Local news reports said the woman had initially fainted in MDPI’s Bucharest office on Friday, October 4, but that her superiors refused to call an ambulance or let her go home after she revived. She later collapsed again and died from a heart attack after efforts to resuscitate her failed, according to the reports.

MDPI CEO Stefan Tochev said: "Linking this tragic event to working practices would be completely inappropriate without you having the facts or formal information. An independent investigation is ongoing, and our top priority remains supporting Alexandra’s family and our colleagues."

Performance metrics for editorial staffers of MDPI prioritize the quantity of published manuscripts over their quality, source of Retraction Watch in Bucharest said. Editors get one performance point for every published manuscript they handle, but only half of a point for rejecting a manuscript. Staffers who reach a certain number of points get a monthly bonus.