Mumbai: The city has reported its first Covid death this year. A 52-year-old man, who had tested positive in December 2023, succumbed on January 5. The last Covid death in Mumbai was on August 9, 2023.
As per an official from the civic health department, the patient was a resident of M-West ward and was admitted to a public hospital just a day prior to his death. He had complained of fever, cough and breathlessness for five days prior to hospitalisation. A chronic alcoholic, his condition deteriorated and he succumbed within 24 hours of admission. Doctors said he died of left respiratory tract infection with septic shock.
Maha reports 154 new Covid cases; 2 deaths in Mumbai
Meanwhile, Maharashtra has reported 154 new Covid cases, 21 from Mumbai alone, and two deaths; the second death was reported from Nagpur.
The recovery rate, positivity rate and case fatality rate stood at 98.17%, 1.11% and 1.81%, respectively. As of now, Maharashtra has 139 patients infected with the JN.1 variant.
Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, the head of BJ Medical College’s microbiology department and a member of the state task force, said that the new variant is already in circulation and has been documented after genome sequencing.
He said, “World studies are showing that JN.1 is mild and the death rate is less. However, it is highly transmissible. The recent New Year celebration in the absence of Covid appropriate behaviour has contributed to the transmission of infection and a rise in the number of cases,” he said.
