In early March, Dr Ravi Dosi, a chest specialist in MP India, saw a baffling 50% surge in patients with respiratory problems at outpatient clinics.
Around the end of March, the hospital was receiving 28 infected #COVID19 patients every day.
Around the end of March, the hospital was receiving 28 infected #COVID19 patients every day.
They had dry cough, fever, and difficulty breathing. Their blood oxygen levels were low. They were reporting loss of taste and smell.
They were not responding to antibiotics. Testing was still low and we didn't really know what was going on," said Dr Dosi
They were not responding to antibiotics. Testing was still low and we didn't really know what was going on," said Dr Dosi
The state has now become a hotspot, with nearly 400 confirmed infections out of the more than 6,400 infections and nearly 200 deaths across the country so far.
By the second week of April, Dr Dosi and his team of 100 doctors and nearly an equal number of nursing staff working
By the second week of April, Dr Dosi and his team of 100 doctors and nearly an equal number of nursing staff working
24/7 in three shifts, were treating 144 Covid-19 patients. (31 had been treated and sent home already.
Doctors now believe that the infection was spreading in the community long before the government admitted to it, and testing slowly ramped up. Until two weeks ago,
Doctors now believe that the infection was spreading in the community long before the government admitted to it, and testing slowly ramped up. Until two weeks ago,
Indian health authorities had been denying #communitytransmission
Now a new study by ICMR has hinted at #communitytransmission 52 districts in 20 states and union territories reported Covid-19 patients. Some 40% of the cases did not report any history of international travel
Now a new study by ICMR has hinted at #communitytransmission 52 districts in 20 states and union territories reported Covid-19 patients. Some 40% of the cases did not report any history of international travel
or contact with a known case. (The survey was based on swabs collected from nearly 6,000 patients between 15 February and 19 March. Of them 104 tested positive for Covid-19)
"I have never seen a challenge and crisis like this in my career. I have heard stories about an outbreak of plague in Surat [in 1994]. But this seems to be much bigger. The biggest challenge is to keep hopes alive and be positive," says Dr Dosi
For the last three weeks, Dr Dosi has been living in the hospital, away from his wife, two sons and parents. His father is a retired pathologist. They communicate via hurried video calls, between his frantic trips to the isolation wards and intensive care.
