Second COVID-19 death in Kerala keeps health workers on toes to trace source of infection

The death of a second person in Kerala due to COVID-19 late on Monday night has kept health authorities on their toes as the source of infection to the person has not yet been traced.

Abdul Aziz, 68, hailing from Pothencode on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram, passed away. He was tested COVID-19 positive last week after he approached a local hospital with fever. He was suffering from multiple ailments including high blood pressure, thyroid and also developed kidney malfunction. He was in the isolation ward of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. The last rites would be conducted as per the prescribed protocol, said hospital authorities.

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Meanwhile, the health authorities and district administration were concerned as the exact source of infection could not be traced yet. He was isolated only on March 23 after he approached a local public health centre and a private medical college hospital with fever.

In the two weeks prior to that, he attended several functions including two marriages and four funerals. So far, he was not found to have come in contact with any persons who tested COVID-19 positive in Kerala.

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Health authorities have been trying to track all persons who came into contact with the deceased and already kept hundreds of people under observation. It is suspected that a couple of persons were from Kasargod as well as some people who returned from abroad were also there at the marriage function.