COVID-19: Second death in India

A 68-year-old woman has died of coronavirus in Delhi, in the second death associated with the global pandemic in the country.

The woman was the sixth case of coronavirus to be reported from the capital city and had other symptoms including high blood pressure and diabetes.

She had come in contact with her son who had contracted the virus after journeying to Switzerland and Italy last month.

While her son had not shown any symptoms of infection initially, he reported to Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital on March 7 with a fever and cough.

As per protocol, the family was screened and since he and the mother had the symptoms of COVID-19, both were admitted, the government said in a statement.

The woman’s condition worsened on March 9, with the advancement of pneumonia and she was shifted to the intensive care unit. She tested positive for coronavirus on the same day.

“Since 9th March 2020, she was having respiratory fluctuations and was provided ventilator support. However, due to morbid conditions, she died on 13th March,” the government said.

Her death came on a day when the number of cases in India rose to 85, including a 76-year-old man who died in Karnataka on Thursday.

“Around 4,000 people who had come in contact with the infected people have been identified and are being tracked while 42,000 people across the country are under community surveillance,” Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health Lav Aggarwal said at a news conference.

School, colleges and cinema halls in various Indian states have been shut till March end as a precautionary measure. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi has suspended all academic, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.

US President Donald Trump declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency. Pakistan recorded 21 confirmed cases. India reported its second death and Prime Minister Narendra Modi called a SAARC meeting urging them to plan out a strong strategy to combat the virus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Europe as the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world incorporated, apart from China. In a proposition to restrict the spread of the virus, countries have taken stringent preventive measures. The toll across the globe mounted to over 49,000 and more than 138,000 people remain affected.