Coronavirus In India: First COVID-19 Death Case In Leh?

73-year-old Ali Mohammad, who hailed from Yaukuma Chochuk village in Leh, was hospitalised on March 7 after a high fever, passed away on Sunday morning.

AP/PTI(AP05-03-2020_000007B)

New Delhi: A suspected death from the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus has been reported in Leh, which could be the first death case of India ever since the outbreak of the virus, as the count of positive cases in India keeps on increasing. On Sunday morning, a patient admitted to Sonam Norbu Hospital in Ladakh died under suspicious circumstances, however, there is a possibility of infection of coronavirus. 73-year-old Ali Mohammad, who hailed from Yaukuma Chochuk village in Leh, was hospitalised on March 7 after a high fever, passed away on Sunday morning. According to Ringzin Semphal, the Secretary of Tourism of Ladakh, the patient did not have any characteristic symptoms of coronavirus and was brought to the hospital for urine infection and fever, and he died of the same reasons. According to Semphal, under the newly released Corona Protocol, the deceased person had gone for a sample test. But according to sources, in Leh, Ali Mohammed was also in contact with corona positive patients - Mohammad Hussain and Mohammad Hadi, on February 26. He was found to be negative in the virus check at Havi Check on Leh Airport and went home! Now it is being alleged that Ali Mohammed was not screened properly and that the necessary guidelines issued to the people of Corona-infected countries were not properly followed. The lab test sample of the deceased patient is awaited. If it is proved in the test results that the death was caused due to corona-infection, it will be the first corona death of the country. It will also expose the negligence in dealing with the infection.