Bengal man who died in isolation ward of govt hospital didn’t have Covid-19

The man who was diabetic tested negative for coronavirus and probably died of high blood sugar, doctors said.

A 33-year-old man who died in an isolation ward at a state run-hospital in Bengal’s Murshidabad district after returning from Saudi Arabia via Mumbai tested negative for coronavirus, a top health official said Monday.

The man was kept in an isolation ward of the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital because he had returned from Saudi Arabia. (Representative photo/AP)

The man used to work in a private hospital in Saudi Arabia, had arrived in Kolkata on Saturday and went home to Murshidabad, 200 km to the North. On Sunday he started feeling unwell and fell unconscious following which he was rushed to the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital, his family said. Because of his travel history, the hospital kept him in the isolation ward.

“The man didn’t die of coronavirus. The test results were negative. He was diabetic and probably died of high blood sugar levels,” said Ajay Chakraborty, director of health services in West Bengal.

The death of the man who was suffering from mild respiratory problems, in the isolation ward of the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital sparked panic.

“The patient didn’t show any classic symptoms of the virus which include fever and cough. He had a history of diabetes. But as he had arrived from Saudi Arabia we had kept him under observation in the isolation ward,” Prasanta Biswas, chief medical officer of health in Murshidabad district, had said on Sunday.

District health officials had advised the deceased’s family members to remain under home isolation. Taking no chances, the body was disinfected and handed over to the family members in a coffin, which was also disinfected.

Bengal has not reported any case of coronavirus infection yet. Apart from screenings at the Kolkata airport, the state government has also deployed health teams in border crossings along the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bangla borders to monitor people entering India.