A 61-year old frontline immigration officer in Heathrow and his 33 year-old daughter have died of coronavirus within 24 hours. Terminal-3 worker Sudhir Sharma, passed away on Wednesday and his daughter pharmacist Pooja the following day. Since Sudhir, from Hounslow West, was absent at work from 7 January due to underlying health issues, his colleagues believed he caught the virus elsewhere. But his friends told The Sun that he had recently returned to his frontline job.
Pooja, who worked at Eastbourne District General Hospital in East Sussex, is believed to have spent three days receiving medical care before the virus claimed her life. It is not clear if she contacted the virus from her father.
However The Sun reported that the Heathrow Airport employees have claimed that they had major fears over protection offered to UK Immigration and visa staff working at Heathrow and other ports of entry, more as neither the passengers were being screened and the staff were only given gloves and hand gel- no face masks or other kinds of essential protections- much like the medics.
PPE shortage continues
Many hospital staff are reportedly hiding personal protective equipment (PPE) during the coronavirus outbreak due to shortages on the NHS frontline, medics have claimed, the Sky news reported. Some workers are said to be going off sick because they fear the provisions are inadequate, with one doctor saying it seems ‘inevitable’ they will contract Covid-19.
Dr Rinesh Parmar, Chair of the Doctors’ Association UK, which represents grassroots medics, told the Guardian last week: “The longer this epidemic goes on for, if doctors feel that there is a widespread lack of PPE, then some doctors may feel they have no choice but to give up the profession they love, because they feel so abandoned by not being given the PPE that the World Health Organization recommends.
“That’s the travesty of this situation, that the government needs to protect frontline health workers and in return they will give 100%. But the government hasn’t kept its side of the bargain with NHS staff by not having enough PPE available to safeguard the health of doctors and nurses.”
Dr Amir Khan GP in a tweet said, “We need the government to invest in proper protective gear for NHS staff immediately The symptoms are too varied to rely on clinical symptoms alone Please protect us while we look after you.”
A Preston businessman has pledged £100,000 to help the NHS fight against the coronavirus. Yousef Bhailok has pledged the funding to help support the NHS staff, helping the crowdfunding petition trying to raise upto £1mn.
50 cross-party MPs and over 1150 members of the public have backed Layla Moran MP’s campaign for a Coronavirus Compensation Scheme, for the families of key frontline workers who lose their lives to the virus. The MPs’ letter to the Prime Minister, after three medics lost their lives, states that ‘those on the frontline of this battle against coronavirus are heroes,’ before advocating for a ‘mirror [of] the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.’
Virendra Sharma, MP who was suffering from coronavirus told the newspaper, “Following my light coronavirus symptoms early last week, my condition deteriorated and I was hospitalised at Hillingdon Hospital. I have now been discharged from hospital and I am recovering well at home. My care was exceptional, and I want to pay an enormous tribute to all the staff at Hillingdon Hospital and across the NHS, working so hard, and doing so much at this time of immense pressure. Stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. The amazing men and women of the NHS working in almost impossible situations, with too little kit and too little support deserve our help. I am asking everyone of you to do what you can to help them. If you have PPE please let us know."
Positivity among pandemic
Yet braving the scenario are many doctors who are doing away with just surgical and FFP3 masks, which clearly remain inadequate in given situation. But ever hopeful Dr John, speaking to Asian Voice said, “The media is focussing only on the deaths. 98% of symptomatic and confirmed people recover. If you consider asymptomatic people, probably more than 99% must be recovering.”
Mayura Patel, Chairperson of Croydon Hindu Council, who made two videos about her recovery and coronavirus journey lost her father on 14 March. She was taken to Greater London hospital on 17 March with serious breathing problems and all symptoms of Covid-19. But she returned home three days later, and eventually made full recovery through self help.
Anirban Mukhopadhyay, a Covid-19 patient, who took to facebook to fight people spreading unnecessary panic about coronavirus said, “Over the last few days I am having high fever, some amount of dry cough, feeling extremely lethargic. I am now admitted in the hospital with confirmed case of coronavirus. The treatment has started. UK has possibly done the most sensible thing by not testing every suspected cases to confirmation. That does not mean NHS is leaving us in the lurch. Call up 111 and get yourself registered as possible corona. The strict advise is, if you have breathing trouble, call up 999 asap, else call up your GP.
He added, “Coronavirus infection by itself does not need ventilator. In fact the rate of hospitalisation is only 2% in UK which means the rest 98% of suspected cases are getting well at home- strict self-isolation and regular dosage of paracetamol."
