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Coronavirus - Doctors and medical staff: Appreciation Thread

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Abdullah719

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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-RVzhnJnYW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">A contingent of Quetta police presents the guard of honour to the doctors and paramedical staff at the Sheikh Zayed Hospital in recognition of their contribution to the fight against Covid-19. Tap link in bio for more updates. #DawnToday</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dawn.today/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Dawn Today</a> (@dawn.today) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-03-28T08:50:01+00:00">Mar 28, 2020 at 1:50am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Big salute to all the heroic Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics and medical staff at the front line fighting for us <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HumainTumSePyarHai?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HumainTumSePyarHai</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoronaVirusPakistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CoronaVirusPakistan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhiteFlagInHonour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhiteFlagInHonour</a> <a href="https://t.co/lOPdhNnGUL">pic.twitter.com/lOPdhNnGUL</a></p>— Wasim Akram (@wasimakramlive) <a href="https://twitter.com/wasimakramlive/status/1243524563889258504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hats off &#55356;&#57257; to all the Doctors and Nurses around the World. We owe you guys BIG time! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThankYou?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThankYou</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID%E3%83%BC19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVIDー19</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PleaseStayAtHome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PleaseStayAtHome</a> <a href="https://t.co/OnbOgIlm04">pic.twitter.com/OnbOgIlm04</a></p>— Waqar Younis (@waqyounis99) <a href="https://twitter.com/waqyounis99/status/1243369150493290496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Not all heroes wear capes. In the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the real heroes wear scrubs.

Home-quarantined citizens are expressing love for the doctors and nurses on the front lines of the global COVID-19 outbreak, even as it spreads across much of the world. Shouts and applause are ringing out in many locked-down cities, and social media is being flooded with messages of support for those braving the outbreak to help others.

In locked-down France, for example, citizens went to their windows and balconies on Tuesday night to applaud healthcare workers in a social media-coordinated gesture of support.

“Bravo to the carers!” one woman shouted out her window in Paris, according to Reuters.

Dutch citizens also held a public moment of applause for their healthcare workers on Tuesday night.

Spanish and Italian citizens put on similar spectacles last Saturday.

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people have been sharing memes applauding healthcare workers on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and other social media platforms.

One photo circulating in the Philippines shows dozens of masked doctors on board a flight home from Hubei province in China, where they’d reportedly been helping to contain the outbreak at its origin point. The photo was posted Tuesday by the Philippine Weather System/Pacific Storm Update account on Facebook.

“Big salute!” the post said.

Dozens of healthcare workers are shown on a flight from China to the Philippines. Philippine Weather System/Pacific Storm Update
More than 4,000 people responded with their praise and applause.

Thousands of former nurses and doctors have already come forward in Canada and the U.S. to join the fight against the disease, amid concerns that it might overwhelm healthcare systems as it spreads.

“The need is there,” Ottawa nurse Nanda Bradshaw recently told Global News. “As long as I’m healthy and able to offer it, I will do it.”


https://globalnews.ca/news/6695351/coronavirus-doctors-nurses-tribute/
 
Our Bangladeshi doctors apparently ran away hearing someone came from Canada and left the poor 21 year old to die. Incompetent country and incompetent doctors.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A Saudi doctor returns home from the hospital, tells his son to keep his distance, then breaks down from the strain. <a href="https://t.co/0ER9rYktdT">pic.twitter.com/0ER9rYktdT</a></p>— Mike (@Doranimated) <a href="https://twitter.com/Doranimated/status/1243264320110235649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Big thanks to all doctors and nurses out there.

They are the unsung heroes/heroines.
 
Thank you to Doctors and Nurses who are merely doing their job and are trained for it? No thanks from me, you have not done anything special. You doctors are still getting it wrong but are minting the cash! You wouldn't hesitate to charge obscene amounts for a prescription but want a pat on the back for checking temprature?

Health industry world wide is one big facade and you lot are falling for something that is a right, not a privledge.
 
All the NHS staff, from the managers through the clinicians to the porters are going flat out now, working longer shifts without overtime, giving up weekends, barely seeing their families.

Rather that applause what they need most is resources. We have been running lean for a decade. 30,000 nurses short. Germany has four times the number of beds.
 
When the tannoy blasts out a "Team 700" alert at Elmhurst hospital in Queens in New York City it is because a "crash" team is needed immediately. Someone is going into cardiac arrest.

In normal times that would happen maybe once a week. Yesterday, during the course of one 12-hour shift, there was a Team 700 announcement nine times. Not one of the patients survived, according to the young doctor I spoke to.

She is one of the residents in emergency medicine, and nothing in her training could have prepared her for the harrowing scenes she is witnessing on a daily basis at the epicentre of the epicentre of this outbreak. The hospital, which has a capacity of 282 beds, is now housing over 500 patients, according to the latest email sent round by the hospital administrators.

