CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu's health experts committee which held threadbare discussions with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on the measures for containing the pandemic on Monday said there were chances of a second wave of COVID-19 infection within a few months.
"If the first wave is contained, there are chances for a second one in the next three or four months. In China, the second wave has started. So, everyone has the responsibility to provide security to the people around us. Despite widespread fear, people fail to take the necessary precautions to prevent the pandemic,” said Dr V Ramasubramaniam, Infectious Diseases Consultant, Apollo Hospitals.
Despite steps for increasing the number of tests, bed capacity and infrastructure including the availability of ventilators, the cases are increasing. “I would like to reiterate that the infection cannot be reduced just by the measures taken by the government. It needs people's involvement. Wearing masks, avoiding spitting in public places, maintaining physical distance should be followed by everyone. Unless our habits like gathering in large numbers in markets, speaking to others without masks, etc., are changed, containing the spread of infection is highly difficult.”
Answering queries of reporters at the secretariat, he said the public should approach the doctors even if they came across minor symptoms for a couple of days. “We have advised that those who have symptoms of coronavirus can home quarantine themselves with a pulse oximeter. If the oxygen saturation goes below 94 per cent, they have to get themselves admitted to the hospital immediately. It would be too late to get admitted after the symptoms aggravated,” he added.
Asked about the death of persons affected by this infection below the age of 50, Dr Ramasubramaniam said, "When the number of infected persons goes up, the case fatality rate will also increase. This is already known."
Dr P Kuganandham, Infectious Disease Control Expert, said “As far as Chennai is concerned, the infection is high in Zones 4,5 and 6. When you do more tests, the positivity rate will also go up and we are concerned about reducing the fatality rate. Most of the persons who died of this infection were suffering from non-communicable diseases and above 60 years of age. We have discussed the ward-wise situation, the medical facilities available for them in Chennai.”