SAMBALPUR/BARIPADA: Two persons, who were under home quarantine in Sambalpur and Baripada, died on Thursday, fuelling fear of being afflicted by coronavirus.
One Laxman Mahanta passed away in his rented home at Hirakud in Sambalpur. The 39-year-old man belonged to Barbil in Keonjhar district and was working at the depot of Food Corporation of India (FCI) at Hirakud.
He had returned from Keonjhar on May 24 and reported to the district administration. He was under home quarantine since then. His health condition became serious on the wee hours of Thursday. Family members informed the angawandi worker of the area and a health team rushed him to VIMSAR at Burla where doctors declared him brought dead.
Although the reason behind his death has not been ascertained, district public health officer Ashok Das said Laxman did not have any Covid-19 symptoms and may have died because of cardiac arrest. His swab sample has, however, been sent for Covid-19 test.
Meanwhile, Sambalpur district reported two more positive cases on the day. The patients had returned from Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh and were quarantined at Jamadarpali quarantine centre under Dhankauda block in the district. With this, the total number of Covid-19 positive cases in the district increased to seven.
At Mayurbhanj district, a Surat returnee died while being under home quarantine. The deceased is Paresh Chandra Mohanta of Tarasole village under Betnoti area of the district and he was under quarantine at his house since Sunday.
He had returned from Surat on May 17 and was put under seven days of institutional quarantine at Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya quarantine centre, Betnoti. On completion, he was allowed for home quarantine.
This morning when Mohanta was brushing his teeth, he felt uneasy and lay down on a cot. However, he died within a few minutes. Although his wife sought help of neighbours to take him to the hospital, they refused fearing that Mohanta might have been affected by coronavirus.
Later, family members took his body to PRM Medical College and Hospital and after postmortem, they conducted the last rites at Baripada cremation ground.
Local IIC informed that Mohanta’s swab was not collected during his institutional quarantine period. Cause of death can be ascertained after receipt of postmortem report.
UNDER COVID SHADOW
Laxman had returned to Hirakud from Barbil on May 24. He was under home quarantine since May 25
He had no Covid-19 symptoms and doctors suspect that he might have died of cardiac arrest
Paresh Mohanta had returned to Betnoti in Mayurbhanj district on May 17
He was under institutional quarantine for seven days and returned home on Sunday
Neighbours refused to shift Paresh to hospital fearing that he might have been infected