J&K reports 14th Coronavirus death, 75-year-old man from Anantnag dies at CD Hospital

Srinagar, May 18: A 75-year-old man from Anantnag on Monday became the lastest victim of the Covid-19 in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the overall toll to 14 in J&K.

Official sources told GNS that the man, a resident of Hillar Kokernag Anantnag, had tested negative when his back to back samples were taken at the CD hospital where he was admitted for several days after he tested positive for the disease initially.

Later, he was taken to SMHS 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 there when his fresh sample, known as tracheal aspirate rather than the ordinary—naso/oropharyngeal— swab was taken.

The test returned positive following which he was again taken to CD hospital where he died.

Dr Salim Tak, Medical Superintendent CD hospital confirmed the death of the man.

The victim was retest today again and came out positive.

“He was continuously on ventilator from last eight days. He was suffering from Pneumonia. Last week a tracksmosty procedure was done on him at SMHS hospital,” he said.

The death comes a day after a 29-year-old woman with underlying ailments died at the CD hospital here. She was the youngest victim of the dreaded disease in J&K so far.

With this fatality, 14 persons have died due to the disease so far in Jammu and Kashmir—12 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 (3), 2 in Anantnag while one each has been reported in Bandipora, Budgam, Udhampur, and Jammu.

GNS