India confirms first coronavirus death with 74 infected

GBNEWS24 DESK//

A 76-year-old man who died two days ago in Karnataka while being treated for suspected coronavirus has become India’s first COVID-19 fatality with his samples taken earlier confirming the infection, the state government said on Thursday.

Confirming that the man was a positive patient for coronavirus, Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu in a tweet said necessary contact tracing, isolation and other measures as per protocol were being taken.

A senior Union health ministry official said in New Delhi that the death of the man, who had visited Saudi Arabia from January 29 to February 29, “is confirmed to be caused due to co-morbidity and has also tested positive for COVD-19”.

The official said the man had reached in Hyderabad on February 29 and went to Kalaburagi in Karnataka.

“The 76-year-old man from Kalaburagi who passed away & was a suspected COVID19 patient has been Confirmed for COVID19. The necessary contact tracing, isolation and other measures as per protocol are being carried out,” Sriramulu tweeted.

State Joint Director of Communicable Diseases BG Prakash Kumar said that all protocols were followed for disposal of the body.

“The body is disinfected completely and disposed of as per the Government of India guidelines,” he added when asked to elaborate on the protocols.

He said the Telangana government has also been informed as the man had gone to a private hospital in Hyderabad earlier.

While announcing the death of the man on Tuesday, the state authorities had said the exact cause of his death was being ascertained.

The number of patients in India has soared to 74.