Kannur: A 71-year-old Mahe native, who was under treatment for COVID-19 at the Government Medical College in Pariyaram in Kerala's Kannur, died on Saturday. This is the third COVID-19 related death in the state.
P Mehroof, a native of Cherukallayi village in Mahe municipality, died at Pariyaram Medical College, Kannur, at 7:30 am.
Mahe is in the Union Territory of Puducherry, though it is geographically located in Kerala.
The patient had a history of lung disorder, hypertension, and liver malfunctioning, Dr A K Jayasree, head of the Department of Community Medicine at the Pariyaram Medical College said.
It is not known from where the deceased contracted the virus.
He had no history of foreign travel, Kannur District Medical Officer Dr Narayana Naik told Manorama News TV. Manorama News TV reported he is suspected to have contracted the virus from a person who returned from abroad.
Contact tracing
According to a route-map released by the Health Department, he had attended a religious event held at the MM High School Juma Masjid at New Mahe from March 15 to 21.
He travelled to Panniyannur in Kannur district with a relative to attend a betrothal ceremony on March 18.
They went on a motorcycle till Mahe Bridge and boarded a Tempo Traveller from there. The Tempo Traveller had 11 passengers.
Mehroof also attended a prayer meeting held at the Eroor Juma Masjid in New Mahe and passed through Chokli and Panniyannur panchayats in Kannur last month.
He developed symptoms of coronavirus infection on March 26 and was under treatment at a private hospital in Thalassery.
As his condition worsened, he was shifted to the Pariyaram Medical College Hospital.
Kerala health Minister K K Shailaja said that 53 people are there in his primary contact list.
Many of those who came in contact with Mehroof during this period have been quarantined.
Kerala's first death related to COVID-19 was reported from Kochi on March 28 -- Yakub Hussain Sait,69, who hails from Chillakkal in Ernakulam district, died at the Ernakulam Medical College.
Pothencode native Abdul Azeez, 68, died at the Government Medical College Hospital Thiruvananthapuram on March 31 after suffering cardiac arrest and paralysis attack.
Kerala has reported 239 active coronavirus cases now and 124, including eight foreigners, have recovered.
