Paul Alexander- The Man in an Iron Lung Dies after over 70 years in and Iron Lung

by Brittany McClain, RN

Photo credit: GoFundMe

Reference: Obituary, AP, NY Times, CDC

Paul Alexander is widely known as “the man in the iron lung”. Paul developed polio in 1952 when he was just 6 years old. He had since spent over 70 years in an iron lung. Paul learned to read, write, and paint using his mouth. He even graduated and practiced law as an attorney and became a published author. Paul is also recognized as the longest-surviving person living in an Iron Lung by the Guinness Book of World Records. Paul Alexander died on March 11, 2024. 

Symptoms of Polio

Many people who contract poliovirus may not display any visible symptoms. However, about 25% of those who are infected may experience flu-like symptoms such as a sore throat, fever, tiredness, nausea, headache, and stomach pain. These symptoms typically last between two to five days and subside on their own.

In some cases, people with poliovirus infection may experience more serious symptoms that affect the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis, which is an infection of the spinal cord and/or brain covering, occurs in about 1-5% of people with poliovirus infection, depending on the type of virus contracted. Furthermore, paralysis, which causes an inability to move parts of the body or weakness in the arms, legs, or both, occurs in around 1 out of 200 people to 1 in 2000 people, depending on the virus type. Paralysis is the most severe symptom associated with poliovirus because it can lead to permanent disability and even death. In fact, between 2 and 10% of people who develop paralysis from poliovirus infection die because the virus affects the muscles that help them breathe.

It is important to note that even children who appear to have fully recovered can develop new muscle pain, weakness, or paralysis as adults, between 15 to 40 years later. This condition is known as post-polio syndrome. It is worth mentioning that only individuals with the paralytic infection are considered to have the disease, as "poliomyelitis" (or "polio" for short) is defined as the paralytic disease.