The transmission of COVID-19 among a few doctors and health workers at Jipmer in spite of stringent safety measures has opened a worrisome front in the efforts to tackle the pandemic.
On Tuesday, a Jipmer virologist was the latest COVID-19 admission, while seven doctors who were under treatment after testing positive earlier, were discharged on Wednesday. Earlier this month, six security personnel from a private agency posted at Jipmer had also tested positive for COVID-19.
The COVID-19 ICU at Jipmer has also been catering to extremely sick patients — an 80-year-old patient died on Wednesday, on the heels of the death on Tuesday of a 74-year-old person from Chennai, who was among the six persons who got COVID-19, after attending a family function of a Jipmer staffer in the first week of this month.
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According to officials, Jipmer has demarcated its COVID-19 block into four zones after classifying patients as suspected/not severe, suspected/very sick, confirmed/not sick and confirmed/very sick patients. There is also a quarantine facility to isolate high-risk asymptomatic patients.
“We have been providing PPEs to staff relative to their risk exposure. So, the highest level of protection is for those working in the COVID-19 ICU. But, then no level of protection can be said to be fully foolproof,” said A. S. Badhe, Jipmer Medical Superintendent.
Apart from regular PPEs for other staff, ICU patients are also provided protective masks to minimise risk from the virus transmitting through cough, he said.
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On May 9, a Jipmer COVID-19 task force had issued a detailed circular on healthcare worker safety, contact tracing and quarantine. It had stated that the type of PPE would vary based on the risk estimate at a particular site of work.
“The PPE is considered ‘appropriate’ of a healthcare worker was wearing the PPE commensurate with the risk estimated and as ‘breached’ if there was a failure of the PPE to protect the worker due to any reason,” the circular said.
The task force had also stipulated risk categorisation following exposure to COVID-19 and isolation and restriction of movement of a person who has been exposed to COVID-19 for the prevention of transmission.
Meanwhile, sources say hospital-to-community transmission risks could be curtailed if separate accommodation and food at a designated place near work site is organised for COVID duty staff. The oddity of duty schedules sometimes compel some doctors to frequent eateries on campus, it is pointed out.