Docs afraid of ‘doubling wave’
The next 10 days are crucial for India. The presence of Coronavirus-positive patients in highcrowd zones in Mumbai and Hyderabad may lead to a drastic spread, warned experts. There has been no community spread so far, but the incidents so far have too many lapses that could result in a flare-up of the ‘superspreader’, seen in Italy and South Korea. The health department is battling to address these issues and ensure that people go to identified government centres and opt for government hospitals for tests and care.
A Covid-19 positive patient in Mumbai was treated in a private hospital in a normal ward; no protection gear was supplied to the medical staff and doctors. In Hyderabad, a 76-year-old Karnataka patient in 12 hours went to three private and Gandhi Hospital, risking an easy spread.
While most contacts in each case were identified, there are still missing links. Health officials are chasing leads.
Such mistakes will prove costly, warn senior doctors. “Private and government hospitals have to coordinate effectively and suspected patients must not be left on their own to go to a government hospital,” said a senior doctor in the Indian Medical Association. “One individual must track them from point-to-point. Suspected cases must co-operate and be counselled to go straight to hospital. This is important as they can spread the disease.”
Worryingly, the number who returned from Covid19 affected Italy, Iran, West Asia, Europe and USA is high.
“The doubling effect happens in 7.5 days, based on the epidemiology of the disease,” said Dr K.K. Aggarwal of the IMA. “This shows it is still contact transmission only. The doubling effect can happen now. Within a 10day period we will have a clear picture of the spread and the containment plan's effectiveness.”
Private doctors are getting web-counselling on protocol. They are urged to not allow cases of pneumonia of unknown origin to leave hospitals. Such cases are a part of the disease pattern and must be treated to prevent spread. Private hospitals are seeing a number of pneumonia of unknown origin, but due to a lack of clarity these are being treated and if there are no results, referred to other hospitals. This is not the appropriate trend in times of a disaster, warned senior doctors.