Malappuram resident Veerankutty, 85, who was under observation at Manjeri Medical College after being cured of COVID-19, died on Saturday.
His sample had returned negative three days ago. He hailed from Keezhatoor village in Malappuram district.
Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja confirmed that Veerankutty died not because of COVID-19. "He was cured of COVID-19. His three consecutive samples returned negative. The last test was done three days ago. So it was a non-COVID death," she told mediapersons in Thiruvananthapuram a few hours after the death was confirmed on Saturday.
Shailaja said he had been under treatment for heart and kidney ailments for a long time. "He had a cardiac arrest on April 13. A day later, he suffered a kidney failure and was under dialysis," she said.
Malappuram District Collector Jafar Malik said that the patient had been declared cured of the viral infection after his last three samples taken on April 7, 10 and 13 came out negative.
"He was under observation in the ICU and in the last two days there were lot of complications. Due to his age and earlier diseases the doctors tried their best, but he expired at 4 this morning. It is not a COVID-19 death."
Asked about the funeral protocol, Malik said there would be restrictions due to the lockdown as no more than 20 people can attend it. But, no COVID protocol would be followed and the opinion of doctors in this regard has been taken.
Veerankutty's body would be handed over to the relatives.
Health officials believed that he had contracted the disease from his son, a 52-year-old Madrassa teacher who had returned after performing Umrah pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. However, he had tested negative for the virus.
Veerankutty was a faith healer and many people used to visit him.
Yakub Husain Sait (69 years, Ernakulam), Abdul Azeez (68 years, Thiruvananthapuram), Mehraoof (67, Mahe, UT of Puducherry) were the three persons died in Kerala due to COVID so far. Though Mahroof hailed from Mahe in the Union Territory of Puducherry, he died at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kannur.
(Editor's note: This story has been edited after Kerala health minister confirmed that the Malappuram resident's death was not due to COVID-19. A earlier version said he was a COVID-19 victim.)