Karunakar Paika, an Additional District Magistrate (ADM) in Odisha’s Gajapati district died of COVID-19 on July 21, 2020 — first administrative rank officer of the Indian State to fall victim to the virus.
Paika, 55 died at the MKCG Hospital in Berhampur in the morning. He was in charge of a covid hospital at Paralakhemundi, district headquarter town of Gajapati.
After the Odisha Administrative Service officer’s death, swab was collected and tested using Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. It was found that he was infected with virus.
“Paika had not been keeping well for the past few days. When his condition deteriorated, he was taken to MKCG Hospital, Berhampur. We could not save him,” Anupam Saha, district Collector said over phone.