Coronavirus pandemic | India records its third COVID-19 death as 64-year-old Mumbai man dies

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A 64-year-old man infected with the novel coronavirus passed away in Mumbai on March 17, becoming Maharashtra’s first COVID-19 fatality.

The deceased, admitted at civic-run Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai, was suffering from multiple health issues apart from being infected by the novel coronavirus, said Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief Praveen Pardeshi.

"The patient had hypertension and severe pneumonia. Suddenly, his heart rate went very high before he died," he said.

Pardeshi clarified that it would be incorrect to say that the deceased died solely because of COVID-19 infection.

The deceased was a resident of suburban Ghatkopar and he had a travel history to Dubai.

It is the third reported death in India due to the virus.

The first death was reported in Karnataka. According to a senior Union health ministry official, a 76-year-old man, who died on March 10, had a travel history of Saudi Arabia. He had reached Hyderabad on February 29 and went to Kalaburgi in Karnataka, the official had added.

The man was being treated for suspected coronavirus with his samples taken earlier confirming the infection, the state government had said.

The patient was admitted to a private hospital in Hyderabad. He died on March 10 when he was being brought back to the Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Kalaburgi.

"The 76-year-old man from Kalaburgi who passed away & was a suspected #COVID19 patient has been confirmed for #COVID19. The necessary contact tracing, isolation & other measures as per protocol are being carried out (sic)," Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu had tweeted after the death was reported.

The second death was reported in Delhi. A 68-year-old woman in national capital became the country’s second victim of coronavirus.

According to Health Ministry and Delhi government officials, the woman came in contact with her son, the fifth case of coronavirus in Delhi, with a travel history to Switzerland and Italy between February 5 and 22. Her death was caused due to co-morbidity (diabetes and hypertension), they said, adding she had tested positive for COVID-19.

The woman was admitted in Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, officials said.

There are at least 125 active reported cases of coronavirus in the country right now, including 22 foreign nationals. Cases of the infection have been reported from at least 15 states and union territories. According to ministry data, 13 people have been discharged so far, including the three Kerala patients who were discharged last month following their recovery.

(With inputs from PTI)