Srinagar, June 2: Influx of tourists and “breakdown” of coronavirus guidelines are the main reason for the surge in Covid19 cases in Kashmir during the second wave, an official report has revealed.
“Kashmir province had major impetus in tourist activity before the second wave and major breakdown in Covid-appropriate behaviour and discipline (SOP), leading to enhanced transmission and higher disease load,” the report by the advisory committee (AC) on Covid19 reads.
“(The) Committee reviewed the pattern of Covid-19 disease and deaths in J&K in the second wave. The overall case positivity rate (CPR) in the Union Territory was from 6.0 to 10.4% and case fatality rate (CFR) from 0.9 to 1.7%. The corresponding data for Kashmir province were 8.1 to 14.2 % (CPR) and 0.6 to 1.1% (CFR) respectively and for Jammu Province 4.1 to 7.1% (CPR) and 1.4 to 2.5% (CFR). So, the disease was more prevalent in Kashmir province and death occurred more in Jammu province (sic).”
As per the report the “SARS-CoV-2 variants both B.1.1.7 (the UK variant) AND B.1.617.2 (the Indian Variant) were seen exclusively in Jammu province. Both these have been designated as Variants of Concern and even Variants of Significant Consequences and are known to be more infectious, cause more severe disease, and may have immune evasion properties.
“The distances in the Jammu Province are longer and the approach is more difficult due to complex terrains in regions like Doda, Ramban, and Poonch districts. Because of this access of sick patients to tertiary care centers may be difficult and such patients reach such centers very late in the disease course. There are indications that the healthcare system may not be as robust in the Jammu region affecting the care of very sick patients with Covid-19.
“The Covid-19 situation in J&K (UT) has also taken an ugly turn though there has been a lag time from the national surge. The reasons and patterns for the surge have followed the national scenario. Sequencing data of samples from patients with Covid-19 of 2021 from J&K (UT) showed that around 25% of patients had several types of variants. These were classified as VOC (Variants of Concern), or VOI (Variants of Interest), and /or important mutations and included single mutations, two mutations, and multiple mutations in varying numbers.”
In this May, J&K reported 40 percent of the total number deaths attributed to Covid since last year.