Elderly Pakistani man kills self fearing coronavirus

A 68-year-old Pakistani man allegedly committed suicide by setting himself on fire in a graveyard here fearing that he contracted COVID-19.

This is the first incident in Pakistan in which a suspected coronavirus patient committed suicide.

Hanif Ahmed, who was an asthma patient, recently complained about breathing problems, but he resisted his family members’ attempt to take him to hospital, police said.

“As his family members and some neighbours suspected him of COVID-19 patient owing to his identical symptoms, Ahmad developed a strong fear for the disease,” a police official said.

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The official said Ahmed was also aware of the fact that the percentage of mortality of the COVID-19 was high in elderly patients and he resisted his family members’ attempt to take him to hospital.

Ahmed on Thursday brought petrol from a filling station and went to a nearby graveyard where he set himself on fire and died on the spot, he said.

Police reached the spot and claimed to have recorded his statement just before his death.

The official said Ahmed told the police moments before his death that someone in his area had told him that he was a confirmed patient of COVID-19, therefore, he committed suicide