36-year-old Kerala man who died after testing negative for coronavirus, cremated with WHO protocol

Kannur(Ker), Mar 05: A 36-year-old man from Kerala, who died after testing negative for coronavirus, was cremated after being wrapped in layers of white cloth and his family was not allowed to get close to his mortal remains.

The youth, who had recently returned from Malayasia had died at Kochi on February 29 after being admitted to the isolation ward of the Kalamassery Medical College hospital as he was running high fever.

State Health Minister K K Shailaja said though the man's samples had tested negative, further tests could not be done as he passed away. "He was so tired, sinking and showed symptoms of infection", she said.

A medical official said though the man's two test samples were negative, as a safety precaution his body was covered as per protocol in layers of cloth and polythene and taken from Kochi to Payyannur his home town in Kannur district.

The man's family had been counselled about the protocol being followed, the official said. According to hospital sources, the man had been suffering from pneumonia, he was diabetic and died due to multi organ failure.

Kerala had reported the country's first three Coronavirus cases but all the patients had been discharged from hospitals after they recovered and tested negative for the infection, which has claimed over 3,100 lives and affected 90,000 people in more than 60 countries.