Five-month-old baby in Dominican Rep. dies after drinking turtle blood to prevent Covid-19

A family of Haitian origin based in the Dominican Republic has paid dearly by trusting a traditional healer to protect them from Covid-19 contamination.

According to Dahiana Vólquez, Director of Rosa Duarte Hospital, where the girl was rushed, the five-month-old ingested a drink prepared with various ingredients, including turtle blood, which the family obtained through the supposed traditional healer for protection against Covid-19 and the so-called ‘evil eye.’

Reports in the island state say aside the baby, who arrived dead at the hospital, her parents and another seven-year-old sister, who also had the drink had to be rushed to the hospital and admitted in the intensive care unit at the hospital based in Comendador, in the Elías Piña province.

Vólquez further noted although the other relatives are now “stable”, they are saddened by the death of their little girl who died on Sunday, adding “these types of cases are caused by people who think these drinks can have curative qualities, but can end up being deadly.”

An investigation is currently underway by the police. According to official statistics, Haiti has suffered 33 Covid-19 deaths and 1,174 cases with the Dominican Republic recording nearly 15,800 cases and 474 deaths.