The man, Ilyas Karimov, 64, was pronounced dead from severe pneumonia at 9am on Feb 29, Dr Chalermpong explained.
“He did not die from COVID-19. We did not find the COVID-19 virus in his body,” Dr Chalermpong confirmed by phone call to The Phuket News this evening.
“And at this stage, there still have not been any persons in Phuket infected with the COVID-19 virus,” he assured.
Mr Karimov died after receiving medical treatment at the hospital since Feb 15, Dr Chalermpong said.
Dr Chalermpong explained that Mr Karimov presented himself to a private clinic for feeling unwell and a sore throat on Feb 11. he was told he had a throat inflammation.
On Feb 15, Mr Karimov, sick, coughing and having difficulty breathing, presented himself at Vachira Phuket Hospital. Doctors concluded that he had pneumonia and needed to be admitted to the hosptial for care.
Mr Karimov’s condition deteriorated, and on Feb 16 he was administered a respirator to assist his breathing.
Then on Feb 18, last Tuesday, doctors confirmed that Mr Karimov had acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pneumonia, and rheumatoid factor (RF), and he was moved to the Respiratory Care Unit (RCU), Dr Chalermpong said.
“Mr Karimov was set as a patient under investigation (PUI) from Feb 18 until he died at the end of February,” Dr Chalermpong added.
“Mr Karimov’s cause of death was identified as ARDS and unspecified pneumonia,” Dr Chalermpong explaidne today.
“Mr Karimov did not die from COVID-19. The medical team tested him twice for COVID-19, and both tests came back negative,” he added.
“I confirm, the number of the coronavirus infected in Phuket is still zero,” Dr Chalermpong said.