BENGALURU: The state’s oldest Covid-positive patient — a 105-year-old man — passed away on Saturday at 9 am after his condition deteriorated on Friday. The retired government accountant and resident of Basaveshwaranagar caught the virus from his caretaker, and was diagnosed with Influenza-Like Illness before being admitted at Pristine Hospital and Research Centre on June 20.
Initially, his condition was stable, and he was admitted to the Covid ward. However, on Wednesday, he was shifted to the ICU as his blood pressure had started to fall. On Friday morning, his condition worsened, and he was put on a non-invasive ventilator support.
Speaking to TNIE, Dr HM Prasanna, managing director, Pristine Hospital, said, “When the patient’s blood pressure started to fall, we hydrated him and he was stable. On Friday, we saw that his cell count was high and we assumed it was sepsis. He was then put on ventilator support. However in the evening, his oxygen saturation levels dropped drastically, and we intubated him with ventilator support.
When a patient’s condition deteriorates like this, especially if they are 80 years and above, it is difficult to revive them.” Initially, the hospital didn’t have Remdesivir and Dr Prasanna had requested Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar to supply some. When this didn’t work, the hospital procured it from a pharmaceutical company. “He didn’t have any comorbidity - it was the age factor at play here,” the doctor added.