36-year-old man tested negative for COVID-19, dies in Ernakulam hospital

New Delhi, Mar 01: A 36-year-old man from Payyanur district, who was quarantined in Ernakulam Medical College with COVID-19-like symptoms but was tested negative, died around Friday midnight.

Jainesh's fluid samples were tested at the National Institute of Virology in Alappuzha for both H1N1 and coronavirus. The result of his first sample was negative while that of the second was awaited.

The body has not yet been released as results of a second test for COVID-19 is being awaited.

Jainesh, who worked in a supermarket in Malaysia for the last two-anda-half months, had arrived from Malaysia, was kept on a ventilator following pneumonia. He had landed at Kochi airport on Thursday night at 1 am and thereafter, he was taken to the medical college.

As on Sunday, 17 people in the district have been put under observation. Five of the samples were sent to the NIV laboratory in Alappuzha for testing.

The World Health Organisation on Friday raised its global risk assessment of the new coronavirus to its highest level after the epidemic spread to sub-Saharan Africa. Coronavirus death toll in China climbed to 2,870 with 35 new deaths, while the confirmed cases increased to 79,824.