TN sees first Covid-19 death, and a patient's recovery (2nd Lead)

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Chennai, March 25 (IANS) After waking up to the dreaded news of the state's first death of a coronavirus patient in Madurai, Tamil Nadu went to bed with the positive news of a patient being declared virus negative and set to be discharged in two days.

Tamil Nadu Health Minister C.Vijayabaskar on Wednesday said the state's second coronavirus positive case who had travelled from Delhi and undergoing treatment at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital is recovering well.

He said the patient is declared coronavirus negative after two subsequent mandatory tests. He will be discharged in two days.

During the course of Wednesday the state reported five new novel coronavirus positive cases, taking the total number of such patients in the southern state to 23.

Out of these 23, one person was cured and one patient died on Wednesday.

Vijayabaskar said the new cases were of four Indonesians and their travel guide from Chennai who tested positive at the Salem Medical College.

He said they were quarantined since March 22.

According to Vijayabaskar, of the 890 samples tested in the state, 757 turned negative and 23 positive.

Early in the morning, the state woke up to the dreaded news of its first death of a coronavirus (COVID-19) patient in Rajaji Hospital in Madurai.

Vijayabaskar said the patient had a medical history of prolonged illness with steroid dependent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and uncontrolled diabetes with hypertension.

Madurai district officials said the deceased was a building contractor and also an office bearer in a mosque committee.

The list of contacts who the dead person might have come into contact has been prepared with the help of family members while his wife and son have been isolated.

--IANS

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