KOTTAYAM: Even as coronavirus positive cases soar across Kerala, Kottayam district on Monday recorded its first death due to the infection.
The deceased has been identified as Abdul Salam, 72, a native of Parathodu near Mundakkayam.
With this, Covid related deaths in the state rose to 32.
Salam, who contracted the SARS-CoV-2 virus from an unknown source, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Government Medical College hospital, Kottayam, with severe fever and viral pneumonia on July 6 and was diagnosed positive for the infection on July 9.
His condition remained critical since the admission and the hospital authorities declared him dead on Monday morning.
According to health department officials, Salam, who is an auto-rickshaw driver, had first gotten himself checked at government taluk hospital, Kanjirappally, on June 29 as he had fever and came for a follow-up consultation on July 2 and 4.
Having no known contact with coronavirus patients or people in quarantine and no travel history, he was not advised to get himself tested for the virus.
Later, when his health deteriorated, he consulted a private hospital in Kanjirappally and then another hospital in Thellakom on July 6.
With the patient showing symptoms of viral pneumonia, he was referred to government MCH on the same day.
Though authorities have launched an investigation to ascertain Salam's source of infection, they have not received any information on the matter so far.
His two sons, who are also drivers, travelled up to Tamil Nadu border, but their test results returned negative.