Soumitra Chatterjee tests Covid-19 negative: Hospital sources

Noted actor Soumitra Chatterjee has tested negative for coronavirus and his condition has improved, doctors attending on him at a private hospital in Kolkata said on Wednesday.

Chatterjee, 85, has had no fever since Tuesday evening but is still in an "acute confusional state", reports our New Delhi correspondent quoting doctors at Belle Vue Clinic where the veteran actor is being treated. 

He is, however, responding to verbal commands and is opening his eyes at times, the doctors said.

"Today (Wednesday) the health condition of Mr Chatterjee has improved compared to what it was in the last 48 hours. He is now responding to verbal commands and opening eyes, at times spontaneously," a senior doctor at the hospital, who is treating him, said.

"The actor's involuntary movements and jittery condition is, however, persisting. His kidney, liver function, ammonia level in the blood, the infective mucus are either normalising or are almost normal. The cardiac function, blood pressure, respiration and urine output are also improving," he said.

"We have given him a little oxygen support and at times intermittent BiPAB support as precautionary measures and he is doing fine with that too," the doctor added.

Meanwhile, Soumitra Chatterjee's daughter Poulomi Bose on Wednesday appealed to all netizens not to indulge in rumour-mongering about the health of her father, reports The Statesman.

"Amidst this time of huge anxiety over the health of my Covid-afflicted father, Soumitra Chatterjee, we are extremely upset, sad and heartbroken to find unauthorised pictures of him from the ICU and his medical bulletin being shared widely on social media," said Bose in a Facebook post.

Chatterjee was admitted to the hospital on October 6 after he tested positive for Covid-19.