Admission and diagnosis
Mirtha Legrand, 99, was admitted on Sunday night to the Mater Dei sanatorium in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires after her respiratory condition worsened. She had been experiencing flu-like symptoms over the weekend, which prevented her from hosting her television program. The diagnosis is bronchitis, and while she is being treated for that condition, further tests are being conducted.[S1]
The hospitalization was confirmed by sources close to the host, as reported by Teleshow. According to journalist Analía Franchín on the program A la Barbarossa, Legrand's primary physician had initially recommended complete rest, but due to the evolution of her condition, doctors decided to admit her preventively for closer monitoring. The sanatorium's press office indicated that a medical bulletin would be issued shortly.[S2][S3]
A demanding schedule
Legrand's active social life may have contributed to her illness. Despite medical advice to limit outings to three per week, she made three consecutive outings in late August, catching a cold. One outing was to the Uruguayan Embassy, hosted by Ambassador Diego Cánepa, accompanied by her daughter Marcela Tinayre and her personal tailor Gino Bogani. The next day, she attended a charity gala for Margarita Barrientos' soup kitchens.[S1]
Her cough and other respiratory symptoms worsened, leading her family and doctor to ask her not to record her show, which is taped on Fridays. Reluctantly, she agreed to miss it, saying she does not like that verb. On Sunday, she also canceled her traditional tea gathering at home, and hours later, the decision was made to take her to Mater Dei.[S1]
Replacement and public reaction
Due to her absence, her granddaughter Juana Viale hosted the Saturday broadcast of La noche de Mirtha on El Trece. At the start, Viale mentioned that her grandmother had the flu and was recovering with teas and natural ointments, but quickly clarified that they were all medications. The episode, featuring lawyers Ana Rosenfeld and Elba Marcovecchio, averaged 3.5 points, ranking fourth in its time slot.[S1][S3]
The news of her hospitalization sparked an outpouring of support from fans on social media, with messages like "Vamos Mirtha, vos podés" and "Fuerza Mirtha estamos con vos." This is not the first health scare for Legrand; in April, she suffered a severe bronchitis that kept her off television for weeks. Her daughter Marcela Tinayre had previously explained that the condition was triggered by constant exposure to air conditioning.[S4][S3]
