Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, June 5: Doctors and other members of the medical fraternity falling prey to COVID-19 have sent alarm bells ringing not only in Kashmir but across the country also.
An analyst while talking to Precious Kashmir said, “During the past few days medicos turning COVID positive has created fear among the members of the medical fraternity. We need to protect them. If they start catching COVID it will put everyone in catch-22 situation and it would become difficult to save lives.”
He said, “In Kashmir there has been a spike in COVID-19 cases during the past few weeks. Given the infrastructure and limited number of doctors, situation can take an ugly turn in the Valley. The focus should be on protecting the frontline COVID warriors as they are the ones who can pull us out of the crisis. The number of medicos turning positive has increased after the country has been unlocked. Their number in Kashmir is set increase if precautions are not taken.”
An observer said, “It appears that in coming days we will see more relaxations. How the virus will behave remains to be seen. If it continues to remain active and infect more and more people then, the government will have to rethink about the strategy it will have to adopt.”
Referring to the recent statements of the experts that COVID-19 can infect anyone and the people with mild symptoms can be treated at home, the observer said, “It’s important to increase the testing rate and make the testing kits available in the open market, as anyone even who has mild symptoms can be tested and put into home quarantine. The basic requirement for one to live with this deadly virus are the testing kits, which should be affordable and easily available.”
It’s in place to mention here that the Rapid Testing Kits which were acquired from China turned out to be substandard and the ICMR asked the States and Union Territories not use these. The locally manufactured kits are yet to be made available in the market in large numbers.
Another analyst said, “The COVID-19 has changed the world scenario and it looks like that we may have to live with many things in the coming days. Lockdown will be lifted in phases as it doesn’t seem to be a solution. Now the life is going to be about social distancing and wearing masks. Many experts are hoping that people will develop herd immunity and this will defeat the virus. But vaccine has to come to make people feel secure. Till vaccine doesn’t come the insecurity and threat will prevail.”
