68-year-old man dies of coronavirus in Kerala, second death in state: Govt

(Eds: Adds details) Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 31 (PTI): A 68-year-old man died of the novel coronavirus here, taking the number of COVID-19 deaths in Kerala to two, the government said on Tuesday. The condition of the man was "extremely critical", a press release from the state-run Thiruvananthapuram Medical College and Hospital said.

The patient from nearby Pothencode, was on ventilator support for the past five days and was suffering from high blood pressure. He was also on dialysis, it said. The first coronavirus death in the state was reported from Chullickal in Kochi.

The man had not gone abroad and it is not yet certain how he had contracted the virus. The man had been admitted to the hospital on March 23 due to fever. Though he tested negative on March 26, in the second test on March 29 he was found positive for the virus.

The samples of the deceased's wife and daughter have been sent for testing and the results are awaited. The man had attended a wedding and funeral before he fell ill.

Devaswom Minister Kadakamapally Surendran said the doctors had tried their best to save the man's life, but failed. The deceased would be buried at a mosque near his home at Pothencode on Tuesday after following all international protocol.

All those who had come in contact with the patient, including his family members, should go in for quarantine, the minister told reporters here Monday. The man had also attended a parent-teachers meeting of a school in Pothencode, and had gone to a cooperative bank branch. The branch has been shut and the staff have been quarantined, the minister said.

Kerala on Monday had reported 32 new positive cases of Covid-19 taking the total number of patients undertreatment to 213 in the state with the worst affected Kasaragod district accounting for 17 fresh cases. Also on Monday, an elderly couple, aged 93 and 88, was cured of the deadly virus.PTI UD SS PTI PTI