New strain led to March-like

Though the mutated virus is more infectiousness, mortality is less, says city-based medico who is now working in Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London

YOGESH GOLE

Aurangabad, Jan 4: The new strain of coronavirus has once again burdened Britain''s healthcare facilities. The number of cases is soaring. Little is known about the epidemiology of the new variant. Facilities are surging similar to the way they had in March-April 2020. As surge beds were created back then, this time it has been a case of opening that up again, said Dr Sayali Bonde, Clinical Fellow in Anesthesiology and Critical Care at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.

In an email interview with Lokmat Times, Dr Bonde, who has obtained MBBS degree from the Government Medical College, Aurangabad, MD degree in Anaesthesiology from Smt KashibailNavale Medical College, Pune and also has DNB Anaesthesiology qualification, assuaged fears about the new Covid-19 variant. Though it is said to have more infectiousness, morbidity and mortality are less. Moreover, the mode of treatment has not changed drastically after the new strain came on the scene, as its pathophysiology seems similar.

Interestingly, Dr Bonde is working amid pandemic at this facility since April 2020. “I joined when the pandemic was beginning to reach it''s peak over here. I was treating the critically ill Covid positive at our ICU here in London. Critical patients were filling up the ICU facilities at all hospitals. We had to create extra ICU capacity by converting previous ward/High Dependency Unit settings into ICU. All doctors had to work more hours. There was no denying that this disease was deadly, leading to a lot of morbidity and mortality. Being a leading renal and cardiac centre, my hospital hosted most patients who already had these co-morbidities and were the amongst the most vulnerable of the population,’’ Dr Bonde recalls.

She mentions that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits were easily available. The entire staff - right from senior consultants to the health care workers - was extremely supportive of each other through this hard time. The team spirit was great.

Though many of her colleagues ended up becoming Covid positive, fortunately none of them faced morbidity or mortality. Dr Bonde has regular conversations with her family members over video calls which prove morale-boosting to her.

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The vaccine provides a ray of hope

The vaccine is being given very fast to everybody, starting with healthcare workers in the UK. I am getting mine shortly. It is definitely wise to get it as it is one of the best ways to protect from this pandemic, said Dr Sayali Bonde who is now pursuing FRCA in London.

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Talk about the handling of pandemic in India

The way India has handled Covid is being widely discussed. Every country has it''s own challenges. Balancing the economy and the health of the population is something all nations are trying. The announcement of lockdown in India which led to a huge hit to the daily wage workers was discussed everywhere, she recalled.