‘Covid-19 has taken an ugly turn in Kashmir, situation alarming’

High time for conducting genetic test to see whether virus has mutated: Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan, more than 30 patients arrived at SMHS in a day needed immediate oxygen, they had bilateral pneumonia’

By: Tassaduq Hussain

Srinagar: Initially the Covid-19 behaved very mildly and the patients who would test positive were asymptomatic, but situation has taken a serious turn now as the pandemic seems to have taken an ugly turn with patients, especially the virus suspects are complaining of bilateral pneumonia irrespective of age difference.

This was stated by one of Kashmir’s leading flu experts, Dr Nisarul Hassan in an exclusive chat with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO). Dr Nisar, who is an Associate professor at the Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, had earlier told KNO that virus was behaving “very mildly in Kashmir” given the number of deaths and cases. But given the situation over the past few weeks which has shown a sharp surge in positive cases while death cases too have gone up.

He also said that there is a possible change in the coronavirus behavior and said it’s for the first time in past four months that a large number of people with bilateral pneumonia get admissions in hospitals. “Kashmir’s virus needs an immediate lab test about the possible mutation,” he said.

Dr. Nisar sounded an alarm and stated that the number of deaths in past two weeks may have occurred due to possible change in the virus. “I advocate immediate genetic test to find out whether the virus has really mutated,” he said. 

He said shocking to note was that for the first time in the past four months, SMHS hospital receive 40 admissions of which 32 had COVID symptoms and all of them were having bilateral pneumonia, who were in desperate need of oxygen. “Some of them even needed ventilator support which is very alarming and a serious issue,” Dr Nisar told KNO

This is for the first time since the outbreak where according to Dr Nisar, there is an large number of seriously ill patients dropping in one go that too in one hospital and on enquiring from other colleagues at hospitals in different parts of the valley there is a similar story to listen.

 The flu expert said that there is a significant rise in seriously ill cases dropping in with radiological evidence of pneumonia which was not seen before. “We had either asymptomatic or patients with very mild disease among which rarely anyone required oxygen, that too who was having medical underlying conditions,” he said. 

“Young and middle aged people with no comorbidities, no medical underlying conditions these days are arriving at the hospital with bilateral pneumonia. For me, this is a serious concern and here this clearly indicates that it’s highly dangerous situation in Kashmir.” Dr Nisar suggested lockdown for a period of two weeks or so to contain the virus spread.

“We have to see it genetically especially Kashmir’s virus has to be sent to national institute of virology Pune to be analyzed there for a possible change early whether there is some mutilation in the virus that’s why it has become virulent now than before,” Dr Nisar said.