Following reports that a 60-year-old man had died due to COVID-19 in Chennai, the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine has stated that the cause of his death was complications of chronic kidney failure along with existing comorbidities, and COVID-19 was “an accidental finding” during his hospitalisation.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the directorate said that the patient was referred from ESI Hospital, K.K. Nagar as a case of acute gastroenteritis and severe dehydration.

The patient already had diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney failure (stage four). He was admitted to ESI, K.K. Nagar with complaints of diarrhoea on May 15. He was treated and continued to be on dialysis on alternate days for renal failure. During his hospitalisation, he tested positive for COVID-19 on May 26.

On May 27, he became critical and was referred to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. On arrival at 7.30 p.m., his carotid pulse was absent and he was declared dead subsequently.

On scrutinising the reports, it is ascertained that the cause of death was due to complications of chronic kidney failure along with other existing co-morbidities, the release said.