Mir Mudasir
On Tuesday, Jammu and Kashmir marked the highest spike of 4650 COVID19 cases besides 37 fatalities. The spike in the Union Territory happened despite the ongoing complete lockdown which has now been extended till May 10.
The officials maintain that the April this year proved the most fatal month so far in terms of deaths and surge in COVID19 infections after the pandemic broke out last year and hit Kashmir along with other parts of the world.
The highest number of deaths on a single day so far is fifty on Tuesday. Even though the various initiatives have been taken by the government to ensure the virus does not spread further, the medicos are claiming the new mutants have drastically declined the recovery rate of patients.
Presently, the recovery rate is 79 per cent and near about 2200 patients are on oxygen support and 107 on ventilator support in the Union Territory.
There are conflicting reports between the medicos and the authorities over the surge in cases in the UT. The authorities have no reports that new mutants have entered into Jammu and Kashmir that possibly led to the surge in cases. But the medical authorities have a different opinion and said that it is unlikely in absence of new mutants the cases should surge.
“In February, March, people adopted the same practices that they had in the previous few months. What happened in April then to cause such a flare-up?” Prof Parvaiz A Koul, pulmonologist and influenza expert told the media.
The experts believe that the precautions this time were much higher than the previous wave and it is unlikely the behaviors of people have led to its increase overnight.
Prof S Saleem Khan, head department of Social and Preventive Medicine at GMC Srinagar believes that there may be many strains circulating presently. “Viruses change often and mutations are quite common, especially in influenza causing ones.”
Meanwhile, the Jammu Kashmir government in its latest report released on April 18 revealed that out of 118 samples collected only one has been found as mutant variant.
While the health authorities seem clueless at this point of time, all focus is being shifted to control the spread of disease. Unlike Delhi and Maharashtra the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is relatively under control.
However, the health infrastructure is also not at par with Delhi and Maharashtra. The experts believe that in case the situation goes up in the UT, its infrastructure will crumble in just a few days.
The people, however, urge the government to draw smart policy to stop the spread of the virus without allowing the economic and social life affected.
“Can anyone of us think of smart lockdowns? We must have a plan B, C in place. All the time lockdown will not work, especially when without masks even homes are unsafe. Now, asks Arun Joshi, Senior journalist from Jammu on his facebook wall.
Many of the netizens, however, responded to him and asked the government to protect the economic interests of daily wagers and other communities who are living hand to mouth.
“Sir, smart lockdown is when we are able to protect the interests of daily wagers who are hand to mouth. By imposing lockdown where such people suffer, we are bound to suffer, because they help to keep the economy ticking at the lower level and when they are not able to earn, it hurts the most. Secondly, inn ki tou baddua bhi lagti hai phir,” responded Aamir Tantray.
Meanwhile, the cries are growing louder since the people in Kashmir are under lockdown for the last three years. Its economy is totally in shambles and a large number of people in the private sector have lost their jobs.
“A strategy needs to be built in which we can ensure the socio and economic sectors work alongside war against COVID19. If not COVID, hunger might kill us if the situation doesn’t improve,” said Riyaz Wani, a businessman in Srinagar.
Wani incurred huge losses in the last three successive lockdowns in Kashmir and claims he shut many of his offices and dismissed over twenty employees to minimize losses.
The three lockdowns he refers to 2019 when the Article 370 was abrogated by Union Government and enforced strict curfew followed by COVID19 outbreak in 2020 and now its second wave in 2021.
The vaccine is short in India and people believe it is unlikely the complete vaccination will happen this year.
“It is not possible that until the complete vaccination will take place, people should be forced to stay indoors. The virus is everywhere. So a smart strategy to survive is the need of an hour,” said Yaqoob Ahmad.
