Karnataka: Doctor in home isolation succumbs to Covid-19

BENGALURU: A 29-year-old government medical officer from Kunigal in Tumakuru district succumbed to Covid-19 in the early hours of Tuesday.
Dr Devaraj, who had done his masters in the UK and was a medical officer in the non-communicable diseases section in Kunigal, was on Covid duty. He tested positive 10 days ago was in home isolation.
On Monday, he developed fatigue and had communicated to his collegagues in Kunigal. He was brought to the hospital in the afternoon without delay and his oxygen saturation was around 65% as against the normal 95%. “We had all the equipment to treat him including a ventilator and high flow nasal oxygen support. But his condition required expert care. We suggested he be shifted to a better centre at the earliest," recalled a colleague of Dr Devaraj.
Dr Devaraj was shifted to Tumakuru district hospital around midnight but was declared brought dead past midnight. “We lost a young doctor who was committed to rural service,” said another colleague.
The doctor had chosen to be in home isolation and his worsening condition was not noticed immediately at home, said his colleagues who suspect that he was alone at home. Dr Devaraj was not married.
Dr Devaraj happens to be the 10th doctor who died while on Covid durty, in Karnataka.
Lamenting the death of Dr Devaraj, medical education minister K Sudhakar tweeted on Tuesday. “It’s very unfortunate that Dr Devaraj succumbed to Covid."