Man's death fuels coronavirus speculations in Ladakh; UT administration assuages concerns

With the death of a 52-year-old resident in Ladakh fuelling speculations over coronavirus outbreak, the Union Territory Administration on Friday said the man died of pulmonary tuberculosis and that he had no history of travel outside the hilly region in the recent past.

The administration also said another man, diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome, was referred to Delhi for advance treatment, while a third patient with similar symptoms has been kept in isolation.

In a statement, the Directorate of Health Services, Ladakh, said the 52-year old man from Phyang village was admitted to a hospital here on January 27 with cough, breathlessness and fever.

It was a case of pulmonary tuberculosis, it said.

The patient and his family members had no history of travelling outside Ladakh. He passed away on February 5.

Another 55-year-old man from Achinathang village was admitted to a hospital on February 11.

The patient was diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome but he or his family too had no history of travelling outside Ladakh in the recent past.

Oxygen saturation in the patient's blood was continuously low and he has been referred to Delhi on Friday for advanced treatment, the statement said.

The third patient, a 36-year-old man from Nubra, came to an OPD of a hospital on February 14 with diarrhoea and vomiting following which he was admitted on February 17 with pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

The patient has recently returned home after travelling to Bihar and south India. In Bihar, he had similar problem, approximately two months back, and discharged after treatment.

On his arrival at Leh, the person again developed the same symptoms. The patient is stable now with his vitals parameters are within normal limits.

The patient has been kept in isolation ward and samples have been sent to laboratory, the statement said.

The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak has gone up to 2,236 with 118 more deaths reported, mostly from the hard-hit Hubei province, while the overall confirmed infection cases have climbed to 75,465, Chinese health officials said on Friday.

In India, three people were tested positive for the virus in Kerala and they have been discharged after treatment.