CHENNAI: A 60-year-old man from Chengalpattu district, who was admitted on 15 May at the ESI Hospital in KK Nagar here with acute gastroenteritis, complaints of diarrhoea, and severe dehydration, later tested positive for Covid-19 and died on Tuesday.
He passed away while being shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) after testing positive for COVID-19. In a statement, the Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Dr T S Selvavinayagam, said scrutiny of the medical reports showed the cause of death was complications due to chronic kidney failure along with other existing comorbidities, and stressed that Covid-19 was only an “accidental finding”.
The statement said the patient had diabetes, hypertension, and stage four chronic kidney failure. “He was treated for diarrhoea, which got settled, and he continued on dialysis on alternate days for renal failure,” it added.
The patient tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday. His condition turned critical on Tuesday, and he was referred to RGGGH, where he was declared dead on arrival. His body was handed over to the Greater Chennai Corporation and was buried at Moolakothalam cemetery following Covid-19 protocols.
Meanwhile, in a video message on Tuesday, Selvavinayagam said that around 10 to 15 Covid-19 positive cases are being reported per day in Tamil Nadu. However, no virulent variant has been identified.
“No one required in-patient care. It is only showing as a simple respiratory tract infection,” he said.
“Only Omicron and its sub-lineages are in circulation in Tamil Nadu. There is no need to panic, and no additional restrictions are required in this situation,” he said. He appealed to elderly people and those with comorbidities to visit a hospital if they show any Covid-19 symptoms.
The state is continuously conducting whole genome sequencing (WGS). Last month, WGS was carried out for 26 samples, of which 19 were sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune.
“No new variant was reported, only Omicron and its sub-lineages JN.1.16.1, LF.7.9, and LF.7.1.2 are in circulation,” he said.
He also stressed the need for people to maintain basic hand hygiene and to cover their nose and mouth while coughing or sneezing.