The World Health Organization (WHO) has directed healthcare workers to undertake ‘airborne precautions’ while treating coronavirus patients after a study published by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) disclosed that coronavirus can stay active in the air for several hours.
The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that COVID-19 particles can remain active in the air for 3 hours. Whereas, the virus particles can remain infectious on copper surfaces for up to 4 hours, 24 hours on cardboard, and 72 hours on stainless steel and plastic.
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, said that several studies have now confirmed that coronavirus can remain infectious in the air when transmitted through sneeze or cough.
Healthcare staff must exercise additional caution when they are treating patients of COVID-19. Medical staff should wear N95 respiratory masks as they can filter out 95% of airborne particles.
Following a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in Europe and the USA, DG WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that countries have not carried out enough tests, isolation, and contact tracing of coronavirus cases.
DG WHO said:
We have a simple message for all countries: test, test, and test. Test every suspected case, if they test positive, isolate them and find out who they have been in contact with two days before they developed symptoms and test those people, too.
The government of Pakistan must heed the WHO’s warning and provide adequate personal protective gear to frontline healthcare workers. Just recently, Dr. Usama Riaz succumbed to coronavirus, contracted as a result of inadequate personal protection. The 26-year old doctor was stationed at a quarantine center in Gilgit to screen pilgrims returning from Iran and Iraq.
Govt. is doing nothing rather than watching the drama from TV screens in big offices and houses, my wife who is a doctor working restlessly for 26-30 hrs here at KP where the hospital is not even providing her or any other dr a face mask.
I personally approached hospital management to seek comments on this where they apologized that they they only got around 40 testing kits and 8 protective suits a week before which are already used.
It’s a story of well known Peshawar big Govt. hospital – it’s a story from a province where PTI has been in power for past 8yrs.
When a doctor join profession he do it to serve people and is ready to sacrifice his live for the welfare of the people of his country if they don’t want to serve patients then join some other profession.Moreover those doctors who are dying while treating patients are shaheed so they can die with pride and nation will be in debt of them forever.
I thank God you are not a General in Military or you would send soldiers to fight without guns and say “they should have chosen some other profession” and if they die they are “martyred”.
Sounds ridiculous doesn’t it!
PTI is failed stupid terrorist party. They are playing the victim card.
He is the fan of Dengue brothers, who brought and spread dengue in Pakistan.
Ah! your level of intellect… but it’s ok since you’re a Gabol. So yeah, ok!