Tamil Nadu Health Secretary Beela Rajesh confirmed to the media on Saturday that there were three deaths in the Coronavirus Isolation ward in the Kanyakumari Medical College. She however maintained that all three patients had underlying medical conditions and that the results of their COVID-19 tests is awaited.
According to the Health Secretary, the patients who died included a 66-year-old male who had Chronic Kidney Disease and Lymphoma, a 24-year-old male with viral pneumonia and high sepsis and a 2-year-old male who had congenital anomaly of Osteopetrosis. She reiterated that they had previously existing conditions.
All three deaths, according to a press release took place on March 28. Samples of cheek swabs have been sent for testing.
The Health Department has however not provided information on when these patients were admitted to the hospital, when swabs were taken or how long it will take to determine the results of the tests.
Tamil Nadu has so far, had 40 positive cases of COVID-19 of which one person has passed away while two others have recovered. The two latest cases are a 42-year-old male from Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district and a 49-year-old male from Katpadi in Vellore district. While the former recently returned from West Indies, the latter is traveled from a foreign country via Middle East.
The Health department also announced on Friday that a 21-year-old patient who had travelled to the state from Dublin, Ireland has completely recovered and that he was released from the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) after two subsequent mandatory tests proved negative.
He will however remain home quarantined for the next 14 days. The state has already treated and discharged another patient, a 45-year-old male, who recovered two weeks ago and was discharged.