And though it has not been declared as such, it is the first Covid-19 hospital in the country. Yes, the ER still functions - but all other patients who were admitted have been moved out. Only those who are gasping for breath are given beds.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption
New York's healthcare workers are on the frontlines of the US war against Covid-19
In the initial stages of the outbreak, it was the worried well who would be turning up in this poor neighbourhood, Elmhurst. Now everyone is sick. Really sick. Half of the patients are undocumented, and don't speak English - they work in restaurants and are hotel chambermaids. They are not "plugged in". The calls for social distancing have passed them by.

And this medic, in her early 30s, tells me the stress is intense. Nearly everyone who arrives at the ER needs to be intubated and put on a ventilator. That would normally be a job done in the Intensive Care Unit. But they are overloaded.

These people need "pressors" - meds that will keep blood pressure up. And that is a job normally done by specialist nurses. But there aren't the nurses to do it. So people who are untrained are having to do it. "How can I not worry when there are patients not getting the care that they need?"

And she says it is not just the old who are falling prey to this. "There are patients in their 30s and 40s with no pre-existing conditions. Equally, we had a 90-year old man the other day who was brought to the ER after he had fallen at home. He had a broken leg - but he also tested positive for coronavirus - even though he was exhibiting no symptoms."

It is a confounding virus is Covid-19.

The hospital has been given double the number of ventilators that it originally had - but they are already being fully utilised and they need more. All are being used - and the peak of the curve is still weeks away. And she talks rather quietly when she describes a situation where not all of the people who need a ventilator are getting one.

I spoke to this young doctor after she had got home from a 12-hour shift. We were connected by a mutual friend. She said she would call me after she'd put the washing on, cooked herself something to eat, and done a bit of life admin. The mundanities of life co-exist alongside the high stress, life-and-death environment that she is living in.

She says she is not frightened for herself. "I am not worried about whether I fall ill. I will be fine. I'm young, and fit. I had a bit of a sore throat last week, and may well have had it. But the medics who are older, who have more complex medical histories are very nervous." A dozen of her co-workers, though, have fallen ill.

That has alleviated some of the pressure on kit. Also, the fact that this hospital has been the first hospital to be so much in the front line, and has had so much publicity, has meant that supplies have been forthcoming. She says, though, that her N-95 mask has to last a few days. But what happens to the hospitals further down the road? Will they get the kit they need?

I ask her whether she has had time to reflect on the enormity of what is happening. "A bit," she says. But says that will probably come later. She says the focus right now is on doing her job, and saving as many lives as she can.

As she tells me this, the thought strikes me that if you're driving a car on a mountain road and the brakes fail, you haven't got time to ponder the vicissitudes of existence, you're just trying to get down the mountain safely.

This woman is calm, self-assured and having to be mature beyond her years.

Then she opens up on the bits that are hardest about what she is doing, and concedes that much of what she has gone through will need a lot of processing afterwards

"The most anxiety I have is around ventilator allocation. Seeing people die is not the issue. We're trained to deal with death. Nor is it the volume of people dying. The issue is giving up on people we wouldn't normally give up on."

She described a patient being brought in from an old people's home. He was already on a ventilator - and was "chronically vent dependent". His prospects were never great. But all she could see before her was the ventilator - and not the patient.

"When he came in we were so desperate for vents," she told me, "all I wanted to do was get the ventilator off him. I wanted to get that vent off him to allow it to go to someone else."

Playing god is not what this young woman thought she would be doing at this stage in her career.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52137160
 
In hospital , we are Doctors. That's what most of us do every day.

At home , we are carrying ourselves as Covid patients. That's one of the hardest part.
 
Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Illahi Rajiyoon


===

A 36-year-old NHS nurse, who was believed to have no underlying health issues, has died after contracting coronavirus.

Areema Nasreen died shortly after midnight in intensive care at Walsall Manor Hospital in the West Midlands, where she had worked for 16 years.

The mother-of-three developed symptoms of coronavirus on March 13, including body aches, a high temperature and then a cough.

She had tested positive for COVID-19 a week later and a doctor at the hospital previously told Sky News her condition "deteriorated very quickly".

In a tribute to her posted on Facebook, her friend Rubi Aktar said: "My beautiful best friend Areema Nasreen has just passed away. My heart is broken. She fought and fought but Allah decided to take her.

"She was the most loveliest, genuine person you could ever meet, she went above and beyond for everyone she met.

"I'm so grateful that I had the honour to call her my best friend, she saw me at my best and my worst and accepted my every flaw. I am so broken that words can't explain.

