MUMBAI, May 25 -- A 21-year-old man from Thane with severe comorbidities is Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and state's fourth Covid-positive fatality since January 2025. The young man, who had severe uncontrolled diabetes, was admitted in a critical condition to a private hospital, in Thane on Thursday. He tested positive for Covid-19 that day and died early Friday. Doctors emphasized that his death was primarily due to diabetic complications and not the virus. "He was already in a life-threatening state due to uncontrolled diabetes," said an official from the health department. The case has been officially recorded as a comorbid Covid-positive death. It adds to three similar fatalities reported from Mumbai this year: one patient had nephrotic syndrome with hypocalcemic seizures; another was HIV-positive; a third suffered a cerebrovascular stroke while undergoing cancer treatment. The man who died in Thane on Friday had diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) with a lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). All the patients tested positive for Covid-19 but succumbed primarily due to their pre-existing medical conditions. On Saturday the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) reported nine new Covid-19 cases, with 19 active cases currently being monitored. Of these, 17 patients are in home isolation in stable conditions, and one remains hospitalised. The 21-year-old diabetic patient's death was the only fatality reported on the day. Since January 2025, Maharashtra has conducted 7,144 Covid tests, detecting 257 positive cases-a test positivity rate of 3.6%. In Mumbai alone, 213 cases have been reported since the beginning of the year, with a dramatic rise this month, with just one case in January and February each, four in April, to a sharp jump to 207 cases in May. Public anxiety has been rising amid a surge in common viral symptoms such as cold, cough, headaches and body aches, which experts attribute to rising temperatures and fluctuating weather conditions. The concern among medical professionals deepened after a few patients with mild viral symptoms at the civic-run KEM Hospital tested positive for Covid-19 through RT-PCR test two weeks ago. Two of these Covid-positive patients later died, but hospital officials clarified that both had serious underlying conditions and their deaths were not directly due to the virus. "There is no need to panic," a senior KEM official said. "No patients from municipal hospitals have been referred to SevenHills Hospital for Covid-related treatment. We are not conducting RT-PCR tests on all patients." Experts urge people not to mistake seasonal illnesses for Covid resurgence. "Even after the pandemic subsides, traces of the virus can linger. Not all symptoms point to Covid-19," explained Dr Deepak Baid, a senior physician. "If symptoms persist or resemble Covid-specific signs, testing may be advised, but this should be determined by the treating doctor, not public fear." Municipal health officials said testing remains limited due to budgetary constraints. "We cannot afford indiscriminate testing," an official said. "RT-PCR kits are reserved for clinically justified cases." Doctors emphasised the need for rational diagnostics and vigilance, especially for high-risk individuals. For now, officials maintain there is no sign of a new wave-only a reminder to stay alert, not alarmed....