46-Year-Old Professor Collapses And Dies During Virtual Class After Succumbing To ‘Long-Haul’ COVID-19 Symptoms

A history professor in Argentina who had been suffering from ‘persistent coronavirus symptoms’ for over a month collapsed and died while teaching a virtual lecture form her home, according to The Sun, citing Diari Mes.

Professor Paola De Simone, 46, was teaching a remote class via Zoom for the Universidad Argentina de la Epresa in Buenos Aires, when she complained that she was feeling unwell. Her condition worsened as students begged her to give them her home address so they could send an ambulance.

Paola De Simone en su máxima expresión, me pareció interesante su postura tan relajada para dar una clase que no dude en capturar ese momento. pic.twitter.com/z3QfGGOQAt

— Nawel ♛ (@naweljimenez) September 3, 2020

She reportedly gasped “I can’t,” before collapsing mid-lecture.

In the days leading up to the tragedy she had expressed concerns about her health.

The teacher had been suffering persistent coronavirus symptoms – including a cough – for more than a month.

Local media reported her husband, a doctor, found her dead when he arrived home. –The Sun

It is unknown if she had any comorbidities.

De Simone’s friends, colleagues and students paid tribute to her, describing her as an “unforgettable teacher.” She leaves behind a daughter, and had previously said that her husband was fighting the pandemic in Argentina – which has suffered 471,806 cases and 9,379 deaths, with approximately 10,000 daily infections since August.

At the end of august, De Simone tweeted “It is very complicated. I have been here [with the virus] for more than four weeks and the symptoms do not go away,” adding “My husband is exhausted from working so much at the moment.“

Student Ana Breccia shared: “My classmates and I in class were the last ones she spoke to,” adding “She began by saying that she had pneumonia, we saw it was worse than in previous classes.”

“At one point she could not continue passing slides, nor speak and she became unbalanced.”

Another one of her students described Professor De Simone as an “excellent teacher, but above all an excellent person, loved and admired by all her students”.

The university confirmed her death in a statement, saying it had left the them with “deep pain”.

It added: “Paola was a passionate and dedicated teacher, and a great person, with more fifteen years of experience”. –The Sun

Another student commented that De Simone was an “Unforgettable teacher, one of those who give you a hand in everything, who make you love what you study, who go out of their way for their students. We are going to miss you a lot.”