Kerala recorded its second COVID-19 death on March 31 after a 68-year-old man, who had been in a critical condition in the ICU at Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College here since the past one week, died.
An official statement issued by the Thiruvananthapuram MCH authorities said that he was admitted to the ICU on March 23 and that his condition had worsened progressively as he had several co-morbidities, including high blood pressure and thyroid-related issues. He had been on the ventilator since the past five days after his kidneys failed, requiring him to be on dialysis.
His first test had come out as negative and his second sample showed him to be positive for COVID-19 on March 29.
The Minister for Tourism, Kadakampally Surendran, told reporters that the Health Department had not been able to pinpoint the source of the man’s infection as he had not been anywhere abroad nor had he been in contact with anyone with known history of foreign travel.
“He developed mild respiratory symptoms after March 17 and had been to the local primary health centre at Thonnackal twice. He was taken to a private medical college hospital at Venjaramood on March 23, from where he was referred to Thiruvananthapuram MCH on the same day.
Also read | Data: Which States recorded the most coronavirus cases, deaths, and the best testing rates?
The district health administration has, with the help of his relatives, brought out a route map of his movements since March 3 and efforts are on to trace all he had been in contact with. However, he was well-known in the locality and we have a clear idea of who the primary contacts would be.
All of his family members, the staff at the PHC and the staff of a local bank have all gone on quarantine,” he said.
The funeral would be held at Kalloor Juma Masjid at Pothencode as per the WHO-insisted protocol, under the direction of trained personnel of the Health Department.
