Bengaluru, Mar 13: India has registered the first confirmed case of death due to novel coronavirus. A 76-year-old man from Karnataka's Kalaburgi who passed away recently has been tested positive for Covid-19.
The doctors had suspected that the man had coronavirus, however, the test had not confirmed it.
In an official notification, a senior health official in Karnataka government Dr Suresh Shastri said that the lab test has confirmed that the deceased man had Covid-19.
"The 76-year-old man from Kalburgi who passed away and was a suspected COVID 19 patient has been confirmed for COVID 19. The necessary contact tracing, isolation and other measures as per protocol are being carried out. Telangana government has also been informed since he went to a private hospital there," Dr Suresh Shastri said.
The same information was also shared by Karnataka health minister B Sriramulu.
A senior Union health ministry official said in New Delhi that the death of the man had visited Saudi Arabia from January 29 to February 29. The official said the man had reached in Hyderabad on February 29 and went to Kalaburagi in Karnataka.
State Joint Director (Communicable Diseases) BG Prakash Kumar said all protocols were followed for disposal of the body.
"The body is disinfected completely and disposed of as per the Government of India guidelines," he added when asked to elaborate on the protocols.
He said the Telangana government has also been informed as the man had gone to a private hospital in Hyderabad earlier.
While announcing the death of the man on Tuesday, the state authorities had said the exact cause his death was being ascertained.
According to the Union health ministry official, "While he was asymptomatic on his return (from Saudi Arabia), he developed symptoms of fever and cough on 6th March. One private doctor visited him at his home and treated him there."
"On 9th March, the symptoms got aggravated and he was shifted to a private hospital in Kalaburagi. In this private hospital, he was provisionally diagnosed as 'mid-zone viral pneumonia' and 'suspected Covid-19'," the official said.
"The sample was collected on March 9... Without waiting for the test results, the attendees insisted and the patient was discharged against medical advice and the attendees took him to a private hospital in Hyderabad," the official said.
The patient was admitted to a private hospital in Hyderabad and treated. He died on Tuesday when he was being brought back to the Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Kalaburagi.
Apart from the deceased, Karnataka has confirmed five other positive cases of the novel coronavirus. The fifth case, confirmed on Thursday is of a 26-year-old man who recently returned from Greece.
The patient has been admitted and isolated at a hospital and his condition is stable, a department media bulletin said.
The day also saw the education department declaring summer holidays for students from kindergarten to class six and study leave for higher classes in the city as a precautionary measure.
According to sources, Shafi Bellare, a native of Sullia, is currently in custody of Mangaluru North Police, who are questioning him in connection with the case.
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Please make correction. If makes lots of difference. NRI stands for non resident Indian.
Should not make fun of others......rather than discussing in a respected manner.....
Before making fun of others..see the mirror. The world is laughing at you pissfuls.
As a Muslim i oppose any insult to other religion person or GOD....ISLAM Teaches the same ....ALLAH is highest and almighty ....so if we Muslims insult other religion then they might insult the almighty ...so spare ourselves from insulting anyone
Actually he was not arrested ...instead he himself wanted to meet police and give clarification about the same
There are so many anti Muslim Facebook pages that not only makes mockery of Muslim Faith but also encourages violence against Muslims. Why aren't the police taking that as suo moto? I thought police protected interests of all people.
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