Television channel journalist succumbs to COVID-19 in Telangana

A 36-year-old journalist working for a Telugu television channel succumbed to COVID-19 at the state-run Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad on Sunday (June 7).

He was admitted on June 4 after being referred from another state-run hospital. The journalist had bilateral pneumonia with Type-1 respiratory failure and Acute Respiratory Disease Syndrome (ARDS) when he was admitted, doctors at the hospital said.

He was also suffering from Myasthenia Gravis, a long-term neuromuscular disease that leads to varying degrees of skeletal muscle weakness, they said.

“He was in the ICU and was being attended to by a team of doctors round the clock. I myself also visited him very frequently. But this morning, he had a cardiac arrest and was declared dead at 9:37 am,” Gandhi Hospital superintendent Dr M Raja Rao said.

According to a local media house, the journalist got himself tested along with his other colleagues for COVID-19 at Fever Hospital three days ago after which he tested positive.

“After he tested positive at Fever Hospital, he was referred to Gandhi Hospital for admission in the early hours of June 4. Immediately, we started treatment, but he developed breathlessness by afternoon on the same day and he was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit,” Gandhi Hospital Superintendent Dr Raja Rao was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.

Director of Public Health and Family Welfare Dr G Srinivas Rao told HT that surveillance teams had observed a surge in cases across the state.

“In view of the surge, the people are requested to be alert and self-vigilant for any signs and symptoms of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI). In case of onset of any ILI or SARI symptoms, they are requested to immediately contact the nearest government health facility without delay. Early reporting to the health facility will enable prompt diagnosis and management. Seeking medical care soon after the onset of symptoms is vital to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19,” Dr Rao said.

Over the past one week some journalists have tested positive for coronavirus in the state and are undergoing treatment.

Telangana has been witnessing a major surge in COVID-19 cases,with 206 infections and 10 deaths being reported on Saturday, taking the tally in the state to 3,496 and fatalities to 123.