Eid, other festivals will come again but life lost won’t: Dr M S Khuroo

SRINAGAR: The Covid-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir are witnessing steep surge from last one month and the experts are predicting bad days ahead by stating that that the positive cases may rise to 10,000 a day while J&K may witness 100 Covid deaths as the pandemic touches peak in last week of May.

Covid Advisory Committee Chairman, former director SKIMS and renowned Gastroenterologist Dr M S Khuroo said that people must understand the gravity of the situation and should prefer to save their lives at this critical juncture instead of preferring other things.

“Eid and other festivals will come again but a life lost will never. People must follow Covid appropriate behavior in letter and spirit on their own and not remain callous as that can it can prove fatal.

He said that at present two mutations— UK mutation and Indian double mutation are prevalent in Jammu and Kashmir and both are spreading very fast and involving young people too.

“We are now witnessing that if a single member of a family come positive one day , other day whole family comes positive as pattern of the virus has changed and it has taken now super spreader phenomenon,” Dr Khuroo said.

He said that peak is India is expected in coming one or two weeks and in J&K it is expected in last week of May. “Cases will remain static for a few weeks then and after which there will be decline,” the expert said.

He said that it all depends on public, the more strictly Covid appropriate behavior will be followed, the peak will be less, however, if callous approach of people continues, cases can go upto 10,000 a days and deaths upto 100 in a single day.

He said that lockdown isn’t a permanent solution but it is being done to tame the beast  so that damage can minimized  and government must remain strict and trace contact of positive persons on war footing basis.

He said that it is all in hands of public as government or medicos can request them only to follow SoPs. “Everything will return but not lives lost. So people must take measures strictly and avoid indoor gatherings at any cost and young people going outside must take care that they don’t come up with virus in evening and make elderly people victims who are more vulnerable,” he said

He said government must also ramp up vaccination process as “it will give us protection against the virus individually and on community basis.”

“Health sector of every country comes under pressure in pandemic and as cases are being reported in Jammu and Kashmir our health sector is also under tremendous pressure and pressure increases as more cases come to fore,” Dr Khuroo said, and requested people to understand the grim situation of the covid-19 and please follow Covid appropriate behavior in letter and spirit and avoid unnecessary roaming.