SWEDEN: First Syriac death due to coronavirus confirmed

TENSTA, Sweden — Today, Syriac television channel SuroyoTV  reported the first Syriac death as a consequence of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19. After a crowded Syriac funeral service in Tensta, a suburb of Stockholm, two weeks ago, several people are now reported to have been infected with the new coronavirus, among them an elderly Syriac woman aged 86 years. The elderly woman already had several ailments and illnesses. Older people are more likely to become severely ill if they catch COVID-19.

A younger person who is assumed to also have caught the coronavirus at the same funeral is currently hospitalized for treatment. His condition is reported to be severe. It is unknown how many people were infected at the funeral. This week, governments all over the world have recommended not to attend crowded gatherings, including weddings, religious services, and funerals.