COVID-19: Kerala senior citizen recovers from coronavirus, dies of other health issues

An 85-year-old coronavirus patient in Kerala who had recovered and was under treatment for kidney and heart related ailments, died early on Saturday (April 18) at a government hospital in Malappuram.

Health Minister K K Shailaja said the patient had been cured of COVID-19 and had been suffering from health issues due to his old age, besides heart and kidney ailments. All three results of his samples had returned negative, the Health Minister told reporters in the state capital.

The octogenarian was undergoing treatment for heart and kidney ailments and had suffered a cardiac arrest on April 13, 2020. He suffered a kidney failure the next day and was on dialysis, she said.

Malappuram District Collector Jafar Malik told PTI that the patient had been declared cured of the viral infection after his last three samples taken on April 7, 10 and 13 came out negative.

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“He was under observation in the ICU but in the last two days there were a lot of complications. Due to his age and earlier diseases the doctors tried their best, but he expired at 4 this morning. It is not a Covid-19 death,” the collector said.

“As per protocol two samples have to be taken. In this case three samples were taken and all were negative. It is a normal death,” he said.

When asked about the funeral protocol, Malik said there would be restrictions due to the COVID-19 lockdown as no more than 20 people can attend it. “But no COVID-19 protocol will be followed and the doctor’s suggestion in this regard has been taken. It is not clear how the patient contracted the virus,” he said.

His son, a Madrassa teacher, had returned after performing umrah in Saudi Arabia. However, he had tested negative for the virus. The man, who was a religious preacher, had visited nearby panchayats of Anakkayam and Vettathoor for performing prayers, sources said.