BENGALURU: With the surge in Covid-19 cases in Bengaluru, several doctors and healthcare workers in the city are getting infected with the Novel Coronavirus.
In the last two days, at least seven resident doctors and more than 10 health care workers have tested positive for Covid-19 in Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) hospitals alone.
Several private hospitals and government medical colleges, including NIMHANS, are also seeing their health care workers getting infected.
“While most of them are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, we fear that if the number of health care workers falling sick increases, then it may become an issue in managing patients,” a doctor at a private hospital said.
A large number of the medics who are getting infected are junior doctors because they are the ones who interact with patients the most.
Medical experts opine that with the uptick in cases expected to continue for at least the next four to six weeks, hospitals will have to take measures to protect their staff and backup teams will have to be readied to ensure that the health system does not collapse when cases peak.
According to BBMP Commissioner Gaurav Gupta, as of now, city hospitals are seeing 50 to 60 admissions each day. However, doctors and BBMP officials have requested people not to panic and rush to hospitals the moment they test positive.
Dr S N Aravinda, consultant (internal medicine), Aster RV Hospital, said, “People must not panic. The symptoms have so far been observed to be mild. In case anyone develops any symptoms, they should consult a doctor online and follow the instructions. If the symptoms worsen, then they should seek hospital admission.”
Meanwhile, booster doses for healthcare workers will commence on January 10.
“I am having moderate illness even after both doses. But I am waiting for the fever to subside. Once it does, and my isolation period of seven days is over, I will take the booster shot,” a doctor from Victoria Hospital told TNIE.
Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association said, “... doctors are expected to have 5-10 times more Covid infections as compared to the general public.”