"I can't believe I will not see your smile again. You made me the nurse that I am today, with your support, motivation and inspiration I am the nurse that I am today and I hope I can do you proud Areema.

"I love you so much and I will never forget you. You had so much to live for, I am sorry you didn't get to see your kids grow up and I'm sorry that you didn't get to complete your career."

Her death came as officials announced 569 more people had died in the UK after contracting the disease - bringing the total number of deaths to 2,921.

Her sister Kazeema Nasreen, who works as a healthcare assistant at the same hospital, had told Sky News that family members think she could have picked it up "virtually anywhere".

The 22-year-old said her sibling was on annual leave when she first started showing symptoms and that she did not believe she contracted it at work.

Ms Nasreen began working at Walsall Manor Hospital as a housekeeper, but qualified as a staff nurse in January last year.

In words of encouragement for anyone considering going into nursing - especially those from Muslim backgrounds - she said at the time: "I would like to think that I can inspire others.

"I cry every morning because I am so happy that I have finally realised my dream of becoming a nurse. I would urge anyone reading this to not give up."

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-healthy-nhs-nurse-36-dies-after-contracting-covid-19-11967819
 
Several healthcare workers in India have been attacked as they battle to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Reports say doctors have been spat at and chased away from homes, and that in one case patients directed abusive and vulgar language towards female nurses.

Some physicians and their families have also been ostracised by their neighbours because of their exposure to patients infected with Covid-19.

India has reported more than 2,300 cases and at least 50 people have died.

One video, which has gone viral, showed a mob throwing stones at two female doctors wearing personal protective equipment in the central city of Indore.

The doctors had gone to a densely-populated area to check on a woman suspected of having Covid-19 when they came under attack.

Despite being injured, one of the doctors seen in the video, Zakiya Sayed, said the incident "won't deter me from doing my duty".

"We were on our usual round to screen suspected cases," she told the BBC. "We never thought that we would be attacked."

"I had never seen scenes like that. It was frightening. We somehow fled from the mob. I am injured but not scared at all."

Dr Sayed added: "We had no reason to suspect that people would be agitated against medical teams."

"We are working to keep people safe. We had information about a person coming in contact with a Covid-19 patient. We were talking to the person when residents got agitated and attacked us."

Seven people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Dr Anand Rai, who is also a part of the Covid-19 taskforce in Indore, told the BBC: "Nothing can justify the attack against medical team. But it happened in a Muslim-dominated area where there is general distrust against the government."

He said the area had recently witnessed protests against a controversial new citizenship law.

"So that anger spilled over and took the form of this attack. But whatever maybe the reason, nothing can justify violence, especially against doctors during a national health emergency," he added.

Meanwhile, a hospital in the northern city of Ghaziabad also witnessed unruly scenes on Thursday.

The hospital put at least 21 people in quarantine after they attended a religious event that has been linked to hundreds of positive cases across the country.

Thousands who attended the gathering in Delhi, organised by Islamic preaching group Tablighi Jamaat, have been put in quarantine, and authorities are still tracing others. It is believed that the infections were caused by preachers who attended the event from Indonesia.

At the Ghaziabad hospital, some of the quarantined attendees allegedly used abusive and vulgar language against members of staff.

"Some were walking naked in the hospital ward and harassing women doctors and nurses," a doctor who works at the hospital told the BBC. "They kept asking for cigarettes and tobacco."

A senior police officer in the city told the BBC that cases had been registered against some people after doctors filed a complaint.

"Registering cases was the last resort. Police are still trying to make them understand the severity of the situation," he said.

Similar incidents have been reported in neighbouring Delhi.

Some attendees of the Tablighi Jamaat event who are being held in a quarantine facility run by the railways are said to have spat at doctors and misbehaved.

Deepak Kumar, spokesman for Northern Railways, said the situation there was now under control.

"The attendees have been counselled and they are now co-operating with the staff," he said.

Delhi's state government has reportedly written to the police, requesting more security for medical staff.

Reports of attacks on doctors and nurses have also come from the southern city of Hyderabad and the western city of Surat.

A doctor who was treating coronavirus patients is Hyderabad's Gandhi Hospital was attacked on Wednesday.

Police have promised the doctor that "strict action will be taken against the culprits".

But it is not just a work where medical workers are facing discrimination. It has followed them home.

One doctor, who did not wish to be identified, said she felt "extremely disheartened when I learnt that even my neighbours think that me and my family shouldn't be allowed to live in the building".

"We want our families to be safe. But we are being discriminated for doing our job."

"A number of doctors have tested positive across India and that shows how tough our job is at the moment. And that is why we need everybody's support to win this war against coronavirus."

She added: "We are following all safety protocols. We are not meeting even our families and that is stressful."

"But seeing this open discrimination just breaks my heart. But we will go on because there is really no other option."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52151141
 
I salute all the doctors and health care workers.

