# India

25-year-old man died at Gorakhpur, samples test positive for Coronavirus; first fatality in UP

The King George Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow confirmed that the deceased was Coronavirus positive. His saliva samples were sent for retesting by the BRD Medical College. The second test also revealed that the man was carrying the disease.

SNS | New Delhi | April 1, 2020 4:17 pm

25-year-old man died at Gorakhpur, samples test positive for Coronavirus; first fatality in UP

The fatality due to Coronavirus has occurred in Uttar Pradesh as well. The samples of a 25-year-old man from Basti district, who died on Monday evening, during treatment at Gorakhpur’s BRD Medical College have been found to be positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, two days after he died.

The King George Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow confirmed that the deceased was Coronavirus positive. His saliva samples were sent for retesting by the BRD Medical College. The second test also revealed that the man was carrying the disease.

The youth had a history of travel to Mumbai but he hid this from the doctors when he was earlier admitted to a hospital in Basti, which is around 50 kilometres from Gorakhpur.

Later, he was shifted to Gorakhpur’s BRD medical college hospital on Sunday, due to breathing problem and was kept at the general ward and not the one reserved for COVID-19 patients. Now, the staff and other patients too are at risk of exposure to the virus from him.

After his condition worsened, he was shifted to the ICU where he succumbed to his medical condition on Monday.

His body was handed to relatives who brought it to Basti for the last rites.

The Basti administration has now sealed the entire Turkharia village and screening was on to search for any positive case. All relatives he had contact with, have been identified and put into quarantine and also the doctors and paramedical staff at both, Basti and Gorakhpur hospitals. Patients and relatives who came into contact with him during his stay at either hospital have also been identified and will be isolated and tested.

While 104 cases have tested positive from various districts of Uttar Pradesh so far, this is the first death due to the disease.

According to state government data, Uttar Pradesh has, so far, confirmed 103 cases of the novel coronavirus. The biggest clusters are in Noida in the National Capital Region (39 cases) and Meerut district in the western part of the state (19 cases).

(With IANS inputs)