Srinagar: Thirty percent of the COVID-19 positive cases in the valley are below the age of 50 years.
Official data reveals that Kashmir has reported 125 positive cases of COVID-19 so far. Three people have so far died.
Figures of the Chest Diseases Hospital, Srinagar, reveal that 60-70 percent of the COVID-19 positive patients are above the age group of 50. The remaining 30 percent constitute the younger population.
Similarly, more than 70 percent of the patients reported positive for the virus in SMHS Hospital are above 50 years.
Amid the perception that virus usually affects the elderly persons, the health experts in Kashmir have emphasized on the fact that young people can act as carriers of disease and spread to more vulnerable subsets of the population.
Community Health Expert, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Dr Sheikh Mohammad Saleem said that young people can become the vector to infecting those who are vulnerable.
“Therefore, it is important that younger population take all the precautions to ensure they don’t inadvertently pass on the infection to someone from the older age group, who may be co-morbid,” he said.
A senior resident at SMHS Hospital, Srinagar said though young people can show minimum symptoms yet they can pass the infection to the elderly or people with underlying chronic health disorders in whom the infection could take a stormier course.
A senior Medico at Chest Diseases Hospital, Srinagar said the young people have the potential to spread it to someone who is co-morbid, and cause them to have a disastrous outcome.
“The need of the hour is to follow the lockdown in letter and spirit, maintain social distancing and frequently wash hands with soap,” he said.
In the wake of increasing COVID-19 positive cases, efforts are underway to trace and contain the chain of infected patients. As per the protocol, the close contacts of COVID-19 positive patients are being put under quarantine. Besides, several hospitals in the valley have been earmarked as the COVID-19 hospitals.
