Narcos: Mexico's Manuel Masalva in Coma After Contracting Infection
Narcos: Mexico alum Manuel Masalva is fighting for his life after suffering a health emergency.
The 43-year-old is in a medically induced coma at a hospital in Dubai and in critical condition after contracting an aggressive bacterial infection while on vacation.
The Mexican actor arrived in the city in the United Arab Emirates March 18 after spending time in the Philippines. His manager Jaime Jaramillo Espinosa told the Los Angeles Times in an interview April 4 that after about two days in Dubai, Masalva "began to feel internal discomfort and pain which increased by the day."
He said doctors discovered Masalva—who shared pics from his trip to the Philippines March 14 on his Instagram—had contracted a bacterial infection and that the actor underwent emergency surgery March 26. One day later, the infection reached his lungs and he was put into a medically induced coma, the newspaper reported.
Masalva's manager told the outlet doctors have identified the bacteria type and administered antibiotics. "On the other hand, his respirator was lowered to 80 percent," he added, "which means that his lungs are reacting."
E! News has reached out to Masalva's rep for comment and has not heard back.
A GoFundMe that was launched to help cover Masalva's medical costs noted in an April 3 update that the actor "remains in critical condition; the bacteria has already been detected, he's on antibiotics, and we're waiting for him to begin to improve."
Masalva's friend Mario Morán, also an actor, shared a link to the fundraising page and issued a plea about the star on social media.
“My brother is fighting for his life far away from home,” the 32-year-old said in Spanish in a TikTok video posted on Thursday, April 3. "He was the victim of a very aggressive bacteria while on vacation and this led him to be in an induced coma."
He cited the "huge" medical expenses Masalva faces. "Any help," he said, "no matter how small it may seem, can make a difference in this difficult time."
Morán shared an update on day later. "THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! Truly, thank you from the bottom of my heart for every donation, every message, and for sharing. It's been wonderful to see how much support Manuel has received," he wrote on TikTok. "We know many are worried and have written to us asking how he's doing."
He continued, "His condition remains critical. The bacteria that affected him has been identified, and he's receiving the appropriate treatment. Now we just have to wait and trust that he'll begin to improve in the coming days or weeks. If you can continue praying for him, we would be so grateful."
eonline
