Srinagar, June 7 (IANS): Dr. A.G. Ahangar, director of the super specialty Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar said on Sunday that community spread of COVID-19 has already started in Kashmir.

Dr. Ahangar said, "Kashmir is facing community spread of COVID-19. This is a reality and we must accept it and learn to live with it".

Director of Kashmir's premier COVID testing and treatment hospital in Soura area of Srinagar, Dr. Ahangar said there has been a large spike in positive cases indicating obviously that more and more people are getting exposed to the virus.

He said people need not panic, but should take maximum precautions to minimise the damage caused by the pandemic.

The senior doctor said once precautions are taken there is hardly any possibility of the virus infecting us. He, however, said some doctors and paramedics recently testing positive is a professional hazard.

Dr. Ahangar said the result of community spread in Kashmir would be that those who develop herd immunity will survive, but those whose immunity is already compromised will suffer.

So far 40 people have been killed by the deadly virus in J&K and over 3,000 have been infected.