Scare over ICU patients, daily deaths
FIRST OMANI HEALTHCARE WORKER SUCCUMBS TO COVID-19
All eyes will be on whether the weeks of restrictions, including night lockdowns, did significantly impact the spread of infections in the country.
With the mass vaccination drive still a few weeks away, there is concern over a large number of daily deaths recorded, while the new cases of infections have dropped substantially.
Last Friday, the Ministry of Health reported the first death of an Omani health worker (a nurse) due to Covid-19.
“Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Health, officials, and all employees at ministry offered sincere condolences to the families of the deceased, Shannuna al Nu’maniyah’’, a statement said.
The ministry added that earlier two expatriate health workers died due to coronavirus.
On May 9, a 32-year-old nurse Ramya M Rajan, who worked at Rustaq Hospital, succumbed to Covid-19 after battling for weeks at a government hospital.
Last Tuesday, the ministry has announced 576 new cases of Covid-19 and 10 deaths. Figures were not released during the Eid holidays.
The total number of cases registered in the Sultanate now stand at 202,713, including 2,148 deaths. The recovery rate has improved to 92 per cent.
Another matter of concern is that there are still 255 patients in intensive care units.
There is no room for complacency as many people are getting infected with mild to serious symptoms, mostly from workplaces.
“Three to four colleagues in my office were initially tested positive, and now it has passed on to more employees, including me’’, said a senior accountant of a construction company.
More care should be taken at workplaces, and most cases are reported by employees with field jobs, including salesmen and others.
VACCINES
Meanwhile, experts have said that giving the first dose of vaccine, but delaying a second dose among people younger than 65, could lead to fewer people dying of the disease, but only if certain conditions are met, according to a study.
As the pandemic continues, there is a debate over whether to extend the gap between doses to give as many people as possible some protection or stick to the intervals designated in clinical trials.
The results suggest that a decrease in cumulative mortality, infections and hospital admissions can be achieved under specific conditions when the second vaccine dose is delayed.