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, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at the GMC with severe fever and viral pneumonia on July 6 and was tested positive three days later. His condition remained critical since admission and the hospital authorities declared his death on Monday morning.
The deceased, an autorickshaw driver, first approached the 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 contact with COVID-19 patients or people in quarantine, he was never subjected to tests for the pandemic. As his health condition continued to deteriorate, he 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 government MCH on the same day.
Efforts are on to trace all those who had come in 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.
Officials said the death was yet to be added to the COVID-19 figures of the State government.
