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J&K sees highest single-day recovery as 4,338 patients recuperate
The number of people who recovered crossed 2-lakh mark to reach 2,02,039, improving the recovery rate to 78.95% against around 98% in the first fortnight of February
As many as 62 people lost their lives to Covid on Wednesday in Jammu and Kashmir, taking May’s fatalities to 1,073 and overall death toll to 3,355.
The region also recorded 3,969 fresh infections in the past 24 hours taking the overall caseload to 2,55,888. The number of patients who were cured in the UT on Wednesday was this month’s highest at 4,338, including 2,953 from Kashmir and 1,385 from Jammu.
The number of people who recovered crossed 2-lakh mark to reach 2,02,039, improving the recovery rate to 78.95% against around 98% in the first fortnight of February. The officials said that 48,565 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours taking overall tests to 8.04 million.
Dr Hardeep Singh, professor of medicine, Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar, said that the second wave of Covid is highly contagious and the virus transmits from infected person to others at a faster pace.
“Earlier, during the first wave, it was observed that the affected person could infect only a few persons around him, but now the same person infects almost all around him which is cause of great concern,” he said.
Of the 62 deaths in the UT, 39 were reported in Jammu division and 23 in Kashmir. Of the new cases, 2,594 are from Kashmir while 1,375 are from Jammu, besides 24 travellers.
The people of UT have witnessed the worst effects of the pandemic in May since the outbreak as the monthly infections have reached 79,805 and fatalities to 1,073 on Wednesday. The number of patients who have recovered from the disease this month so far is 56,598.
Officials said with 675 cases, Srinagar had the highest number of new infections, followed by 493 in Jammu district, 411 in Budgam, 371 in Baramulla, 190 in Kupwara and 171 in Pulwama. The number of active cases has reached 50,494, officials said.
Regarding the third wave, Dr Singh said if we do not adhere to SOPs, undergo vaccination and achieve herd immunity through vaccination, the virus may come again in a different form.
“It can have more dangerous consequences,” he said.
Srinagar and Jammu districts have together contributed for about 1.05 lakh cases and 1,593 deaths of the total. The Jammu district has taken over as the one with the highest number of 884 fatalities followed by Srinagar with 709 deaths.
Adviser to L-G, Baseer Ahmad Khan said that there is no shortage of oxygen, vaccines, drugs or other medical infrastructure.
“The huge consignment of vaccines has already arrived and the vaccination drive as per the micro-plans, already prepared, shall go unabated,” he said.
The J&K government has formed a committee, mostly comprising health experts, to formulate an action plan to tackle a possible third wave of Covid pandemic in the UT.
The general administration department on Tuesday gave sanction for the constitution of a 10-member committee to be chaired by Dr MS Khuroo, senior doctor and former director of Kashmir’s premier tertiary care hospital, Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura. The co-chairman of the committee is Dr Shakti Gupta, executive director and CEO at AIIMS, Jammu.
The committee will specially focus on preparedness in terms of creation of health infrastructure, enhancement in testing capacities, arrangement of essential drugs/logistics, treatment protocols, arrangement of machinery and equipment, oxygen supply and manpower.
“The committee will look into issues like ramping up Covid hospital beds and critical care units, especially for paediatrics/neo-natal age group, which is likely to be affected more,” said the order by Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, commissioner secretary to the government.
