With COVID-19 taking four lives an hour in the Capital, the third wave has emerged as the most fatal one. Doctors SANDEEP NAYAR and ROMMEL TICKOO tell Musba Hashmi that chances of cases ebbing in Delhi in the next few days look bleak
It was only yesterday that Delhiites woke up to a chilly and clear morning. All thanks to the rains and the cold breeze, that have swept away the smog at least for a day or two. But nonetheless, COVID-19 is here to haunt the Capital even more.
With an alarming rise in cases, there are speculations that if or not Delhi is witnessing the third wave of COVID-19. Unfortunately, according to many doctors and experts, the answer is yes.
“The third wave is going on in Delhi and I don’t see a decline in cases any time soon. If at all, the numbers might increase owing to the pollution levels, arrival of winters and also the irresponsible behaviour of the people. In winters, people any way suffer from respiratory tract infections,” Dr Rommel Tickoo, Associate Director, Internal Medicine, Max Healthcare, tells you.
He adds that there is already a shortage of ventilators and ICU beds and that the situation can become worse as the doctors and hospital staff is already over-loaded with work.
Dr Sandeep Nayar, Senior Director and Head, Centre of Chest and Respiratory Disease, BLK Super Speciality Hospital, tells you that every year pollution rises during this period but this time because of COVID, it is a double whammy.
“Despite seeing the situation for so many years, the Government has not done enough work to curb pollution. This is proving fatal today. The problem arises when a patient is coming to us with cough and breathlessness. It has become a challenge to identify whether it is because of pollution only or it is COVID-19 or any other viral infection for that matter. The challenge grows even more when a patient returns to us with similar complaints and doing a RT-PCR test again and again is not a feasible option. And if someone is already suffering from COVID, the pollution is going to worsen his condition because both of them affects the lungs,” he tells you.
If a person is infected with COVID and is sneezing or coughing due to pollution, he has more chances of spreading the virus. Hence, the situation is more difficult than ever, Nayar says.
Nayar agrees with Tickoo and says that time and again COVID has proved all of us wrong and one can only hope for a decline in cases. “During summers, we anticipated a decrease in cases, then in the monsoon we thought it will happen, but it didn’t. It is difficult to analyse the case pattern, hence all one can do is take precautions until a vaccine or a definitive treatment comes. Because for now, doctors are relying on a cocktail of medicines. And if the patient gets late for treatment, it becomes all the more difficult to treat because by that time the virus has already multiplicated itself in the body and the medicines work at a lesser rate,” he explains.
According to him, the golden period to seek treatment is within a week of developing symptoms. “We advice that even if the patient is experiencing mild symptoms he should get himself tested without further delay. Even when we come across such patients whom we doubt are COVID infected, like if someone’s family has tested positive and they are also experiencing similar symptoms, we start the treatment without waiting for the final reports. In such cases we can’t afford to waste any time, because if the virus starts affecting other organs, the situation can get out of control and it becomes hard to kill the virus. So it is a rule of thumb that the first week is important,” he tells you.
Now that it has become a challenge to find beds for COVID patients in hospitals, it is advisable that patients with mild symptoms should home isolate themselves and continue to get treatment from their home.
“It is important to seek doctor’s advice as soon as one tests positive. But in rare cases, when a patient is unable to contact a doctor, given the high caseload, one can always start the treatment. First and foremost, isolate yourself. In case of mild fever, start paracetamol. If it does not work take a higher combination of aceclofenac and combiflam, but only if the fever is in serious form. Take immunity boosters like zinc and Vitamin C. If due to some reason, you are still not able to consult a doctor, take these medicines and keep an eye on your oxygen levels. For COVID person, it should be 94 per cent. Even if it comes down to 93 per cent, one should see it as an alarm and get to the hospital and get the tests done,” Nayar suggests.
He points out that in order to keep lungs healthy, one should opt for a healthy and balanced diet and avoid fast and junk food. “Eat a balanced diet. Include leafy vegetables and fresh fruits. A healthy diet works wonders. Don’t eat junk. Ghar ka khaana is the best at all times,” he opines.