Amid targeted testing, Kashmir remains COVID19 free as of now
Srinagar, May 27: With more and more cases of COVID-19 being reported from many parts of India, Kashmir remains an outlier with no confirmed cases yet according to experts. Testing for patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) is on, though random testing has not been mandated by the authorities and is not currently taking place, reflecting a passive surveillance across the country.
Dr Naveed Nazir Shah, Head of the Department of Pulmonology at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, stated, “We have not seen any patients with COVID-19 in our hospitals so far. For pneumonia and other admitted respiratory infection cases, we are testing for COVID-19 as a precaution but we do not seem to have any issue here.” He said his department was ready with testing facilities along with many other hospitals in J&K. “We are going by the recommendations of ICMR,” he said.
In J&K, a majority of the population is vaccinated according to official figures. Professor Parvaiz Koul, noted influenza expert and former Director of Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura, said that although cases are rising worldwide, there do not seem to be many deaths. “The effect of earlier COVID-19 vaccinations on protection against new variants is yet to be fully ascertained, but it may be assumed that there could be some level of protection,” he said. He cautiously added that the times to come will reveal whether vaccination against an earlier variant will be effective against the new variants of Omicron that are circulating - JN.1, NB.1.8.1 and LF.7.
Prof Koul emphasised the importance of preventive measures that he said people are already familiar with and have adopted as part of their lifestyle. “Masks protect against respiratory infections, and people must wear them in crowded surroundings or closed settings,” he advised. He said no cases detected does not always mean no cases present. “We have to exercise caution,” he said.
India reported 1,009 active COVID-19 cases as of May 26, 2025 - Kerala and Maharashtra bearing the brunt of the surge. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) continue to monitor the situation.
