Covid patient dies in Thane due to comorbidities, civic body says total active cases rise to 18

On Saturday (May 24), a 21-year-old man with severe diabetes died at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa due to complications from both diabetes and Covid-19, according to the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC).

He was admitted on Thursday for diabetes issues and tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday night. The TMC also reported eight new Covid-19 cases in the city, bringing the total active cases to 18.

Only one patient is in the hospital, while the others are isolating at home, and all are in stable condition.

"The deceased had been admitted on Thursday due to diabetes-related complications and his Covid-19 test came out positive on Friday night", said hospital superintendent Dr Aniruddha Malgaonkar.

A 19-bed ward has been set up at the hospital for Covid-19 patients, and it is equipped with RT-PCR testing facilities, he informed.

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The civic body held a high-level review meeting on Friday to assess the situation.

"A sufficient stock of medicines has been maintained at all health centres and Covid-19 testing kits are readily available," said chief medical officer Dr Chetna Nitil.

The civic body also assured that the situation was under control and appealed the public not to panic.

In Maharashtra, Mumbai has emerged as the epicentre of most Covid cases.

Mumbai has reported 95 cases in May, making up most of Maharashtra’s total infections. However, hospitalisations are low, with only 16 patients admitted. The BMC has advised testing for all patients with SARI symptoms.

Kerala, with 273 Covid infections in May, has the highest number of cases in India. The state health minister has instructed all districts to increase surveillance and made masks mandatory in hospitals. People with cough symptoms are advised to wear face coverings.

Karnataka has seen a slight increase with 35 cases, including a nine-month-old baby from Hoskote. People with Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) symptoms are advised to get tested.

Even though Andhra Pradesh has not seen a significant increase, it has instructed health facilities to maintain adequate stocks of vaccines, PPE kits, and triple-layer masks.

Meanwhile, Delhi has reported 23 cases, leading the government to instruct hospitals to ensure beds, oxygen cylinders, testing kits, and vaccines are available.

Experts believe the increase in Covid-19 cases in South Asia is due to the JN.1 variant , a sub-variant of Omicron. Although this variant is active, the World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet labelled it as a “variant of concern.”

The symptoms are usually mild, and people recover within four days. Common symptoms include fever, runny nose, sore throat, headaches, fatigue, and exhaustion.