‘A GENUINE GIANT’

Legendary Infectious Disease Expert From Rutgers Dies of COVID in India

Dr. Rajendra Kapila had been vaccinated in the U.S. before hearing to India for two weeks to take care of his family, his wife said.

An accomplished New Jersey doctor and infectious disease specialist, called “a true legend” by colleagues, has died of COVID-19 in New Delhi. Dr. Rajendra Kapila, a professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School known for his work during the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, had flown to India in March to help take care of his family as the virus tore through the country. According to his wife, he’d received both Pfizer vaccine doses before leaving the U.S., but the 81-year-old also suffered from diabetes and heart issues. In a statement, Rutgers called Kapila “a genuine giant in the field of infectious diseases” who was “recognized worldwide and sought out for his legendary knowledge and extraordinary clinical acumen.” Kapila’s wife says she’d been working in a COVID-19 lab in New Jersey for the past year. “It is ironic that we came to India for two weeks and he contracted it here,” she said.