First Death From COVID -19 Reported in Sri Lanka as 60 Year Old Male From Marawila Placed Under Ventilator at NIID in Angoda Passes Away on Mar 28; Another 59 Year Old Male From Punkudutheevu Succumbs to Corona Virus in Switzerland on Mar 25

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By Kumudini Hettiarachchi, Ruqyyaha Deane & Meleeza Rathnayake

Sri Lanka reported its first death from COVID-19 at around 8 p.m. yesterday Mar 28), the victim being a 60-year-old male who had other complications.

The patient from Marawila was among three who were on ventilators at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Angoda, and Health Services Director-General Dr. Anil Jasinghe said that this patient who had undergone a kidney transplant a few years ago, was also suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure.

The death came as ‘confirmed’ COVID-19 cases rose to 113 yesterday, theber including the patient who has succumbed and those who have recovered. The nine who have recovered include the Chinese tourist. As at last night, 103 patients were in hospital receiving treatment.

This week seven COVID-19 patients including the very first Sri Lankan to be affected by the new coronavirus made a full recovery at the NIID, while a critically-ill patient was treated with ‘convalescent plasma’ last morning.

These recovered patients included the first tour guide, a 24-year-old female and five males, including the Sri Lankan Airlines pilot,said NIID’s Consultant Physician, Dr. Eranga Narangoda, who is treating around 86 patients with COVID-19.

One patient may have also been discharged from the Welikanda Base Hospital, according to unconfirmed reports.

There are two critical patients, both males, on ventilators, while three others also males, are under observation in the NIID’s ICU, it is learnt.

As of Friday, 1,179 (including two Iranians, two South Koreans and one Italian) left the quarantine centres in Punani, Kandakadu, Diyatalawa and Meeyakulan.

From overseas came the report of the death of a 59-year-old Sri Lankan with COVID-19 in Switzerland on Wednesday (March 25).

“The Sri Lankan who held a residence permit for Switzerland was from Punkuduthivu,” said a Foreign Relations Ministry media release, adding that the Sri Lanka Embassy in Berlin had been informed by the Swiss authorities of his death.

Courtesy:Sunday Times