India's first coronavirus death: Man who died in Kalaburagi was Covid19 positive
Kalaburagi: The Karnataka health department late on Thursday confirmed that the 76-year-old man from Kalaburgi who died of lung complications on Tuesday has tested positive for the coronavirus.
A communiqué issued by the health department said, “The 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. The Telangana government has also been informed since he went to a private hospital there. "
This would be the first coronavirus death recorded in India.
The 76-year-old man, identified as Mohammed Hussain Siddiqui, was a religious leader from Kalaburagi. He had returned to India from a trip to Saudi Arabia last month.
He was first admitted to a hospital in Kalaburagi following complaints of cough and other symptoms. Doctors screened him for the Covid-19 coronavirus earlier this week. When he did not respond to treatment at a hospital in Bidar, he was driven to Hyderabad for urgent medical attention.
The patient, however, failed to get emergency care in two private hospitals in Hyderabad as he was suffering from acute breathlessness and lung dysfunction.
The patient was referred to Gandhi Hospital but the family was not ready to go there. Another private hospital examined the patient in the emergency section but again advised them to go to Gandhi Hospital.
The family was given an option of hospitalisation in the isolation unit. But if the patient was found to have been infected by coronavirus, the doctors told the family that he must be shifted to Gandhi Hospital.
But the family rejected the option and decided to take the patient back to Kalaburagi (Gulbarga) in a private ambulance. During their journey, the patient passed away.
Siddiqui’s body was sanitized by health officials before handing it over to his family. District health officer M A Jabbar instructed those conducting the final rites not to touch the body with bare hands and use other protective measures during burial.
