Ex-DGP, wife, son, DIG CRPF test +ve
Jammu Distt has 8.2% Sero-positive rate
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 12: Veteran Congress leader and former Minister Mohammad Sharief Niaz was among eight persons who died of COVID or post-COVID complications in Jammu region while former Director General of Police (DGP) Dr Shesh Pal Vaid, his wife Bharti Vaid and their son, DIG of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), two CISF personnel deployed at Jammu Airport, 12 more prisoners from Ambphalla jail and two persons from Narwal Fruit Mandi were among 159 persons who tested positive for the virus in the region, the maximum 113 being in Jammu district while 535 patients recovered.
Seventy five-year-old Congress leader from Bhaderwah Mohammad Sharief Niaz, who was cousin of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, died in the GMC Jammu today due to multiple ailments and post-COVID related problems. During treatment in the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu since September 21, Niaz had tested positive for COVID-19. However, two days before his death, he had turned negative for the virus. Niaz was suffering from series of ailments including COVID Pneumonia.
Former DGP J&K Dr Shesh Pal Vaid, his wife Bharti Vaid, who had retired as Additional Director General of Press Information Bureau (PIB) and their 28-year-old son tested positive for COVID-19 today.
A DIG of CRPF who is posted in Bantalab Headquarters has tested positive for the virus. Two CISF personnel deployed at the Jammu Airport were also infected by pathogen today.
Twelve more prisoners at Ambphalla Jail in Jammu district tested positive for COVID-19 today. Jail Superintendent Mirza Salim told the Excelsior that all 12 are new comers. Eight prisoners tested positive for second time while over 50 detenues turned negative today during testing.
Meanwhile, the Microbiology Department of the GMC Jammu today crossed 3-lakh tests for COVID-19 under the command of HoD Dr Shashi S Sudhan. The Microbiology Department is in Quality Control with AIIMS New Delhi, PGI Chandigarh, NIB Pune, NCDC Delhi and SKIMS Srinagar under which tests of each other’s labs are verified and samples exchanged for quality control.
Dr Sudhan said the COVID testing will also start in the GMC Doda shortly as all requisite and specified equipments, logistics support, human resource etc are complete.
A total of 101 persons today tested positive for COVID-19 in Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) in Jammu district. They include five from Jagti, three from Jagti Colony, three in B.Ed College Canal Road, two Fruit Mandi Narwal, seven Wazir Lane Municipality Office, one from Sub District Hospital Jagti, four Akhnoor, nine Bishnah, one Dansal, two Kot Bhalwal, three Marh and four each at Pallanwalla and RS Pura.
A 57-year-old man from Trikuta Nagar died in the SPS Hospital Ludhiana due to COVID Pneumonia and hypertension where he was under treatment while 75-year-old woman from Udrana Bhaderwah, presently putting up at Lale Da Bagh in Domana area also succumbed to the virus and other complications in the GMC Jammu. A 68-year-old woman hailing from Mohalla Narayana in Kachi Chawni died of Coronavirus in ASCOMS Hospital Sidhra.
A 60-year-old man from Kalai Poonch, who was co-morbid and positive for the virus, died in the GMC Jammu and his body was shifted to native village for burial this morning, SSP Poonch Ramesh Angral said.
A 62-year-old woman from Dhani Dhar near Rajouri town, who was under treatment in Punjab hospital for the virus died there, this afternoon.
A 70-year-old man died of the COVID-19 in Doda.
Jammu region’s Corona casualties now stood at 434, the highest being 225 in Jammu district, 43 Rajouri, 40 Doda, 29 Kathua, 24 Samba, 23 Udhampur, 22 Poonch, 11 each Kishtwar and Ramban and six in Reasi district.
Meanwhile, the Department of Community Medicine GMC Jammu today released report of Seroprevalence of COVID-19 in Jammu district.
Dr Dinesh Kumar, Professor and Head Community Medicines Department told the Excelsior that Jammu district had 8.2 percent Sero-positive rate, which was quite higher among the Males at 9 percent while it was 6.9 percent among females.
The Sero-positive rate was 8.6 percent in rural areas of Jammu district and 7.9 percent in urban areas, Dr Kumar said.
The report revealed that Sero positivity rate was highest in the age groups of 61-70 and 41-50 and nil above 80 years.
The Sero positive rate was 10.8 percent in the age group of 61-70, 10 percent from 41-50 years, 7.5 percent from 18-30 years, 7 percent in 21-40 years, 8.3 percent from 71-80 years and zero percent above 80 years.
Block-wise highest Sero positivity was reported from Pallanwalla at 15.6 percent and lowest 3.5 percent at Chowki Chowra.
Sero positive rate percentage wise in other blocks include Marh (12), Dansal (4.6), Akhnoor (9.2), Jammu (7.5), Bishnah (12.7), RS Pura (7.8), Kot Bhalwal (5) and Sohanjana (4).
The Seroprevalence study was conducted with Dr Dinesh Kumar as Principal Investigator, Dr Meena Sidhu, HoD Immuno-Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Dr Sandeep Dogra, Associate Professor Microbiology and Dr Bhavna Suri, Assistant Professor, Community Medicine as Co-Principal Investigators, and Dr Kiran Bala, Dr Rashmi, Dr Richa Mahajan, Dr Shalli, Dr Anuradha, Dr Sachin and all PG Scholars from Community Medicine and Dr Anshu Mahajan, Dr Salve Sharma, Kapil and Subash Chander, Technicians from Blood Transfusion.
Meanwhile, among 159 positive cases for COVID-19 reported today in Jammu region, 113 were in Jammu district, 12 Poonch, 11 Samba, seven each in Rajouri, Udhampur and Kathua and one each at Doda and Ramban district. Kishtwar and Reasi districts didn’t report any positive cases today.
Among 535 Corona patients who recovered today, 140 belonged to Jammu district followed by 119 Doda, 90 Rajouri, 54 Samba, 40 Udhampur, 32 Poonch, 30 Kishtwar, 17 Kathua and 13 Ramban.
Jammu region now has 33649 Corona positive cases. As 29142 patients have recovered, there were only 4073 active positive cases in the region.
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