Saswati Sinha

Even as the number of fatalities remains low, doctors apprehend a rise in deaths, too. They said the elderly and those with existing health conditions were the most vulnerable.Half of the patients who are admitted at the Beliaghata ID hospital have co-morbidities, including a senior nurse.

On Monday afternoon, excitement surrounding the Clean & Clear Calcutta Times Fresh Face 2011 reached fever pitch as the team headed to Jadavpur University.

Covid infection had pushed a 52-year-old into ventilation for 38 days. But the NGO worker from Tollygunge conquered the battle and came out from the jaws of death. On Friday, he was discharged from hospital to be back home with his family.

Doctors are seeing a steady rise in the number of patients being admitted to ICU with Covid pneumonia over the past couple of days.

Unchecked stocking and self-medications have led to a scarcity of some drugs like Doxycycline – a common antibiotic – that is now being extensively used in Covid treatment.

The second Covid wave has seen entire families getting infected, rather than one or two members that had been the case during the first wave. This new phenomenon is not restricted to the city and its surroundings. Even hospitals in the districts are getting an increasing number of such cases. Doctors have blamed high infectivity behind the trend this time.

The state health department has asked doctors not to use immunomodulator drugs randomly in management of Covid patients. The advisory came after the protocol management team that has been visiting Covid hospitals on a regular basis found lacunae in some facilities.

State health dept directs hospitals to stock essentials for heat illnesses. SoP for doctors to identify heat stroke. Emphasis on water, power supply to treat patients effectively.