First COVID death in district

72-year-old gets virus from an unknown source

Kottayam on Monday recorded its first COVID-19 related death as a 72-year-old Parathodu native died at the Government Medical College (GMC) here.

The person, who had contracted the virus from an unknown source, had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the GMC in Kottayam with severe fever and viral pneumonia on July 6 and was tested positive three days later. His condition remained critical since the admission and the hospital authorities declared his death on Monday morning.

The deceased, an autorickshaw driver, had first approached Government Taluk hospital in Kanjirappally late last month with fever and visited the hospital again for follow-up consultations on July 2 and 4.

With no travel history and no known contacts with COVID patients or people in quarantine, he was never subjected to COVID tests. As his health condition continued to deteriorate, the person was later shifted to a private hospital in Kanjirappally and then to another one in Thellakom, Kottayam. As the patient exhibited symptoms of viral pneumonia, he was referred to the GMC on the same day.

Efforts are on to trace all those who had come to contact with the deceased, besides identifying the source of his infection. Meanwhile, his two sons who travelled to the Tamil Nadu border recently, have been tested negative.

Protocol

Officials said the death would be added to the official COVID-19 figures of the State government after availing the secondary test result. The cremation would be held in accordance with the COVID-19 protocol.