By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, May 19: Sarawak recorded seven fatalities today, its highest ever number of Covid-19 fatalities in a single day, with the youngest victim aged 43.
According to a statement by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) today, the 43-year-old man who had obesity was treated at Sibu Hospital for shortness of breath and showed Covid-19 symptoms including fever, coughing and diarrhoea.
He took an rT-PCR test on May 13 and was found to be Covid-19 positive. His condition deteriorated and he was pronounced dead on May 18.
A second fatality involved a 56-year-old woman who was treated for shortness of breath in Sibu Hospital. She had been experiencing difficulty in breathing and coughing for two days before she was admitted.
She was screened on May 13 for Covid-19, and results returned positive. The woman who had comorbidities of high blood pressure and diabetes passed away today.
Among the seven deaths caused by Covid-19 reported today, four were reported by Sarikei Hospital.
The youngest of them, a 66-year-old local man who had high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease was admitted due to fever and coughing. Screening indicated a positive result on May 1 and he was pronounced dead on May 18.
Another fatality was a 79-year-old man who was treated at Sarikei Hospital for shortness of breath. He later developed Covid-19 symptoms of fever and breathing difficulties. His Covid-19 test returned positive on May 8. The man who had comorbidities of diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, gout and dyslipidemia passed away on May 16.
A 90-year-old woman was also admitted to Sarikei Hospital for shortness of breath. She later developed a fever and began experiencing breathing difficulties. She tested positive for Covid-19 on May 12 and passed away on May 18. She had diabetes and high blood pressure.
The fourth fatality at Sarikei Hospital was an 89-year-old man who was referred from a health clinic for coughing, poor appetite and difficulties in breathing. His Covid-19 test returned positive. His condition deteriorated before he was pronounced dead on May 18. He had comorbidities of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and dyslipidemia.
Meanwhile, Kapit reported one Covid-19 fatality today involving a 78-year-old local man who was found unconscious at his home at Bukit Mabong on May 10. He is a ‘brought in dead’ (BID) case as the paramedic team could not detect any sign of life upon arrival at the scene. A Covid-19 test on May 11, 2021 showed that he was positive for Covid-19.
The victim had comorbidities of hypertension and a history of stroke. — DayakDaily
