Suspected coronavirus patient dies in Patuakhali

A person died of breathing problems at Kalikapur in Patuakhali town on Saturday.

Samples from the body of the deceased patient have been collected and sent to Dhaka to test for COVID-19.

Civil surgeon Mohammad Jahangir Alam confirmed this to Prothom Alo.

The deceased, a 65-year-old cycle-van puller, is from Satbaria village of Lalmohan upazila in Bhola.

Family sources said he went to his daughter’s house a week ago in Kalikapur of Patuakhali town. He was suffering from a cold, cough and breathing problems.

After his death on Saturday afternoon, locals suspected he died of coronavirus.

Health department officials collect samples from his body and sent this to the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).

The son-in-law of the deceased man said his father-in-law had been suffering from illness for long. He came for treatment of this ailment and was taking medicines prescribed by the physician. However, he died on Saturday afternoon.

“As the locals suspected that he died of coronavirus, health officials collected samples from my father-in-law’s body on Saturday evening,” he said.

He said his father-in-law was buried at their family graveyard on Saturday night in Patuakhali.

Patuakhali civil surgeon Mohammad Jahangir Alam said the deceased had been suffering from cold and cough for long.

“We have collected samples from the body as locals suspect he died of coronavirus,” he added.