The city reportedly recorded its first COVID-19 death, when a 62-year-old man from Chengalraopeta in the old city area died, here at the King George Hospital in the early hours of Friday.
According to officials at the KGH, the man was brought for treatment with some kidney ailment on Thursday night. But seeing the symptoms, the doctors conducted a swab test for COVID-19, but before the reports could come he died.
Considering it to be a death due to kidney ailment, the body was handed over to the family members. But once the reports came in indicating that he was COVID-19 positive, we rushed a team to the house of the deceased and conducted the last rites as per the protocol, said KGH Superintendent G. Arjuna.
However, Principal of Andhra Medical College, Dr. P.V. Sudhakar said that though the test results may show positive it cannot be certified as a COVID related death. “It has to be certified by an eight-member committee headed by the Director of Medical Education,” he said. Health officials said that the area has been contained and contact listing, containment mapping and sanitisation of the area has begun. Nearly 30 close contacts of the patient apart from a number of KGH staff have also been quarantined.
Two new COVID-19 cases — A 60-year-old woman from Madhavadhara and the second one another 50-year-old woman from Dandu Bazaar area in Maharanipeta — were confirmed by the State health bulletin which was released on Friday morning.
Hours after the COVID-19 positive case from Dandu Bazaar came to light, officials from the Health Department collected samples of close contacts of the woman. It was learnt that one contact of the woman reportedly tested positive on Friday morning, while three others tested negative. However officials are yet to confirm about the new case.
As per the Health Department, Visakhapatnam, by Friday evening, the total number of COVID-19 cases reported in the district is 27, including one death. However, another positive case from Maharanipeta and the Chengalraopeta death case is yet to be officially announced in the State health bulletin. Police teams and health officials are on toes tracing the contacts of all the new cases.
In the case reported from Madhavadhara, we learnt that the family members were in touch with Delhi returnees. Similarly, in the Maharanipeta case, a close contact of the COVID-19 patient works as a water purifier mechanic. He had to attend complaints during this lockdown also. We found that he had attended a complaint of a family, that had travel history to Hyderabad and Vijayawada, said a senior health official, who is monitoring the containment zones and quarantine facility in the district.However, we are yet to ascertain how the Chengalraopeta case was infected, he said, adding that more or less, nearly 100 persons have been quarantined in all these new cases.
‘No cooperation’
Another senior official from the Health Department expressed concern that when the surveillance teams reach the houses to conduct survey, many people do not respond properly. “While a few close the door at the face of ward volunteers, many do not reveal if the inmates have any health issues or even cough,cold, fever due to stigma. People need to cooperate,” he added.