Coronavirus update: Veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee put on ventilator support

Veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee's condition worsened late on Monday night, leading to his intubation. The 85-year-old has been recovering from COVID-related complications at a private hospital where he was admitted on 6 October after experiencing a mild fever for two days. Chatterjee, who was diagnosed with COVID encephalopathy on 10 October, tested negative for the virus four days later. 

Reports suggest that the award-winning actor's oxygen saturation fell late on Monday afternoon, forcing the doctors to put him on ventilation. The actor's spokesperson told The Indian Express newspaper, "We had to protect his airways. At 3 pm, we put him on ventilation support. His oxygen support is less than 40%, and there were increasing chances of aspiration [a type of lung infection that is due to a relatively large amount of material from the stomach or mouth entering the lungs] and secondary pneumonia. He is not that well. His health condition has definitely deteriorated. The medical board took a unanimous decision to protect his airway, and we did it by putting him on endotracheal intubation."

Chatterjee had started shooting for projects from August after the Bombay high court granted permission to artistes above 65 to return to work. Having stated that the virus would be around for a while and he did not have the privilege of spending days at home without working, the actor started shooting for his biopic Abhijaan, directed by Parambrata Chatterjee, in which he plays himself.