VIRUS CLAIMS 65 MORE LIVES IN HP

DHARAMSHALA/ SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh’s coronavirus case tally rose to 1,72,722 as 2,648 more people tested positive on Thursday, while the death toll mounted to 2,581 after 65 patients succumbed to the contagion.

Of the new cases, 836 were reported in Kangra, 314 in Mandi, 257 in Solan, 226 in Hamirpur, 200 in Shimla, 191 each in Sirmaur and Una, 180 in Chamba, 175 in Bilaspur, 65 in Kullu, 14 in Lahaul-Spiti and seven in Kinnaur.

With 19 deaths, Kangra reported the highest fatalities, followed by 13 in Shimla, seven in Mandi, five each in Sirmaur and Hamirpur, four each in Solan and Chamba, three each in Bilaspur and Una and two in Kullu. Recoveries climbed up to 1,36,663 after 4,257 people recuperated while there are 33,448 active cases.

Kangra remains the worsthit district with 38,816 infections and is followed by Mandi with 23,330 cases and Shimla with 21,853 cases.

Solan has 19,955 cases, Sirmaur 13,258, Hamirpur 12,248, Una 11,173, Bilaspur 10,824, Chamba 8,646 , Kullu 7,676, Kinnaur 2,498 and Lahaul-Spiti 2,445.

A woman, who was undergoing treatment for the novel coronavirus disease at Indira Gandhi Medical College, has become the first person in Himachal Pradesh to contract mucormycosis or black fungus — an aggressive and possibly fatal fungal infection, which has been declared as an epidemic in most states.

The fungal infection has been found to affect recovering Covid patients, especially those on steroid therapy or with a sugar imbalance. Dr Janak Raj, senior medical superintendent of IGMC, Shimla, the state’s premier healthcare institution, on Thursday said that the patient, a woman, hails from Hamirpur.

She is diabetic and also suffers from hypertension.

Raj said, “The patient tested positive for the coronavirus disease on May 4. She was first admitted to Lal Bahadur Shashtri Government Medical College, Nerchowk, on May 8 after she complained of difficulty in breathing. She was later referred to IGMC. The fungal infection is under her nose. Her condition is stable.”

State National Health Mission director Dr Nipun Jindal said it had been observed that mucormycosis is on the rise among post-Covid patients in the country.

“Uncontrolled diabetes, immunosuppression by steroids, prolonged intensive care unit stay, comorbidities, transplant and malignancy are predisposing factors. The state has already issued an advisory regarding prevention and management of the disease in hospitals.”