SRINAGAR: In a major cause of concern for health workers engaged in COVID-19 fight in Jammu and Kashmir, a leading pulmonologist and Head of Department of Chest Disease Hospital Srinagar has tested positive for coronavirus.
Sources said the doctor, who is one of the leading pulmonologists in the Valley, tested positive for COVID-19 late last evening.
They said swab sample of the doctor was collected for testing yesterday afternoon after he had come in close contact of a Covid-19 patient.
The test of the doctor returned positive late in the evening.
The doctor had been leading the COVID-19 fight in Chest Disease Hospital, which has been designated as COVID-19 hospital by the authorities.
An official said all the doctors and hospital staff, who had come in contact with the doctor who tested positive for COVID-19, will be put to quarantine and tested for coronavirus a few days later.
Many doctors, paramedics and other health workers and hospital staff have tested positive for coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir so far.
The positive test result of a leading pulmonologist has come a few days after a senior IAS officer tested positive for coronavirus, sending alarming bells among the bureaucrats and government machinery.
About 80 bureaucrats including the Chief Secretary and many top officials have gone into self-quarantine while the Civil Secretariat in Jammu was fumigated.
Jammu and Kashmir has recorded 2601 Covid-19 cases so far. Of them, 1999 are in Kashmir and 602 are in Jammu division.
There have also been 31 deaths due to Covid-19 in the J&K – 27 in Kashmir and 4 in Jammu region.