Nadeem Nadu
3rd victim 80-year-old resident of Shopian
Srinagar, June 15 (GNS): Kashmir Valley reported three more deaths due to covid-19 on Monday, taking the fatality count due to the virus in J&K to 62.
The latest victims include an 18-year-old youth from Handwara, the youngest person to die of the virus in J&K so far, besides two elderly persons—an 80-year-old resident of Shopian and a 70-year-old man from Budgam district whose swab sample returned positive for the covid-19 posthumously. While two deaths took place at SMHS hospital, another was reported from CD hospital.
“The (septuagenarian) patient with sepsis and bilateral pneumonia was admitted on June 14 and died on the same day. His swab sample returned positive for the covid-19 today,” Dr Nazir Choudhary, Medical Superintendent SMHS hospital, told GNS.
Earlier, an 18-year-old covid-19 patient from Handwara area in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district died at the hospital. The teenager was admitted to the hospital as a “medico-legal case” with a serious head injury and died at 3 a.m., Dr Choudhary said.
“He was admitted on June 12 as a medico-legal case. His swab sample (for the novel coronavirus) was taken next day. He had serious head injuries besides bilateral pneumonia,” Dr Choudhary said, adding, “later his sample returned positive for the virus.”
A lawyer told GNS that a medico-legal case involves injury or illness that is under investigation by law enforcement agencies to establish and fix the criminal responsibility according to the law.
The teenager is the youngest to die of the covid-19. Till his death, the youngest victim was a 27-year-old resident from Lolab area of the north Kashmir district who succumbed to the pathogen 13 days ago at the same hospital.
Late on Monday, an 80-year-old man from Sedav Shopian with underlying diseases died at CD Hospital, two days after he was admitted there.
“He was diabetic besides had pneumonia and COPD. He died today,” Dr Salim Tak, medical superintendent CD hospital told GNS.
So far, 63 people have succumbed to the virus in J&K—Seven from Jammu and 55 from Valley. Srinagar district with 15 deaths has the highest fatalities followed by Baramulla 11, Kulgam eight, Anantnag and Shopian six each, five in Kupwara, four in Jammu, three in Budgam, two in Pulwama while one death each has been reported from Bandipora, Doda, Udhampur and Rajouri. (GNS)