Elderly man in Kerala recovers from coronavirus, dies of other complications

Malappuram/Thiruvananthapuram: An 85-year- old COVID-19 patient, who was declared cured and was under treatment for kidney and heart related ailments, died early Saturday at a government hospital in Malappuram.

Health Minister K K Shailaja said the patient had been cured of the disease and had been suffering from old age problemsbesides heart and kidney ailments.

All three results of his samples had returned negative, she told reporters in the state capital.


Theoctogenerian was undergoing treatment for heart and kidney ailments and had suffered a cardiac arrest on Apr 13 and kidney failure the next day and was on dialysis, she said.

Malappuram District Collector Jafar Malik told PTIthat the patient had been declared cured of the viral infection after his last three samples taken on April 7, 10 and 13 came out negative.

"He was under observation in the ICU and in the last two days there were lot of complications.

Due to his age and earlier diseases the doctors tried their best,but he expired at 4 this morning. It is not a Covid-19 death."

"As per protocol two samples have to be taken. In this case three samples were taken and all were negative. It is a normal death," he said.

Asked about the funeral protocol, Malik said there would be restrictions due to the lockdown as no more than 20 people can attend it.

But, no covid protocol would be followed and the opinion of doctors in this regard has been taken.

It is not clear how the patient contracted the virus.

His son, a Madrassa teacher, had returnedafter performing umrah in Saudi Arabia.

However, he had tested negative for the virus.

The man, who was a religious preacher, had visitednearby panchayats of Anakkayam and Vettathoor for performing prayers, sources said.