Deceased Kerala man’s coronavirus test returns negative

Kochi: The coronavirus test of a man from Kannur who died in the Ernakulam Government Medical College Hospital yesterday has returned negative.

The second sample result from the National Institute of Virology, Pune confirmed that the man was not infected with the Covid-19 virus.

Earlier, the first sample of his fluids too had tested negative at the National Institute of Virology, Alappuzha.

The 36-year-old man’s body has been kept in the freezer facility in the isolation ward of the hospital.

The man used to work in Malaysia and returned to Kochi Thursday midnight. Since he was suffering from symptoms like pneumonia, fever and breathlessness, he was immediately shifted to the Ernakulam Government Medical College Hospital. Initially he was admitted to the isolation ward and later shifted put under ventilator support.

The patient had other health complications like severe diabetes and ketoacidosis, a life-threatening condition in people with uncontrolled diabetes.

Meanwhile, nine more people have been put under quarantine for coronavirus surveillance in Ernakulam district. Two persons have been quarantined in isolation wards of hospitals and the others are under home quarantine. A total of 47 persons are under isolation in the district now.