Iron lung man Paul Alexander’s cause of death is revealed after Polio left him paralysed and living in metal casing for more than 70 years

Paul Alexander, who lived in an iron lung for more than 70 years after Polio left him paralyzed, died after contracting Covid-19, according to reports.

‘In the end it was not an iron lung disorder, but a corona infection that led to his death. He died peacefully in the presence of his brother,” the German newspaper said South German Zeitung reports.

The publication published what could potentially be the last interview with Alexander this week, with the extraordinary man telling his reporter earlier this year that he had “died almost a thousand times” and suspected he didn’t have much time left.

The 78-year-old was hospitalized last month and tested positive for Covid-19, his social media manager told his legion of fans in a TikTok video posted on February 27. He was discharged and went home, said the man named Lincoln, but was still “weak.”

“I know there have been a lot of questions and comments about where the videos have been. Is Paul okay?’ he said, explaining that Alexander had fallen ill.

Paul Alexander’s social media manager Lincoln said last month he had contracted Covid-19

Paul Alexander depicted in a wheelchair in his youth. Alexander contracted polio at the age of six

“Last week he was unfortunately rushed to the hospital emergency room, he tested positive for Covid, which is really, really dangerous for someone with his condition,” Lincoln said.

‘Luckily they have an iron lung at the hospital especially for him and he was able to go home this weekend.

“But unfortunately he’s still a little weak, there’s still some confusion, he’s still having trouble eating and drinking,” he added, explaining why he wouldn’t be appearing in videos for “a little while longer.”

Led by @ironlungman, Alexander, who called himself “Polio Paul,” shared videos of himself chatting with his fans and answering questions in a series called “Conversations with Paul.”

He gained millions of views and more than 330,000 followers on TikTok.

Tributes have since come from his followers, many of whom have left comments like ‘RIP’ and called him an ‘inspiration’ on his posts.

One wrote: ‘Forever, rest assured Paul Alexander, you were the most inspiring person I have ever had the pleasure of following, forever fly high.’

Kai Kupferschmidt, a journalist who has interviewed Alexander a number of times, wrote on X yesterday: ‘So sad to hear that Paul Alexander passed away yesterday from Covid-19 at the age of 78.’

‘Paul contracted polio in 1952, when he was just six years old. He ended up in an iron lung and although he was able to live out there for a long time, he never really came out.’

Christopher Ulmer, an organizer and disability rights activist, wrote on Alexander’s GoFundMe page on Tuesday: ‘Paul Alexander, “The Man in the Iron Lung,” passed away yesterday.

‘After surviving polio as a child, he lived in an iron lung for more than seventy years. During this time, Paul went to college, became a lawyer, and a published author.

“His story spread far and wide and positively influenced people around the world.

Paul will celebrate his 78th birthday on January 30, 2024 after more than 70 years in the iron lung

“Paul was an incredible role model who will still be remembered.”

Throughout an extraordinary life, Alexander’s determination not to let his physical limitations get in the way has led him to achieve a number of remarkable achievements.

At age 21, he became the first person to graduate from a Dallas high school without ever attending classes in person.

He was admitted to Southern Methodist University in Dallas, after many problems with the university administration, and then went on to study law at the University of Texas, Austin.

He pursued his dreams of becoming a trial lawyer, representing clients in court wearing a three-piece suit and a modified wheelchair that kept his paralyzed body upright.

Despite being on a ventilator, Alexander was able to paint and write a book

He also organized a sit-in for disability rights and published his own memoir, titled “Three Minutes for a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung.”

The 155-page memoir was carefully drafted and took five years to complete; Paul wrote every word with a pen on a stick in his mouth.

Paul outlived both his parents, his brother and even his original iron lung, which began leaking air in 2015 but was repaired by mechanic Brady Richards after a YouTube video of Paul pleading for help was uploaded.

Near the ventilator, a large yellow metal box, patients must lie inside, with the device strapped tightly around their neck.

It works by creating a vacuum to mechanically draw oxygen into the lungs in patients whose central nervous system and respiratory function have been affected by polio.

While in hospital, doctors tried to get Paul to breathe on his own by turning off the machine and forcing him outside, but it wouldn’t be long before he turned blue and passed out.

Despite the availability of more modern ventilators, Paul decided to continue using the iron lung machine because he was used to it.

What is polio?

Poliomyelitis is an infectious disease that can cause paralysis or even death.

While efforts to produce vaccines effectively ended the epidemic in the Western world in the second half of the twentieth century, polio remained one of the deadliest threats to children well into the 1950s.

Polio spreads from person to person through the ingestion of feces from an infected person, or – less commonly – through coughing and sneezing.

Despite advances in sanitation and hygiene practices throughout the 19th century, polio cases in Europe and America soared until the early 20th century.

Photo of a 1950s ward full of iron lung patients during the polio outbreak in the US

In the initial phase of contracting the disease, the infection remains in the digestive system and throat. Most babies can fight the disease at this point without it becoming disabling and developing immunity.

Children who develop the disease later are often less prepared to fight the disease without developing resistance, allowing polio to enter a second, more aggressive phase, affecting the central nervous system.

Awareness of how diseases spread under unsanitary conditions meant great strides in overcoming epidemics of cholera and typhoid, but reduced exposure to poliovirus in childhood led to many children contracting the disease later in the 20th century , with horrific consequences.

Sources: Science Museum, NHS