Kashmir reports three Coronavirus deaths in a day, toll 16

Srinagar, May 18: First time ever since the ongoing pandemic started, 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 told GNS 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 today 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, told GNS.

Earlier in the day, a 75-year-old man, a resident of Hillar Kokernag Anantnag, died at the CD 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 last eight days. “He was suffering from Pneumonia. Last week a tracksmosty 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 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.

GNS