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Grim milestones: J&K sees steepest rise in Covid cases in April
J&K reported 1,200 to 2,000 fresh infections daily since mid-April; On April 30, 3,532 cases were clocked, which is the highest single-day spike
More than 45,123 Covid cases were reported from Jammu and Kashmir in April, the highest since the outbreak of the pandemic in March last year. The month also saw 289 deaths in both regions of the UT.
In March, J&K had recorded 4,519 infections and 37 deaths. April saw an almost eight-fold increase in cases and 7.8 times more deaths, compared to last month. This has forced officials to devise a new strategy to curb the spread of the disease.
The number of active cases also rose exponentially and reached 28,359 by April 30, officials said. Most of these were added after February 9, when the UT had the lowest active case tally of 593.
As many as 1,45,441 people have recovered so far, taking the recovery rate to 83.54 %. In the first fortnight of February, the recovery rate was 98%.
From an all- time low of 43 cases on February 8, the surge became pronounced by mid-March. The spike got steeper in April, with over 1,200 to 2,000 fresh infections being reported daily since mid-April. On April 30, 3,532 cases were recorded, which the highest single-day spike.
Dr Javaid Malik, professor and head of department of chest medicine at SKIMS Medical College, Bemina, said that the cases are rising as the virus is mutating . “This is happening across the country and J&K is no different,” he said. He added that the cases will rise for some more time, before it starts declining again.
“It will also depend on whether people follow SoPs and lockdown protocols. If the cases continue to rise, then the government should go for an extended lockdown,” Malik added.
Following the surge, hospitals in J&K have started adding more beds and oxygen plants, as the officials apprehend more cases could come in coming days.
Earlier, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar, which is the Valley’s largest tertiary care hospital, and other medical colleges, decided to stop all non-emergency surgeries and admissions to cater to the increasing rush of Covid patients. Even the routine OPDs were shut down and the administration began online consultation for patients.
Dr Salim Khan, professor and head of community medicine at Government Medical College, Srinagar, said that the cases have gone up due to high rate of transmission. “Compared to last year, transmission rate is high this time. The lockdown can help flatten the curve, or else there will be huge transmission among the population.”
In March, the UT had recorded 4,519 Covid-19 infections, 1,935 in February and 3,535 in January. As many as 37 people succumbed to the virus in March, 21 in February and 53 in January.
The peak of the first Covid wave was in September last year, when the UT had witnessed 37, 372 cases and 478 death.
Choudhary Mohammad Yasin, mission director of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), J&K, said that officials are working overtime to control the disease. “Hopefully, things will get better in the next few weeks,” he said.
Many people, however, blame the government for throwing gardens open to the public, especially Tulip Garden, which sees a huge rush of locals and tourists. Many say this is one of the reasons for the rise in cases in Kashmir. “The government did take some decisions in haste, especially holding Tulip festival in the middle of the pandemic, when cases were on rise across the country. So, that’s one of the reasons for spike in cases,” said Dr Seema, a resident of uptown Srinagar.
