Kolkata, A total of 57 corona positive patients have perished in West Bengal, of whom an expert committee of doctors has certified that 18 deaths were directly linked to COVID, a top official said here.

"Today we have received a report on the number of COVID positive patients they have reviewed. The figure is 57, out of which they have certified that 18 deaths are directly related to COVID. This figure includes three deaths which the committee has freshly identified as due to COVID," he said.

"The committee has said that the remaining 39 deaths were due to severe comorbid conditions which were the immediate cause of death, and COVID-19 was the incidental finding," said Sinha.

He also gave a list of the co-morbidities, that included cardiomyopathy with chronic kidney disease, acute renal failure, lympho-plastic pneumonia, left ventricular failure, multi-organ failure.

The senior bureaucrat claimed the committee was formed following a directive given by the centre.

Sinha said 51 more coronavirus cases were reported in the state over the past 24 hours, taking the total number of active cases to 385. None of the patients were released over the past 24 hours.