A 28-year-old woman with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) died in Chamarajanagar on Monday.

Deputy Commissioner M.D. Ravi, in a hurriedly called press conference, clarified that the death was not due to COVID-19 infection since her throat swabs had tested negative. “It is not a COVID-19 death as the patient died due to respiratory illness,” he said.

The patient was referred to the district hospital by a private hospital as she had SARI symptoms. “The patient had the oxygen saturation of less than 30-40 per cent since her admission. Her oxygen levels were low. As per the protocol in SARI and ILI cases, her throat swab was collected and sent for testing. The sample was tested twice and both of them tested negative to COVID-19. Therefore, there is no need to panic,”the DC said.

Mr. Ravi said doctors did their best to save the patient who breathed her last on Monday morning. “Äs a precautionary measure, the hospitals where she had been admitted had been sanitised,”he added.