Irfan Tramboo
As the Government has augmented the testing speed a bit, the number of COVID-19 positives cases in J&K has more than doubled over the last one week, with the majority of increase being reported from Kashmir Division.
As per the data collected over time, on March 24 the positive cases in the entire Kashmir were in single digit, however, as the testing rate was upped a notch, the number of positive cases increased.
From March 24 to 31-within one week-there was an increase in the positive cases at least 9 times as the final tally on March 31 was recorded at 55.
Then in next week-March 31 to April 7-the positive cases more than doubled while already being in the double digits.
The new tally was recorded as 158 positive cases-out of which over 82 percent of total cases were reported from Kashmir division, while Jammu had the rest of it.
Kashmir division has witnessed more than 3200 percent increase in the number of cases since March 24, while as alone 130 percent increase in the number of cases since March 31.
While the positive cases increased by the percentage of 1983 since March 24, there has been alone 124 percent increase in the positive cases in J&K since March 31 so far.
With regard to testing, while the testing has been ramped up a bit, however, it appears to be far low in comparison to the rate at which the cases are increasing in the Union Territory.
Since March 24 until April 7, there has been just 581 percent increase in testing rate, while as alone 120 percent increase in testing has been witnessed since March 31.
The doctors have been impressing on the fact that there was a need for more testing as only that could give them an exact idea about the pandemic that they are dealing with.
A senior doctor at SKIMS, Soura told Excelsior that the increase in the number of positives indicates that the testing has been increased.
“More the number of tests, more positives will we have, but still, we are not doing what is required; there is a need to ramp the testing rate more,” he said.
Earlier, the Government had said that it was testing enough and that it was second to Kerala with regard to testing.
It is pertinent to mention here that Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Atal Dulloo had also echoed the same opinion, while asking the officials to ramp up the testing.
He said that increasing the sample testing should be the focus of the authorities in order to have a clear picture of the disease for tackling it in a better way.
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