Erap Estrada now on ventilator as pneumonia worsens

Former President Joseph Estrada, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week, has been placed on a ventilator, a machine that helps him breathe, after his pneumonia “worsened,” his son Jinggoy Estrada said in a social media post on Tuesday, April 6.

Jinggoy said the doctors decided to place Estrade on mechanical ventilation to “improve oxygen delivery as well as to prevent the tiring of his respiratory mechanism.”

He also asked for prayers for his father’s recovery.

Over the weekend, Jinggoy announced that Estrada was moved to the intensive care unit. He also denounced rumors that Estrada had died of COVID-19. “He is being sedated to lessen his anxiety, which may affect his heart and aggravate his condition,” he said in a Facebook post on Sunday, April 5.

Estrada, who served as president of the country from 1998 to 2001 and was ousted over corruption allegations, was brought to the hospital on March 28, where he was later diagnosed with COVID-19.

Banner photo from Philstar.com