4 More Die, Covid-19 Toll Touches 50-Mark

Nadeem Nadu

Srinagar, June 9 (GNS): Kashmir Valley reported four more deaths due to novel coronavirus on Tuesday, taking the overall tally of people succumbing to the virus in Jammu and Kashmir to 50.  Among those who died today, two belong to Kulgam and as many to Baramulla district.     
Professor Farooq Jan, medical Superintendent SKIMS, told GNS that a 31-year-old man from DH Pora Kulgam who was admitted on June 5 died at 5:50 p.m.     
“He was a case of HTN, CKD. He was on Haemodialysis with right sided lung consolidation. After testing positive he was admitted in infectious disease block,” he said.
Meanwhile, a 70-year-old cancer patient, who had tested positive for the covid-19 a week ago, died at CD hospital. However, his latest swab sample, taken before his death, returned negative for the covid-19 this afternoon, Dr Salim Tak, Medical Superintendent CD Hospital, one of the exclusive facilities for the management of virus, said.       .
“He was suffering last stage of Cancer. His first sample returned positive a week ago,” Dr Tak told GNS. “We had taken his repeat sample which came out to be negative,” he added.  
Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Dr G N Itoo said that the patient was having late stage malignancy and had tested positive for COVID. “He was admitted in CD Hospital. However his follow up test came negative but he died.”
Also, a 70-year-old covid-19 patient from Panzath village in Qazigund area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district died at GMC Anantnag.
“He was suffering pneumonia. His test for covid-19 had returned positive few days ago,” Medical Superintendent Government Medical College Anantnag, Dr Majid Mehrab, told GNS. Panzath village falls under medical block Kulgam, the sources said. 
Early morning, a 52-year-old man, who was an auto driver by profession died at Srinagar’s CD hospital, one of the exclusive facilities meant for the management of covid-19 in the Valley.
A family member of the deceased told GNS that the 52-year-old man met with an accident on May 19. “He was admitted to SMHS hospital and two days ago his sample for the covid-19 returned positive and was shifted to CD hospital,” the family member said, adding, “He died at 5 a.m. today.” 
 Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Dr G N Itoo also confirmed the man’s death due to the virus.  “He had rib injury and rupture in the windpipe and was on ventilator. He was tested twice at SMHS for Covid-19 which turned negative. His 3rd test turned positive two days before. It seems he was infected at Hospital only,” he said, adding, “He was attended by 3 members of family who were always in PPE gear but they have been put in quarantine as precautionary measure. He will be buried under covid19 protocol at Sopore.”
So far Srinagar district with 12 deaths due to the virus has the highest fatalities, followed by Baramulla ten, Kulgam seven, Anantnag six, three each in Shopian, Kupwara and Jammu, two in Budgam while one death each has been reported from Pulwama, Bandipora, Doda and Udhampur. (GNS)