Three Covid-19 deaths reported in JK, toll touches 16
5 medicos, 55 policemen among 106 fresh positive cases surface
Srinagar: First time ever since the ongoing pandemic, Kashmir Valley reported three deaths due to COVID-19 in a single day on Monday, pushing the J&K’s overall death count due to the disease to 16.
Two among the three victims, a 65-year-old woman from Kulgam district and a 75-year-old from Kokernag Anantnag had tested positive in the morning and were shifted from SMHS hospital to CD hospital Dalgate here, one of the facilities exclusively meant for the management of the covid-19 patients in Kashmir Valley.
Official sources said that the 75-year-old woman was suffering from thyroid cancer.
“Earlier a 65-year-old female from Kulgam, who was admitted in Surgical ICU in SMHS hospital as case of sub dural haemorrhage (SDH) tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning and was shifted to CD Hospital Srinagar where immediately after admission she had cardiac arrest and instantly died,” Dr Salim Khan, nodal officer Covid-19 at Government Medical College, Srinagar, said.
Earlier in the day, a 75-year-old man, a resident of Hillar Kokernag Anantnag, died at the same hospital. After testing positive for the disease last month, the septuagenarian had tested negative for the disease. Subsequently, he was shifted from CD hospital to SMHS hospital for an emergency procedure known as tracheostomy—which involves creating an opening in the neck in order to place a tube into a person’s windpipe to allow air to enter the lungs. It was at SHMS hospital when his fresh sample, known as tracheal aspirate rather than the ordinary—naso/oropharyngeal— swab was taken which later returned positive following which he was again taken to CD hospital where he died.
Dr Salim Tak, Medical Superintendent CD hospital said that the man was continuously on ventilator from the last eight days.
“He was suffering from Pneumonia. Last week a tracheostomy procedure was done on him at SMHS hospital,” he said.
The deaths come a day after a 29-year-old woman from Habba Kadal Srinagar died at the CD hospital here. She was the youngest victim of the dreaded disease in J&K so far. In last three days, Kashmir Valley has seen five deaths due to the covid-19. On Saturday, a 70-year-old man from Chadoora in Budgam district died at SKIMS Soura. His reports came positive after his death.
With the latest fatalities, 16 persons have died due to the fatal disease so far in Jammu and Kashmir—13 of them in Kashmir and two in the Jammu division.
The Srinagar district has reported 5 of the deaths, highest in any district, followed by Baramulla and Anantnag with three deaths each while one each has been reported in Bandipora, Budgam, Kulgam, Udhampur, and Jammu.
Meanwhile, the region witnessed the highest spike in the number of positive cases in a day.
On Monday five doctors and 55 armed police personnel including an SP rank officer, were among at least 106 fresh cases reported in the UT so far, taking the over tally of the Covid-19 patients closer to 1300 mark.
Among the, 665 are active positive—98 in Jammu and 567 in Kashmir. 609—60 in Jammu and 549 in Kashmir have recovered while 16 others have died.
Out of the total posotove cases reported Monday 94 of the fresh cases were reported from Kashmir and 12 from Jammu.
They include 59 among the fresh cases are from Anantnag district 12 each from Srinagar and Kulgam, four from Kupwara, two each from Bandipora, Jammu, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch while one each from Baramulla, Shopian, Budgam, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Udhampur, Ramban, Kishtwar and Doda.
Nodal officer Covid-19 at Government Medical College Srinagar, said that among the 750 samples processed at CD covid-19 testing lab in 24 hours till 5 p.m. today, 55 were from DPL Anantnag, 8 of them are patients admitted to SMHS Hospital, besides 3 ENT doctors of the Hospital and one doctor each at Government Dental College Srinagar and SKIMS MCH Bemina.
The other patients include 2 from Anantnag, 2 from Srinagar (travelers from New Delhi), one patient admitted in LD Hospital from Bandipora, 2 from Jammu while one each is from Ganderbal, Kulgam, Handwara, Pulwama, Doda, Banihal, Kishtwar and Kathua.
“There is no policeman from district police Anantnag. The DPL Anantnag is a collection point and all the 55 personnel are from armed police,” a senior police officer said. Among them, he said, one is a SP ranked officer.
Official sources said that five doctors whose samples returned positive include a 30-year-old from Bemina Srinagar (posted at SKIMS MCH), 27-year-old from Asham Sumbal Bandipora (posted in Orthodontics dental college Srinagar), 46-year-old from Ladakh (Consultant ENT SMHS), 42-year-old from Mahjoor Nagar Srinagar (Consultant ENT SMHS) and Registrar ENT SMHS, a 30-year-old doctor.
Among other patients who have tested positive at CD hospital’s covid-19 testing lab include 50-year-old woman from Bemina Srinagar, admitted to isolation ward in SMHS. The others including 75-year-old woman of Kokernag, 55-year-old man from Fateh Kadal Srinagar, 65-year-old woman from Kulgam,, 56-year-old from Kargil, 70-year-old woman from Budgam, 55-year-old man from Pattan Baramulla and 27-year-old from Sallar Anantnag were also admitted to SMHS hospital.
The 55 armed policemen who tested positive are aged between 25 to 56 years old and maximum among them are in 30s, they added. Eleven other samples were confirmed at army’s Command Hospital Udhampur and include 10 from Kulgam and one resident of Udhampur distrct, sources said. The two others are from Rajouri and their samples were confirmed at GMC Jammu.
Professor Farooq Jan, Medical Superintendent SKIMS said that five samples returned positive for the disease and include three from Kupwara—18-year-old girl from Magam Handwara, 25-year-old womn and 30-year-old man from Gonipora Handwara— while one each is from Shopian (70-year-old man Darbagh) and 26-year-old from Rambagh Srinagar.
With these cases, the number of Covid-19 patients has risen to 1289 so far.
Meanwhile, 34 more COVID-19 patients have recovered and were discharged from various hospitals of Kashmir Division.
Government said that out of 88601 test results available, 87312 samples have tested as negative till May 18, 2020.
Additionally, till date 114788 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been enlisted for surveillance which included 29208 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 89 in Hospital Quarantine, 665 in hospital isolation and 18300 under home surveillance. Besides, 66511 persons have completed their surveillance period. (with inputs from GNS)
KV News
