A 84-year-old-man with severe comorbidities, infected with Covid, dies: Health officials

A 84-year-old-man with severe comorbidities has died in Bengaluru and his Covid-19 test results came positive on Saturday, said health officials. The man with severe comorbidities got admitted to a private hospital in Whitefield, Bengaluru, on May 13 and died on May 17. Results of Covid-19 test taken on him when he was alive came on Saturday showing positive, officials said.

According to the health department, 38 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the state including 32 in Bengaluru.

Earlier in the day, State Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao asked people to stay calm and continue with their daily routines.


His remarks came following surge in Covid cases across the state in the past few days.

Addressing reporters here, Rao said, "I appeal to everyone not to panic because when you see reports in the media that COVID-19 has returned to haunt, people get alarmed." He also appealed to the media to present an accurate picture of the situation and not exaggerate the severity of the COVID-19 disease, which turned into a pandemic five years ago.

The Minister also said the state government is on alert and has taken all necessary precautions to contain the spread of the virus.

Referring to the spike in cases in neighbouring Kerala, Dinesh Gundu Rao said increased testing there could result in higher number of cases.

The Centre's guidelines clearly state that monitoring is sufficient and there is no need for special measures.

Rao clarified that there are no COVID-19 related restrictions and people can move around freely.

"People can go and come from any part of the country. People can lead their lives in a normal way," he said.

Regarding the recent spurt in cases, Rao said there was a possibility of a sub category of coronavirus.

"It could be a sub-variant of JN. 1. These were detected in Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia. There is no panic in those countries as well," he told reporters.