Mansoor Peer
Srinagar, Feb 02: The death toll due to swine flu in Kashmir has risen to sixteen this season with the death of an elderly at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura, officials said.
Doctors at SKIMS said a 70-year-old male, who had tested positive for the swine flu virus, died few days back.
Due to fresh death, the death toll due to swine flu in Kashmir this season has risen to sixteen. It includes fourteen deaths at SKIMS and two at SMHS hospital in last five months.
Since September last year, at least 1400 samples were tested in twin laboratories at the Institute and of them around 280 samples were found positive.
Medical Superintendent SKIMS, Dr Farooq Jan said 66 patients had been admitted in the hospital while 50 swine flu patients were discharged.
“Currently we have only three swine flu positive patients in the isolation ward. One among them is on the ventilator and his condition is improving,” he said.
He said due to improvement in temperature, the cases have come down.
This seasons’ first death was reported at SKIMS in the first week of October when a man from Shopian died of H1N1 flu and the cases had started poured in after that.
Director SKIMS, Dr Omar Javid Shah said there was no need to worry as such infections were common during winters.
“The virus is under control. Majority of deaths were caused to patients having other comorbidities. As compared to previous season, the deaths due to swine flu are less this year,” he said.
