There has been a sudden spike in the number of Covid19 deaths in Kashmir with over 60 deaths reported in the past two weeks.
Official figures reveal that in the first three months since the last week of March, when the lockdown was imposed, 51 persons died of coronavirus.
On June 18, 7 died of Covid19. On June 19, four deaths were reported, June 22 saw 3 and June 30 six deaths.
4 deaths were reported on July 1. July 2 saw the highest single-day spike of 10 deaths in J&K, 9 among them in the valley alone.
On July 3, four deaths occurred. On July 4, 8 more people died of Covid19.
The majority of the deaths listed were above the age of 50 and all of them had an underline comorbidities including kidney, heart, acute respiratory symptom syndrome etc.
Dr. S Salim Khan, nodal officer Covid19 at GMC Srinagar says the older we grow weaker the immune system and hence more susceptible to infections.
“40 percent of the elderly population in Kashmir is already hypertensive and diabetic so they are more prone to coronavirus,” Dr Khan said.
He also attributed the fast spread of infection and subsequent deaths to people not taking precautions.
“Of late it has been noticed that both elderly and young roam around without masks and can contract infection easily,” Dr Khan said.
He said the youth who are asymptomatic and not apparently sick can infect the elderly.
The average age expectancy in India is 70, wherein several western countries and America, it is much higher.
Most of the people who died of Covid19 in these countries – UK, Italy, Germany, Italy or the US and others were well above the eighties and even nineties,” said a doctor.
He said J&K has a younger population.
So far, 127 persons have died with of Covid19 in Jammu and Kashmir and the majority of them, 113, in Kashmir.
Srinagar district has reported 30 deaths, the highest in any district in J&K.
Baramulla (18), Kulgam (16), Shopian (13), Anantnag (10), Budgam (9), Jammu (8), Kupwara (7), Pulwama (4), Ganderbal (1), Doda (2), Udhampur (1), Bandipora (1), Poonch (1), Rajouri (1) and Kathua (1) make up the rest of the death toll in J&K.