Corona targets Gomtipur resident

GNN | Mar 30, 2020, 3:22 PM IST|

• Bad news: Covid-19 targets young, 2nd under-50 patient succumbs
• Death toll in Gujarat reaches 5; Cases tally 63

Gujarat News Network

Ahmedabad, March 30: A 47-year-old man resident of the Gomtipur area, in eastern Ahmedabad succumbed to the dreaded coronavirus disease on Sunday (March 29). He was the third person from Ahmedabad to succumb to Covid-19 infection on Sunday.

A total number of five people have succumbed to coronavirus in the past week.

Gujarat on Sunday recorded eight new cases taking the total tally to 63, with Ahmedabad recording the highest 22 cases. What is worrying is the fact that the death of the Gomtipur resident took place in less than 24 hours of demise of a 46 year-old woman from the Astodia area of the Ahmedabad walled city. Both cases were local infection cases and what has triggered worry in the government is that both were under 50 years of age.

Analysis of the five deaths in Gujarat reveals that three were senior citizens above 65 years of age. These include an 85-year-old from Ahmedabad who had travelled to Saudi Arabia; a 67-year-old from Surat and a 70-year old from Bhavnagar who had travel history to Delhi.

Gujarat Health Commissioner Jai Prakash Shivahare pointed out that all five persons had history of co-comorbidity. “It is a global trend that persons having existing illness or health condition are more severely affected by Covid-19 infection. Thus, we have already advised citizens to take care of the elderly,” he said.

The last two Ahmedabad cases have set the alarm bells ringing as in both the cases; the patients apparently had no contact with persons who had come from outside India. Neither had they a travel history within India. However, the Gomtipur man had taken a trip to Madhya Pradesh sometime back. Sources said that in both the cases, the doctors treating them for other symptoms such as dry cough and respiratory issues prompted them to go for tests when they were found to be positive.