Cases cross one lakh in Jammu, recoveries more than new positives
Deaths, cases surge in rural areas across region
Non-local worker succumbs, 134 test +ve in Ladakh
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 20: There was no let up in COVID casualties in Jammu and Kashmir with 67 persons succumbing to the virus and 4169 getting infected. Jammu region reported 41 casualties and 1518 fresh cases. New positives have taken total cases in the Jammu beyond one lakh while for second consecutive day today number of recoveries was more than the new cases.
Jammu region’s total cases today crossed one lakh mark and stood at 1, 00,710. Among them, 20916 were active positive cases as 78182 have recovered from the virus and there have been 1612 casualties.
As against 1518 fresh cases, 1533 persons recovered from the virus today.
Dr Inderjyot, Senior Physician hailing from Jammu and Kashmir and presently posted in erstwhile Kashmir House at Chandigarh as Liaison Officer, died due to COVID-19 at PGI Chandigarh. He was 52. His wife had recently recovered from the virus.
During the tenure of National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah as the Chief Minister, Dr Inderjyot was his Physician. Omar also announced death of Dr Inderjyot through a tweet. Last year, as a Liaison Officer in Chandigarh, Dr Inderjyot was instrumental in assisting many students and other people from Jammu and Kashmir, who were stranded at Chandigarh, to reach their homes.
A 59-year-old Sub Inspector of Armed Police hailing from village Behrot in Thanna Mandi area of Rajouri district died of COVID-19 in the Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri within hours of hospitalization.
Many young persons continued to lose battle to COVID-19 across the Jammu region.
A 23-year-old girl from Saloon in Reasi district succumbed to the virus in the GMC Jammu while 25-year-old woman from Joura Thathri died in the GMC Doda. A 31-year-old youth from Kachi Chawni passed away in the GMC Jammu and a 32-year-old youth hailing from Sokar Kandi in Rajouri district also breathed his last in the GMC Rajouri while 36-year-old-woman from Shakti Nagar died in the GMC Jammu.
Significantly, all of them had no co-morbidities and died of COVID Pneumonia and related complications.
A 40-year-old woman from Janipura without any ailment also died in the GMC Jammu due to Coronavirus.
Among total 41 Corona casualties in Jammu region, 20 were reported from Jammu district, five Rajouri, three each Doda, Reasi and Poonch, two each Ramban and Udhampur and one each in Ramban, Kathua and Kishtwar districts.
Sixteen women were among the death while six persons died at home and were later shifted to hospitals.
Other deaths in the Jammu district were reported from Kotli Bishnah, Bohri Talab Tiloo, Nanak Nagar, Channi Himmat, Subash Nagar, Muthi, Near Digiana Ashram, Camp Gole Gujral, Wazarat Road, Anuradha Puram Barnai, Galai, Shastri Nagar, Nanak Nagar, Takku Chak Domana, Malhotra Street and Sanjay Nagar.
Two deaths in Ramban district took place at Chamalwas and Hara while lone Corona fatality in Samba district was recorded at Vijaypur. Casualties in Reasi district also took place at Ransoo and Ward No. 8 Katra while fatalities in Doda district came from Dandi and Puneja in Bhaderwah.
Five COVID deaths in Rajouri district were reported from Saaj Jandi, Kalalkass Kandi, Sunderbani and Sokar while two deaths of Udhampur were reported in Ramnagar and Housing Colony.
Kathua’s COVID casualty was recorded at Ward No. 2 while one death took place in Kishtwar town.
Not only in terms of deaths but in positive cases also, rural and semi-urban areas continued to account for maximum.
In Jammu district, 27 positive cases were reported from Akhnoor, 23 Kot Bhalwal, 22 Sohanjana, 19 RS Pura, 18 Chowki Choura, 15 Marh and 11 Bishnah among others.
In Udhampur district where 180 persons tested positive for the virus, only 27 were found infected in urban areas while rest of infections were detected in rural belt including 60 in Tikri, 37 Chenani, 22 Ramnagar, 20 Basantgarh and 13 Majalata.
In Rajouri district too which accounted for 158 positives, majority of cases came from rural areas including 33 Darhal, 29 Sunderbani, 27 Nowshera, 20 Kalakote and five in Kandi apart from 44 in Rajouri.
