A 44-year-old man from Bokaro, undergoing treatment at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi for various ailments, died after testing positive for Covid-19, marking Jharkhand’s first coronavirus-linked death of 2025. The patient, who was admitted to the Trauma Centre, was battling multiple severe complications and had been brought in from the Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP) on ventilator support.

Medical authorities, however, have clarified that the presence of Covid-19 was an incidental finding and not the primary cause of death. Dr Pradeep Bhattacharya, head of the Trauma Centre, said the patient suffered from sepsis caused by aspiration of food into the lungs and eventually succumbed to cardiac failure. “Oxygen deficiency was not a contributing factor,” he noted, cautioning against attributing the death solely to Covid.

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RIMS currently has one other Covid-positive patient in the ICU, who is also afflicted with cardiac, renal, and other serious health complications. Another patient who had earlier tested positive has since recovered and been discharged.

In Ranchi, seven Covid-19 cases are presently active, with three new infections recorded in the last 24 hours. The first case of the year was detected on 25 May. Over the past three weeks, more than 15 cases have surfaced across the state. Most patients have recovered, but health authorities remain concerned about a worrying trend: symptomatic individuals avoiding Covid testing despite prolonged fever, respiratory distress, or persistent cough.

Amid rising cases, the state government has reiterated its appeal to citizens to adhere strictly to Covid protocols. Health Minister Dr Irfan Ansari, following a high-level review last week, directed all government hospitals to remain on alert. Doctors’ leaves have been suspended until further orders, and instructions issued to establish isolation wards, secure oxygen supplies, and stock essential medications.

While the Health Minister had ordered the deployment of screening teams at airports, railway stations, and bus terminals, such mechanisms have yet to materialise on the ground. Officials maintain that preparations are underway, but frontline vigilance remains inconsistent.

The state administration has urged citizens to exercise caution and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms arise. Mask usage and early testing, officials say, remain key to containing the virus as Jharkhand braces for a potential resurgence.