Suspected Covid vaccine victim ‘otherwise healthy’ before sudden death, coroner confirms

A CORONER in Singapore has ruled that a 28-year-old man was ‘otherwise healthy’ following his sudden death of myocarditis, which he reportedly linked to the Covid vaccine.

Mr Rajib is suspected to be the country’s first Covid vaccine-related victim following his sudden death, which occurred three weeks after he received the jab.

State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said that the man’s death was likely related to the COVID-19 vaccine he had received, as reported by channelnewsasia.com on Monday, February 20.

Mr Nakhoda said that Mr Rajib was reportedly a “very healthy young man”. He had no chronic illness and had also not reported sick during his employment.

Mr Rajib, who died on July 9, 2021, is believed to have worked the day after receiving his shot and now Nakhoda has warned his fellow workers, and employers of workers in strenuous labour jobs, to rest for a significant period deemed necessary by medical professionals after receiving the Covid jab.

He said that this was to reduce the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis.

“The primary means of mitigating the risk of myocarditis or pericarditis was to abstain from strenuous exercise or physical activity for a period of two weeks,” said the coroner.

CNA reported that Mr Rajib, who had caught and fully recovered from Covid roughly a year before his death, had received his first dose of the Moderna/Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine on June 18, 2021.

After going to work the next day, and for the next three weeks, the man, who worked as a welding supervisor for Sunlight Engineering and stayed at CDPL Tuas Dormitory, did not complain about feeling unwell, however, after finishing his shift at around 6.30 pm on July 9, 2021, Mr Rajib suddenly fell from a ladder at work and was later pronounced dead.

Mr Nakhoda noted that the fall had not contributed to his death.

The assessment from State Coroner Adam Nakhoda that Mr Rajib’s death could be linked to the vaccine was also supported by Associate Professor Teo Eng Swee of the Health Sciences Authority’s Forensic Medicine Division, who carried out the initial autopsy.

Professor Teo determined that the 28-year-old had died from myocarditis. All his other organs were normal, the professor added.

According to Professor Teo, myocarditis – an inflammation of the heart muscle – could develop after receiving the Covid vaccine and there was clear evidence to support this.

He added that Mr Rajib’s myocarditis was unlikely due to ‘long COVID’ as the evidence did not support this.

However, the myocarditis was most likely linked to the Covid vaccine – although the professor did stress that it could not be established objectively, CNA reported.

The death of the ‘healthy’ young man is reported to be the first one related to the Covid vaccination, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Friday, February 17.

As a result, the family of Mr Rajib will be offered S$225,000 (€157,256.88) as a one-time financial assistance payment due to the nature of his death, which falls under the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme set up by the country’s MOH.

Despite the sudden death of Mr Rajib being heavily linked to the Covid vaccine, Associate Professor Teo Eng Swee noted that the vaccine was still extremely important in combatting the virus.

The professor said that a vaccinated person had a reduced risk of developing COVID-19, and the risk of developing myocarditis would similarly be lowered, as reported by Channel News Asia.

Citing medical literature, he added that “there was a much higher risk of developing myocarditis amongst those who have the COVID-19 infection compared to persons who were vaccinated.”

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