In China, a man almost died after sleeping on his dead mother's bed for several days.

In eastern China, a 60-year-old man almost died after following a local custom and sleeping on his dead mother's bed for several days to "calm her soul." This was reported on December 12 by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper.

A man surnamed Chen lives in a remote rural area of Zhejiang Province and is the only child in the family. His 86-year-old mother was healthy until recently and worked in the fields every day. However, after the holiday, she died suddenly after bouts of diarrhea and vomiting.

Shocked by the loss, the man decided to observe the local funeral custom and slept on his mother's bed for several days. In some villages of Zhejiang, this ritual is called "pressing the spirit's bed." It usually lasts until the 35th day after death and, according to legend, helps the soul of the deceased to pass peacefully into the afterlife.

It is believed that the soul gradually "fades away", and each seven-day cycle brings it closer to final rest. The number seven plays a special role in Chinese funerary culture and symbolizes change, transformation and completion. The custom is also associated with ancient ancestor worship practices, including burning paper money and memorial rituals to protect the living.

On the 10th day of sleeping on his mother's bed, Chen felt severe weakness and muscle pain. He developed diarrhea and vomiting, the same symptoms that his mother had before her death. The man was hospitalized, and doctors diagnosed him with a tick-borne virus. The disease causes fever, gastrointestinal disorders, and in severe cases, immune system disorders and organ failure.

According to doctors, Chen's mother probably contracted the virus after being bitten by a tick. When her son was sleeping on her bed, he came into contact with residual secretions and thus picked up the same infection. After treatment, the man's condition improved. Doctors reminded of the need to use repellents and remove the mouthparts of ticks as soon as possible after bites in order to reduce the risk of infection.

Sick in the head: charlatans "treat" Spaniards with bleach

Cancer patients seek help from crooks

On October 9, the SCMP reported a case in which a Chinese woman swallowed eight live frogs to get rid of lower back pain. According to the publication, it is a folk remedy for treatment. After that, the woman was admitted to the hospital due to severe abdominal pain.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.