Coronavirus update: Soumitra Chatterjee tests negative for COVID-19, health improves considerably 

Veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee, who has been receiving treatment for COVID-19 at a private hospital,  tested negative for the disease late on Wednesday though he is still in ‘acute confusional stage’.

Chatterjee, 85, was admitted to the hospital on 6 October. As his health deteriorated, he was given oxygen support and put on ventilation intermittently.

As per a report by news agency PTI, a senior doctor of the hospital said that the actor was still in a confused state, which is progressive in nature with COVID-related encephalopathy and metabolic encephalopathy. "He continues to be restless, arousable and has mild agitation and involuntary limb movements but no focal or generalised seizure event occurred,” said the doctor.

The actor is being attended to by a team of 12 doctors and has also undergone plasma therapy for two days. Last night, his daughter Poulami Bose took to Facebook to tell Chatterjee’s well-wishers that her father was slightly more stable today. "He is 1% better than yesterday and I'm happy with that... Some more tests have been conducted today and we'll get the results tomorrow or later... Thank you all for your prayers and love,” she wrote.

In a humanitarian gesture, the West Bengal government has borne all the expenses of the veteran actor's treatment. The initial amount paid to the nursing home has been returned to the family.