American living in an iron lung for more than 70 years dies after contracting coronavirus

HOUSTON, United States

Paul Alexander, an American who became famous more than 70 years ago for living inside an iron lung, died Monday at the age of 78, according to media outlets.

While the cause of his death was not released, Alexander, who lived in the US state of Texas, was rushed to a Dallas hospital in late February after contracting the coronavirus, according to his social media manager, Lincoln, who posted a TikTok video explaining Alexander's health at the time.

"He tested positive for COVID, which is really, really dangerous, obviously, for someone with his condition ... fortunately, they have an iron lung at the hospital just for him," said the video that went on to explain that Alexander was suffering from post-COVID effects after being released.

"Unfortunately, he's still kind of weak, he's still got some confusion going around, he's been struggling to eat and hydrate," it said.

A GoFundMe page had previously been set up to help with Alexander's medical expenses, but family and friends announced his death Tuesday.

"I am so (grateful) to everybody who donated to my brother's fundraiser," said Philip Alexander on the GoFundMe site. "It allowed him to live his last few years stress-free. It will also pay for his funeral during this difficult time."

Alexander was diagnosed with polio at 6 at the height of the polio epidemic in 1952.

Within a week, the disease paralyzed him and shut down his lungs. He stopped breathing and was pronounced dead at the time.

"This happened quite a few times over the rest of my life," Alexander said in an interview where he explained he was given a tracheotomy to get air into his lungs and regained consciousness in an iron lung. "I figured I’d gone to hell."

Doctors advised his parents that he would not survive long in the iron lung, but Alexander defied all medical odds and lived for nearly three-quarters of a century. Last March, he was declared the longest-surviving iron lung patient by Guinness World Records.

"His story traveled wide and far, positively influencing people around the world," GoFundMe organizer Christopher Ulmer said in a statement.

Alexander lived a long and full life during his seven-plus decades. He went to college and received a law degree, started his law firm and published a memoir in 2020.

He also started a TikTok account where he called himself "Polio Paul" and answered questions about what life was like in an iron lung. Alexander had 300,000 followers on the social media platform at the time of his death.

"Paul was an incredible role model that will continue to be remembered," said Ulmer.