Allow pregnant women, cancer patients to WFH till Feb-end: TAC to Karnataka govt

The State Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has recommended that special groups like pregnant women in their third trimester, lactating mothers, specially-abled people, those on kidney dialysis, persons on anticancer treatment, the immune-compromised and patients who have undergone cardiac surgery/implant of stent should be permitted to work from home till the end of February, 2022, both in the government and private sectors.

Karnataka is seeing its daily Covid case tally double every two to three days amid the spread of Omicron over the past nine days.

Dr Anitha GS, Assistant Professor, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), who has attended some TAC meetings said, the rationale behind the recommendation was that after 28 weeks of pregnancy, the risk of complications is high.

"If there is respiratory compromise, it may become more severe. This is more so if she has other comorbidities like BP, hypertension and preeclampsia. So far in the Covid positive mothers we have treated, complications are fewer in the early stages of the pregnancy compared to the later stages.

Read | Covid-19: Karnataka imposes weekend curfew for 2 weeks

That is why we are recommending a work from home option for them at least till the Covid spread reduces in the state so that expecting mothers don't have life-threatening conditions," said Dr Anitha.

BMCRI has delivered more than 600 Covid positive mothers so far and has witnessed four deaths so far, due to respiratory collapse in mothers aged 30 and above.

Dr C Ramachandra, Director, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, said, the move if implemented would be beneficial to cancer patients as they have to halt chemotherapy for patients at least one-and-a-half month after Covid recovery.

"Such measures are recommended so that cancer patients don't contract Covid at their workplace. There is no chance of giving Chemotherapy or any other treatment till Covid infection is resolved. Their immunity is very low and even planned surgeries have to be postponed.

We never allowed any cancer patients who tested Covid positive at Kidwai to get Covid treatment at the hospital because of risk to other patients. But luckily our treatment outcomes were good during both the waves despite Covid," he said.

Cardiologist Dr CN Manjunath, TAC member, and Director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research said, "Any patient who has undergone cardiac surgery comes under the high-risk category. During the second Covid wave, the mortality in cardiac patients with Covid was 19% to 20% in our hospital. While mortality in heart patients without Covid was 5% to 6%. So definitely, mortality in cardiac patients with Covid is three times more than those without Covid. Hence, work from home should be an option for those who have undergone angioplasty or bypass surgery, as if they get infected, morbidity and mortality in them will be more."

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