MALAPPURAM: An 85-year-old COVID-19 patient, who was declared cured and was under treatment for kidney and heart-related ailments died at a hospital in Kerala's Malappuram on Saturday.

Malappuram District Collector Jafar Malik told a news agency that after his last samples taken on April 7, 10 and 13 came out negative, he was declared as being cured.

He was admitted at Government Manjeri Medical College hospital and was in the ICU and was undergoing treatment for coronary artery disease kidney ailment and diabetes, superintendent KV Nandakumar told the news agency.

Noting that the elderly patient was suffering from kidney related ailment and was diabetic, the collector said, "He was under observation in the ICU and in the last two days there were lot of complications. Due to his age and earlier diseases the doctors tried their best but he passed away at 4 in the morning."

The collector has clarified that it was not a COVID-19 related death and a normal death.

Following protocols, two samples have to be taken, and in this octogenarian's case, three were taken and all came out negative.

About the funeral, Malik said that as the ministry's guidelines were in place not more than 20 people could attend it. No COVID-19 protocol would be followed and the opinion of doctors in this regard has been taken, he said.

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