Srinagar's first COVID-19 patient successfully treated: Officials

The 67-year-old woman, who was the first positive case of coronavirus in Kashmir, has been successfully treated and will be discharged after completing the quarantine period, officials said on Tuesday. Director of SKIMS hospital A G Ahangar told reporters that the woman was recovering very fast and would be discharged soon after completing the quarantine period.

Srinagar Deputy Commissioner Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary tweeted, "Srinagar's first COVID-19 Positive case successfully treated: Director SKIMS. Let's #BreakTheChain." The woman hailing from Khanyar area of the city had returned from Saudi Arabia on March 16 after performing 'Umrah'. She tested positive for coronavirus two days later, prompting the authorities to impose partial lock down in the city to prevent spread of the disease. Meanwhile, the authorities have sanitised the areas around the residences of the two positive cases in Srinagar reported on Tuesday, Choudhary told reporters here at a joint press conference with the director of SKIMS hospital.

"The areas have been sanitised. Teams of doctors and supporting staff from other departments have reached there. All the houses in the 300-metre radius in these areas have been put on surveillance and all the contacts are in quarantine. All the medical procedure will be followed and if there is a need for tests, that will be done," he said. He said so far there were three positive cases in Srinagar.

The deputy commissioner said the administration has taken several steps, including restrictions on the movement and assembly of people, to contain the spread of the infection. "In the coming days, the restrictions will be increased," he said.

The director of SKIMS hospital appealed to the people to cooperate with the government and follow the advice of the doctors. "If any person has a travel history, even if he is asymptomatic, he should self-declare and bring it to the notice of the government and health agencies. If anyone is symptomatic and has travel history or any family member has travel or contact history with some positive case, or a health worker who has treated a positive case, he should self-declare and undergo tests and treatment which is very important," he said.

Ahangar also appealed to the people to not buy or hoard the medicines Hydroxychloroquine and anti-viral drugs which, he said, should not be taken without doctors' prescriptions..