A 29-year-old woman admitted to the Nair Hospital’s COVID-19 ward was found dead in the bathroom early on Wednesday. The woman, a resident of Veer Jijamata Nagar in Worli, was admitted at 2 a.m. on Tuesday. Hospital authorities said housekeeping staff found her dead around 4 a.m. on Wednesday.

Hospital dean Dr. Ramesh Bharmal said the woman must have panicked after testing positive for the infection. “She was also asthmatic,” he said.

The hospital has started counselling patients and frontline healthcare workers. “But this patient was admitted recently and had not been reached out to for counselling,” he said.

Veer Jijamata Nagar is the largest COVID-19 cluster in Worli, with nearly 200 patients. “The woman had approached municipal hospitals, but they said she did not have COVID-19. About four days ago, she started experiencing a lot of health issues, so I arranged for her to be admitted to Nair Hospital,” said Datta Narvankar, the Shiv Sena corporator from the area. “She tested positive. It is unfortunate that she ended her life. We are testing her husband, parents and brother for the virus,” he said. The area is already a containment zone.

The incident sparked panic in the ward, where many COVID-19 patients are admitted.

Mental health experts have emphasised the importance of counselling and suicide prevention for patients during such epidemics.

Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104 or on these numbers.