Coronavirus: Jammu and Kashmir reports another COVID-19 death; toll rises to 27

A quinquagenarian man from north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, who died at a Srinagar hospital on Wednesday, was tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, taking the death toll due to the virus in the union territory to 27.

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An official said a 55-year-old man from Khanpora, Baramulla, died at SMHS hospital on Wednesday following which his samples were taken for COVID-19 testing. “His body was kept in a mortuary and his reports came positive for COVID-19 on Thursday,” he said, adding that he was having underlying health problems.

Nodal Officer for COVID-19 at GMC Srinagar, Dr Salim Khan confirmed the death and said that the patient was referred from GMC hospital Baramulla with fever, respiratory distress to SMHS hospital on May 27.

“The patient died within hours of admission,” he said, adding that his samples were tested positive today.

With his death, the toll due to COVID-19 in Jammu and Kashmir has reached 27 including 24 from Kashmir division and three from Jammu. In the past 12 days, the death toll of COVID-19 has more than doubled in Jammu and Kashmir. While the toll stood at 12 on May 16, it reached 27 on May 28.

Most of the patients whose deaths have been attributed to the viral infection have been suffering from some comorbid conditions. However, the virus has also killed some ‘otherwise healthy’ individuals.

Till Wednesday evening, Jammu and Kashmir had reported 1,921 COVID-19 positive cases out of which 854 have recovered and 1,041 are active positives.