City woman, 62, Phagwara man, 65, succumb to virus

Mehak Jain | TNN | May 4, 2020, 07:34 IST

Ludhiana: Two people died of Covid-19 at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on Sunday.
Both the patients — a 62-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man— had tested positive on Saturday morning.
With this, the district toll has increased to seven, including a Barnala resident.
The woman, a resident of Basti Jodhewal, was admitted to the hospital at 1.45am on May 2 with complaints of cough, cold and breathlessness from the past one week.
Medical superintendent Dr Ashwani Chaudhary said, “She was admitted to DMCH’s isolation ward as she had Covid-19-like symptoms. Her samples were sent for testing to the hospital’s virology lab. She was confirmed positive early on May 2. Her health soon deteriorated as she was extremely sick due to a comorbidity. She had cardiac problems and was unaware about it. She succumbed around 2.45am on Sunday.”
The second case, a Phagwara, Kapurthala district, man, had come to the hospital around 9.50pm on May 1 with complaints of fever from the past one day and breathlessness from the past three days. Dr Chaudhary said, “He had BP problem, too. As his condition was critical, he was admitted to the Covid-19 ward the same day and his throat swab sent to the virology lab. The next day, he tested positive and passed away early on Sunday.”
The two were cremated at Dholewal later in the day.
People with low immunity must exercise caution.
“Many patients are asymptomatic and can spread infection unknowingly to their family members and friends. Some of the patients may have cough and fever that may settle down on their own with simple medicines like paracetamol or cough syrups. But the virus causes serious problems in those with low immunity, like elderly, diabetic, hypertensive, kidney disease and cancer patients. More than 80% of people might not know that they are infected with Covid-19,” he added.
EARLIER CASUALTIES
March 30: A 42-year-old woman from Amarpura Mohalla was referred to Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, on March 29. The Covid-19 patient could not be saved a day later and her body was sent to Ludhiana.
April 6: A 69-year-old woman from Shimlapuri with no contact history with a Covid-19 patient was the second casualty. She was admitted to Fortis Hospital, Ludhiana, on March 31 and breathed her last in its isolation ward on April 6. She had tested positive on April 2. She had stayed with her niece in Mohali from March 17 to March 31 and had commuted there by a bus.
April 8: A 52-year-old woman from Mehal Kalan, Barnala, was admitted to Fortis Hospital with Covid-19-like symptoms and was diagnosed with pneumonia on April 6. On April 7, she was put on a ventilator, but she died the next morning.
April 17: A 58-year-old man, who worked as a kanungo in the revenue department, had tested positive on April 16 and died the next day.
April 19: A 52-year-old Ludhiana Police ASI tested positive on April 12 and succumbed a week later at Satguru Partap Singh Hospital.