A COVID19 positive elderly man from Kulgam died at SKIMS here today, taking the toll of the viral illness in J&K to 24.
Dr Farooq Jan, medical superintendent SKIMS, said the 90-year old male patient was referred to the Institute with fever and breathlessness on Monday. “The patient was hypertensive and had pneumonia prompting us to test him,” Dr Jan said. He said the patient was shifted to isolation when his sample tested positive. However, he said, the patient passed away at 5:45 am on Tuesday.
A day earlier, another patient from Kulgam who had died at CD Hospital on 23 May was declared to be COVID19 positive. Dr S Saleem Khan, nodal officer COVID19 at GMC Srinagar said the 65 year old female patient from Bugam village of Kulgam was admitted to SMHS Hospital on 22 May with pneumonia in both lungs. “She died the next day and her sample was reported to be positive on 25 May,” he said. He added that the body of the deceased woman was kept in mortuary of the hospital and handed over as per protocol. “The district administration Kulgam was informed accordingly,” he said.
Earlier on Monday, a male patient with renal ailment died at a private hospital in Jammu. His sample tested positive for COVID19 posthumously.
In the past 10 days, the death toll of COVID19 has doubled in J&K. While the death toll stood at 12 on 16 May, with these three deaths, it has reached 24.
Most of the patients whose deaths have been attributed to the viral infection have been suffering from some co-morbid condition. However, the virus has also killed some ‘otherwise healthy’ individuals.