First Coronavirus Death

In India: 76-Year-Old
Karnataka Man With
COVID-19 Dies
Coronavirus: A Government statement from New Delhi late
on Thursday night said the man died due to comorbidity and
has also tested positive for COVID-19.
HealthIANSUpdated: March 13, 2020 08:26 am IST

The man visited Saudi Arabia on January 29 and returned to India on February 29
Karnataka Health Minister B. Sriramulu on Thursday confirmed that
a 76-year-old man from Kalaburgi in the state's northern region died
of Coronavirus. "The 76-year-old man from Kalaburgi who passed
away and was suspected to be a COVID-19 patient has been
confirmed for COVID-19," tweeted state Health Minister B. Sriramulu
late on Thursday night. A Government statement from New Delhi
late on Thursday night said the man died due to comorbidity and
has also tested positive for COVID-19.

Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department's joint director for

Communicable Diseases Prakash Kumar said all the protocols are
being followed with regard to the safe disposal of the old man's
body.

The 76 year old man from Kalburgi who passed away & was a
suspected #COVID19 patient has been Confirmed for #COVID19.
The necessary contact tracing, isolation & other measures as per
protocol are being carried out.

— B Sriramulu (@sriramulubjp) March 12, 2020

Kumar said the body has been disinfected completely and disposed
as per Central government's guidelines.

He shared the guidelines to be followed on how to handle a corpse

in a coronavirus situation, detailing the general principles, tips for
corpse handlers, storage or mortuary services, identification and
release of body to relatives.

Sriramulu said the health department has initiated the contact

tracing and isolation measures.
According to the Central government statement, the old man visited
Saudi Arabia on January 29 and returned to India a month later on
February 29.

"He was a known case of hypertension and asthma. He reached

back to Hyderabad on February 29 and went to Kalaburgi. While he
was asymptomatic on his return, he developed symptoms of fever
and cough on March 6. One private doctor visited him at his home
and treated him there,a said the statement.

However, on March 9, the Kalaburgi man's health deteriorated with

aggravated symptoms and a private hospital in the town
provisionally diagnosed his case as mid zone viral pneumonia and
suspected COVID-19.

On March 9th itself, Viral Research Diagnostic Laboratory, Gulbarga

Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), Kalaburgi collected his sample
and dispatched it to VDRL, Bangalore Medical College & Research
Institute, Bengaluru to rule out Coronavirus.

"Without waiting for the test results, the attendees insisted and the
patient was discharged against medical advice (DAMA) and the
attendees took him to a private hospital in Hyderabad," said the
statement.

Kalaburgi is 232 km west of Hyderabad. Though Kalaburgi District

Health Officer met the patient's relatives and requested them to
shift the patient to an isolated ward within GIMS, according to the
instructions of the Deputy Commissioner of the district, the relatives
didn't heed them and moved the patient without the officer's
knowledge to Hyderabad.
"The patient was admitted in a private hospital in Hyderabad and
treated. Later he was discharged and while he was being brought
back he died on the way to GIMS, Kalaburgi on Tuesday,a said the
statement.

Currently, all precautionary measures as per protocol such as

contact tracing, screening and home quarantine of the contacts
have been initiated by the Kalaburgi district health and family
welfare department and being monitored continuously.

Sriramulu said the old man was a coronavirus suspect after his
death on Wednesday and confirmed the cause of death on
Thursday.

Following his death in a private Hyderabad hospital, state health

department's Information, Education and Communication (IEC)
special officer Suresh Shastri said Telangana government has also
been informed of the development.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated
from a syndicated feed.)

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