Dedicating 2020 to their colleagues who died due to COVID-19, doctors in West Bengal have called upon people to continue wearing masks, maintain social distancing and behave responsibly, especially now that the U.K. strain of the virus has been detected in the State.
“We bid goodbye to 2020 in memory of all our compatriots who were engaged in saving lives against unprecedented adversities. The U.K. strain is a matter of concern even though experts say it is less virulent. We expect people at large and all other stakeholders to be on the highest level of guard against this. Pandemic protocols must take precedence above all else,” said Dr. Koushik Chaki, a founding member of the West Bengal Doctors’ Forum.
West Bengal, so far, has seen the death of 85 doctors due to the pandemic. In all, close to 10,000 people have died in the State till date. The number of daily cases, however, has seen a decline over the past few weeks: from nearly 3,000 a day until last month, the official figure has now come down to a little over 1,000, even though the dip could also be attributed to many patients now choosing to get treated at home.
“The U.K. strain is more infectious but not more lethal. It may cause surges if not taken care of. We are hoping that 2021 will be better than 2020, we are optimistic that we will see the last of the virus. But we must exercise utmost caution and not let our guard down,” said internal medicine specialist Dr. Rahul Jain.
ENT surgeon Dr. Arjun Dasgupta called for increased testing and surveillance. “Healthcare workers should watch out for hidden cases. The general population should maintain social distancing and use masks for a reasonable period of time — vaccine or no vaccine,” he said.
