On Thursday, the Karnataka government confirmed that Mohammed Hussain Siddiq had died on Wednesday. He was the first death in India due to novel coronavirus. He died on Tuesday night on his way back from Hyderabad to Kalaburagi, which is about 575 kms from Bengaluru.

The centre has confirmed the cause of death as "co-morbidity" astested positive for the coronavirus. The deceased had visited Saudi Arabia from 29th January 2020 to 29th February 2020. On reaching Hyderabad, he had gone to Kalaburagi. He was suffering from hypertension and asthma. He had developed symptoms on 6th March.

The symptoms got intensified on 9th March and he was then shifted to a private hospital in Kalaburgi. Over there, he was tentatively diagnosed as “mid zone Viral Pneumonia" and “suspected COVID-19." His samples were taken on 9th March and he was discharged on the insistence of the family who took him to Hyderabad.

The centre stated that the family refused to listen to the Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner and transferred their patient without his consent.

The death of Siddiq has raised several questions unanswered that includes the warnings of procedural delays which could had led a heavily symptomatic patient leave a medical facility and go to Hyderabad and then was sent back in a day only.

The health department said that the necessary contact tracing, isolation and other preventive measures as per the etiquette are being carried out. Telangana government was also informed as he went to a private hospital.

Siddiq’s case has added to more panic and fears around the COVID-19 infection and its fast spread in India. At least 79 people are infected in the country.

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization had declared the epidemic of coronavirus as a pandemic. The virus has affected over 114 countries, affecting the financial markets and businesses all over the world. As per a statement made by World Health Organisation’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that coronavirus has infected almost 118000 people and has reported 4291 deaths.

On Wednesday, the Indian government has suspended visas of all foreign nationals with effect from 13th March till 15th April 2020.

Total 4 confirmed positive cases in Karnataka that includes a senior executive at a software firm, with a travel history from America and Dubai along with his wife and daughter and 1 unrelated person who is a also a software engineer with a travel history from USA to London and later to Bengaluru. The 5th patient has a travel history to Greece.

Information Technology and other companies in Bengaluru has asked to stop travel to onsite locations to prevent the spread of the virus. Health officials said that they will soon held a meeting with IT companies ask them not to share information related to the patients.

The school in which the daughter of the 1st positive patient in Bengaluru has been asked to keep 28 classmates under isolation and other students to be kept under medical observation and immediately report if they develop any symptoms.

2666 people are being monitored closely for probably coming in contact with the 1st patient including a few hundred school students too.

Source: live mint