india

Updated: Mar 12, 2020 23:19 IST

India recorded its first case of coronavirus caused death in Karnataka on Thursday after the state health department confirmed that the 76-year-old man from Kalburgi who passed away on Tuesday had tested positive for the disease that has infected 74 people in the country so far.

“76-yr-old man from Kalburgi who passed away & was a suspected COVID-19 patient has been confirmed positive for COVID-19,” said commissioner of Karnataka’s health department.

He added that the administration had begun contact tracing and isolation of all those who came in touch with the man after his arrival and before his death. The man had also been treated in a hospital in Hyderabad, Telangana.

The man had recently returned from Saudi Arabia and Karnataka officials till yesterday had said that his death was not due to coronavirus.

Karnataka Minister B Sriramulu had said that the man was suffering from pneumonia, hypertension and asthma and the government was waiting for the lab results from the National Institute of Virology, Pune before his death could be attributed to coronavirus.

The government officials, however, released a statement on Thursday evening confirming the death was due to coronavirus. Senior State health official Dr Suresh Shastri said the lab test has confirmed that the deceased man had Covid 19. The statement was soon retweeted by minister B Sriramulu.

“The necessary contact tracing, isolation and other measures as per protocol are being carried out,” added the release.

The man’s condition had deteriorated shortly after his return from Saudi Arabia on February 29 and he is reported to have died on Tuesday night in an ambulance while being moved from Telangana to Karnataka

The man was first admitted to a hospital for flu-like symptoms on March 5 in Kalburgi and was later moved to a Hyderabad hospital by his family.

Telangana government was also informed about the case in order to facilitate contact tracing, isolation and other preventive measures in the state.

Sriramulu had said on Wednesday that the district health department has taken some precautions for the funeral of the deceased.

the state government had also suspended one Kalburgi district health official on the charge that he had revealed details about the patient including his name.

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