Tamil Nadu: Are Covid-19 patients' attendants possible super spreaders?

The Tamil Nadu Health Department on Saturday ordered Covid-19 hospitals in the state to not allow those tending to infected patients (mostly relatives) to enter isolation wards over worries of these sites turning into super spreaders.

According to an NDTV report, until Friday, many of these caregivers had access to patients, particularly in government hospitals. In Chennai's Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, many of them flouted Covid-19 norms, often maintaining little to no distance, not wearing a PPE kit, chatting, and feeding them food, thereby making themselves extremely vulnerable to contracting the infection.

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Some of these attendants and relatives, looking after patients who are elderly, say that their presence is needed. Many of them claim that except for oxygen supply, their patients receive very little help from doctors and nurses.

While nurses are having to take on more than just one patient 50 per cent of doctors are reportedly in quarantine. According to Dr Therani Rajan, Dean of Rajiv Gandhi Medical College Hospital, nurses and doctors take turns in quarantining. 450 out of 900 nurses, and 350 out of 700 doctors are in quarantine, the news channel reported.

Elumalai, brother of a Covid-19 patient at the government hospital told the news outlet that he had to beg nurses and doctors multiple times to provide medicines for his sister.

"Doctors are not enough. Nurses also inadequate, they aren't able to do anything. They say 'patients keep coming, what can we do?'" he recalled his plight.

Covid-19 cases in Chennai and Tamil Nadu continue to surge, as the state's active case tally crossed 2 lakh on Saturday. Many hospitals have more patients than medical staff, and Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan informed the broadcaster that Chief Minister Stalin would okay the employment of 25 per cent more staff if the need arises.