A Chatsworth man, believed to be the first person from the sprawling south Durban township to test positive for Covid-19, has died nearly two months after contracting the virus.

Local councillor Previn Vedan told TimesLIVE the 46-year-old man's funeral was set to take place on Thursday.

When news of the man testing positive broke, his family had to deal with a panicked community while in self-isolation.

He was initially admitted to RK Khan Hospital with flu-like symptoms and then transferred to Grey's hospital in Pietermaritzburg - a state facility that has been identified as a treatment centre for Covid-19.

It is understood he died on Tuesday after losing his seven-week battle.

​Community activist Visvin Reddy said: “Up until now, the only person known to me who tested positive for the virus was this gentleman. His death makes the Covid-19 virus real and brings it closer to home.”

Social media platforms were abuzz with news of the man's death.

One community WhatsApp group posted: “Despite his valiant fight ... he had suffered complications from which there could be no recovery.”