Thirty three persons tested positive for the virus at Lakhanpur, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir in Kathua district including 10 from Punjab, five Uttar Pradesh, four Bihar and one each from Rajasthan, West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh apart from 11 of Jammu and Kashmir.
Among 1518 cases in Jammu region, 499 were reported from Jammu district, 180 Udhampur, 174 Kathua, 158 Rajouri, 124 Ramban, 117 Samba, 79 Doda, 76 Reasi, 56 Poonch and 55 in Kishtwar district.
Of 1533 recoveries today, 695 were recorded in Jammu district, 211 Udhampur, 197 Kathua, 139 Rajouri, 109 Poonch, 83 Samba, 74 Reasi and 25 in Kathua district.
Meanwhile, a non-local labourer died of COVID-19 while 134 more persons tested positive in the Union Territory of Ladakh today taking death toll to 171, total cases to 16918 and active positives to 1589.
A non-local labourer engaged in construction work died of Coronavirus in Zanskar area of Kargil district today. No casualties were reported from Leh district.
With this, COVID toll in Kargil has gone up to 48 and that of Ladakh to 171 as 123 persons have also succumbed to the virus in Leh district.
Yesterday, the Union Territory of Ladakh had reported single-day highest five Coronavirus casualties including a Government official posted in Education Department in Leh
Several migrant workers from Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Nepal etc who had come to work in Leh, have died of Coronavirus in Leh district apart from the local casualties.
Meanwhile, 134 more persons today tested positive for the virus in Ladakh.
Among them, 124 fresh positive cases were reported in Leh district and 10 in Kargil.
New cases have taken Corona count in Ladakh to 16918. Of them, 1589 are active positives while 15158 have recovered from the virus.
Out of a total of 1589 active positive cases in the Union Territory, 1328 are in Leh and 261 in Kargil.
Among total cases of 16918, 13934 were in Leh and 2984 in Kargil. The recoveries include 12483 in Leh and 2675 in Kargil.
Out of a total of 1580 active positive cases, 125 persons are admitted in COVID Hospitals including 106 in Leh and 19 in Kargil while 867 are in home isolation (640 in Leh and 227 in Kargil). As many as 503 persons were in COVID Care Centres, all in Leh.
Ninety four persons were in Facility Isolation—79 in Leh and 15 in Kargil.
Meanwhile, lockdown continued in the Union Territory of Ladakh, However, shops dealing with essential commodities have been allowed to open for some hours fixed by the District Magistrates of Leh and Kargil.
Ist case of black fungus detected in Jammu
First case of Mucormycosis (black fungus) was detected in the Jammu region today.
GMC Jammu Principal and HoD Microbiology Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma confirmed to the Excelsior that a 40-year-old man from the region, whose identity has been kept secret just like COVID victims, was detected as first case of black fungus, in the Jammu region today.
“The black fungus was caused by steroids induced with uncontrolled diabetes,” Dr Sharma said, adding sugar level of the patient was 900 when he was admitted in the GMC Jammu. The person, whose condition is stated to be critical, has already turned negative for COVID-19.
Dr Sharma said black fungus doesn’t spread from person to person.
“This is an avoidable complication that can be restricted by strictly monitoring the blood sugar levels of the COVID patients put on steroids. Moreover, Mucormycosis is not a communicable diseases and the spores of an opportunistic fungus known as Mucor which are in plenty in air may start germinating in the eyes and the nasal mucosa and start penetrating the eyeballs, brain, sinuses and facial bones etc,” the GMC Principal said .
It may be mentioned here that several cases of black fungus have surfaced in Maharashtra and other States among the patients who had recovered from COVID-19.
Meanwhile, RTPCR testing facility was today started in Maternity and Childcare Health (MCH) Gandhi Nagar hospital, Dr Sharma said.
This is seventh RTPCR testing lab started by the Microbiology Department of the GMC Jammu, the six others being ASCOMS Sidhra, IIIM, Command Hospital Udhampur and GMCs of Doda, Rajouri and Kathua.
Initially, the MCH Gandhi Nagar lab will conduct 1000 RTPCR tests in a day. Later, the tests will be increased to 2000 per day.
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