A top doctor is urging people to stick vigilantly to the latest self-isolation rules to help Greater Manchester’s hospitals fight the coronavirus outbreak.
Dr Waseem Khan, a respiratory consultant at the Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI), has spoken out after seeing hoards of people out in public at the weekend.
So far, 23 people in our region have died after contracting COVID-19 .
Dr Khan says his hospital is prepared for more coronavirus patients, but says people must self-isolate to support the NHS and its frontline staff.
“I think the biggest message to take on board is about social distancing,” says Dr Khan.
“When I left work at the weekend I couldn’t believe it when I saw the stampede of people in shopping areas and the Lake District.
“It really is a recipe for disaster what they are doing, and I don’t feel people are really taking the advice on board.”
Shortly after Dr Khan spoke out, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced tough new measures to make people stay at home.
Now, people can only leave their homes for food, medication, exercise and essential work.
Dr Khan, who is from Denton and trained in Manchester, says the public shouldn’t worry about hospitals having enough personal protective equipment (PPE), or ICU beds.
“That’s for us to worry about,” he explains.
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“We are preparing, of course, and as a consultant body we are ready for whatever comes our way.
“I am not an ICU doctor but we do have input, and things are being put in place.”
Dr Khan says it is still hard to predict how COVID-19 will impact on hospitals in the coming months.
He says the UK may not follow the same trajectory as Italy, where hospitals have been overwhelmed and 6,820 people have died from the virus.
“The issue with coronavirus is that we don’t really know how it will impact the UK,” he explains.
“In Manchester we are lagging behind other parts of the country in terms of numbers, but we know that slowly but surely it will come this way.
“The impact on the North West could be serious if people are not careful.
“What we can’t tolerate is a huge wave of admissions.
“It is highly infectious and we haven't seen anything like this previously.
“But we are trying to plateau it out because we don’t want too many cases at once.”
Dr Khan said people should realise that as a country ‘we’re in this for the long-haul’.
“The impact on healthcare, that’s something that shouldn’t be underestimated," he added.
“But this is not the time to panic. We are not at panic stations yet.
“And people need to do the same. They need to take precautions.
“The government advice is informed by people who are respected in the medical and scientific profession."
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Dr Khan recorded a message, both in English and Pashto, and shared it on Facebook.
He said it's vital that the advice about coronavirus reaches all communities in Greater Manchester.
“For me it’s really important that the Manchester community understands all this, which is why I recorded a video in Pashto, because not everyone in Manchester speaks it.
“People must follow the advice to stay at home, self-isolate.
“Lives are on the line here.”
