post-mortem was carried out by state pathologist Nicolas Charalambous in the presence of forensic pathologist Marios Matsakis representing the family.

He said that samples from the deceased will be sent for histopathological tests to determine the exact cause of death.

According to the police office, the woman tested positive for coronavirus on November 29 after she was traced as a contact of a colleague who worked with her at a supermarket.

The woman lived alone. She self-isolated but was regularly in contact with her family telling them that her symptoms were mild. The past four days she had complained that her cough and chest pains were worse, but had said she did not need to undergo further tests or require further treatment, the Cyprus News Agency reported.

Representatives from the health ministry and the state health services organisation (Okypy) expressed condolences but would not comment on the case pending clarification into the case.

But Okypy’s spokesman Charalambos Charilaou noted that this was the second instance within a week that someone with covid had died at home – a reference to the Larnaca teacher who had opted not to be hospitalised – and urged everyone to contact their doctor or health authorities if their health takes a turn for the worse.