A couple has died after being poisoned by laughing gas
A Ukrainian couple have died inside their Moscow flat after apparently being poisoned by laughing gas, the BBC reports.
Local news publications in the area say 18-year-old Alexandra Vernigora and her 27-year-old boyfriend Stanislav Bogdanovich - both top chess players - were discovered deceased inside their home this week. Balloons containing the gas nitrous oxide - more commonly known as laughing gas - were reportedly found at the scene.
Russian authorities investigating the deaths have determined there were no signs of foul play.
According to the NHS, when inhaled, nitrous oxide can make people feel euphoric and relaxed. However, it also has a risk of death, as lack of oxygen can occur when inhaling the gas. "This risk is likely to be greater if the gas is consumed in an enclosed space or if a substantial amount is rapidly used," the health service warns.
The UK government describes nitrous oxide as having "a very good safety profile in normal use under the supervision of a healthcare professional". Typically, it is known to be a medical gas that's used widely in surgical anaesthesia, as well as to relieve pain in childbirth and acute trauma. However, there can be risks of "neurological toxic effects" following "prolonged use", it's warned.
It is unknown how frequently Alexandra and Stanislav used laughing gas - or exactly how much they inhaled in the run up to their deaths - but if it was high quantities it's likely that this may have caused the fatalities.
In 2018, a young British woman issued a warning on Facebook after she was left paralysed thanks to laughing gas. Olivia Golding from Bristol had 15 balloons at a festival, and began to experience a pins and needles sensation down her back. Just three days later, after becoming increasingly less mobile, she woke up one morning realising she couldn't move or speak properly.
"I felt like I'd been in the gym for six hours," she told ITV News West Country at the time. Attending hospital, Olivia recalled "walking in literally like an 80-year-old woman."
On Facebook, Olivia described the damage she sustained from laughing gas. "I have no feeling in my body from my calves to my shoulders and cannot use my hands," she wrote. "The doctors are now going to focus on trying to reverse this but I wanted to make everyone aware that the 20 second high off that one balloon could cause you weeks in hospital teaching yourself to walk properly again.
"If this just stops one person from doing them I feel I would have succeeded in some way."
Our thoughts are with the families of both Alexandra Vernigora and Stanislav Bogdanovich.
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