Man fears he has Coronavirus, hangs self to avoid 'infecting' others

This picture has been used for representational purposes.

Tirupati: A 50-year-old man committed suicide as he feared contracting novel Coronavirus after he suffered a bout of viral fever. The deceased, identified as K Bala Krishna, a native of Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, had watched videos about Coronavirus that made him believe that he got infected too, Times of India reported.

The incident happened on Tuesday when Krishna locked up his family in his house and left for his mother's grave. His wife Lakshmi Devi then alerted their neighbours, who rushed to open the door, but by the time they reached the grave, Krishna had then hanged himself from a tree nearby.

His son Bala Murali, who works as a village volunteer, said that Krishna was ill for a few days and was visiting a government hospital in Tirumala for his treatment. The doctors told him during his treatment on February 5 that he was suffering from a viral infection and advised him to wear a mask so that the infection does not spread others.

Krishna then spent a couple of days in Tirupati after which he returned to his village on Sunday and told his family members that he had coronavirus. He also told them not to come anywhere near to him. When his family members tried to tell him that he is not suffering from the disease, he attacked them by pelting stones and said that he had similar symptoms. His relatives said that he killed himself to avoid ‘infecting' his wife and children.

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