Former Panamanian world boxing champion Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Durán was hospitalized for the new coronavirus, although his life is not in danger at the moment, one of his sons announced, the same day that Panama broke its record for new cases of Covid-19 .
“My father’s exams have just arrived and they confirm that he is positive for covid-19,” Robin Durán, son of the legendary puncher and six-time world boxing champion, announced on his Instagram account.
«Thank God for now he has no symptoms other than a cold. He is not in intensive care or ventilation, he is still under observation, “he added.
Hours before, Robin Durán had stated that “Manos de Piedra”, 69, had been hospitalized as a precaution for a “cold virus”, but after tests he tested positive for Covid-19.
“We just spoke with the doctor and he told us that the lungs are fine and there are no signs of severity. Let us continue to have faith that everything will work out, ”said Robin Durán.
“My father felt a little cold and that is why the decision was made to take him to the hospital, since he has a lung that does not work 100% due to an accident in Argentina a few years ago,” said his son.
Durán, a national hero in his country, boxed as a professional from 16 to 50 years old. He starred in 119 fights, 103 won and 16 lost. He was knocked out four times and sent 70 of his opponents to sleep on the mat, earning him the nickname “Hands of Stone.”
He was world champion in different categories, including the lightweight one that he won 12 times.
Between their fights, fans remember the victory over Scotsman Ken Buchanan (1972) and Americans Sugar Ray Leonard (1980), Davey Moore (1983) and Iran Barkley (1989).
In 2016, the Venezuelan director, Jonathan Jakubowicz, brought Durán’s life to the big screen with the film “Hands of Stone”, starring fellow Venezuelan Édgar Ramírez, in the role of the Panamanian boxer, and Robert De Niro.
– “Pandemic is destruction” –
The boxing legend’s admission to a hospital occurred on the same day that Panama broke its daily record of new cases with 1,007 infections.
The Central American country, of four million inhabitants, is the most affected by the pandemic in Central America, with a total of 564 deaths and more than 29,000 cases. In addition, 826 people are hospitalized, of which 140 are in intensive care units.
The country has gone from having an average of 200 new infections a day to a thousand. This increase occurs in a context of gradual reactivation of various sectors to avoid an economic contraction, which the government estimates at 2% for this year.
Despite the increase in infections and deaths, the Panamanian government is already thinking of reopening new economic blocks, for which it created an advisory committee this Thursday, made up of several doctors.
Its function is to adopt measures “that will bring us out of this crisis and lead us to a prompt opening of all economic activities in the country,” said the newly appointed Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre.
The situation caused Panama’s president, Laurentino Cortizo, to dismiss three ministers from his cabinet on Wednesday, including Health Minister Rosario Turner, amid scandals over alleged corruption and considerable wear and tear on the government image.
«Pandemic is destruction of the economy, of the quality of life of citizens, disease and unfortunately deaths. We have to take this very seriously, the figures are telling us every day, “said Francisco Sánchez Cárdenas, former minister and member of the new committee of the Panamanian government. AFP (HN)
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