It's only now that I really realize how valuable they are and regret not having chosen to study medicine.
 
Props to all medical staff at all levels - nurses, medical assistants, paramedics/EMTs and scribes. Also a shout out to janitorial and clerical staff at all hospitals.
 
Just heard from a friend that there will be a round of applause for courier and delivery drivers. It will be sometime between 9am and 5pm tomorrow.
 
More than 3,600 people have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus. Among them are frontline medical staff. Sirin Kale tells the the story of two of them.

The two men did not know each other, probably their paths never crossed, but in death they would find a strange symmetry. Dr Amged El-Hawrani and Dr Adil El Tayar - two British-Sudanese doctors - became the first working medics to die of coronavirus in the UK.

Their families don't want them to be remembered in this way - but rather as family men, who loved medicine, helping their community, and their heritage.

Like the many men and women who come from overseas to join the NHS, El-Hawrani, 55, and El Tayar, 64, left behind friends and relatives back home to dedicate their careers to the UK's health service. They married and had children - El-Hawrani settling in Burton-Upon-Trent; El Tayar in Isleworth, London. And they became pillars of their communities, while maintaining ties to the country of their birth, the Sudan that both men loved.

Their stories are illustrative of the many foreign-born medics who even now are battling Covid-19.

Adil El Tayar was born in Atbara in northeast Sudan in 1956, the second of 12 children. His father was a clerk in a government office; his mother had her hands full raising her brood. Atbara was a railway town, built by the British to serve the line between Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, and Wadi Halfa in the north. It is a close-knit community, where the first Sudanese labour movement started, in 1948. Everyone knows everyone.

"He came from humble beginnings," says Adil's cousin, Dr Hisham El Khidir. "Whatever came into that household had to be divided amongst 12 kids. It's the reason he was so disciplined when he grew up."

In Sudan in the 1950s and 1960s, bright young men became doctors or engineers - respected professions that would give their entire family a better life. And when you're one of 12 children - well, that's a lot of people to help look after. Adil knew this, which is why he was a diligent student, even from a young age. But he didn't mind, in Sudanese culture, looking after your family isn't seen as a burden. It's just what you do.

"He was always so serious, so focused," Hisham remembers. "He wanted to do medicine early on, because it was a good career in a third-world country." He had a calm, caring disposition. "Never in the years I knew him, did I ever hear him raise his voice." Hisham looked up to Adil, who was eight years older than him, and later followed in his footsteps to become a doctor.

The El-Hawrani family lived almost 350km (217 miles) away, down the single-track railroad that links Atbara to the capital Khartoum. It was there that Amged was born in 1964, the second of six boys. His father Salah was a doctor, and in 1975 the family moved to Taunton, Somerset, before settling in Bristol four years later.

"Dad was one of the first waves of people coming over from Sudan in the 1970s," remembers Amged's younger brother, Amal. "We didn't know any other Sudanese families growing up in the UK. It was just us and English people. It felt like an adventure. Everything was new and different."

Only a year apart in age, Amged and his older brother Ashraf were inseparable. "They both could have done anything," says Amal. "They were intelligent, they were all-rounders. They loved football and technology. They embraced everything - just drank it all in."

Amged loved gadgets. "He'd always turn up with this bit of kit he'd just bought," Amal laughs, "saying, 'Look, I've just bought this projector that can fit in your pocket, let's watch a film!'"

Amged and Ashraf both studied medicine, like their father. And then in 1992, tragedy struck - Ashraf died of an asthma attack, aged 29. It was Amged who discovered his body.

"It had a huge emotional impact on him," Amal says. "But he became the rock of the family." He even named his son Ashraf, after his brother.

Over the coming decades, Adil and Amged forged careers in the NHS. Adil become an organ transplant specialist, while Amged specialised in ear, nose, and throat surgery.

The life of an NHS doctor isn't easy - it is high-stakes work, which often takes you away from your family.

But Adil's children always felt that he had time for them. "No matter how tired he was, he would always get home from work and make sure he spent time with each of us," says his daughter Ula, 21. "He cared about family life so much."

Adil loved to potter about in his garden, tending to his apple and pear trees, and planting flowers all around. "It was his happy place," says Ula. He also loved to collect new friends. "He'd have barbecues in summer, and there would often be some random person there you'd never met before," Adil's son Osman, 30, jokes. "You'd wonder where he'd picked them up from."

Amged was intellectually curious, and a great conversationalist. "He was one of those people who had an encyclopedic knowledge of everything," says his brother Amal. He was also a Formula One fan - Ayrton Senna was his legend. "Amged was generous, and without guile," remembers his friend Dr Simba Oliver Matondo. They met when they took the same class at university, and spent their student years eating Pizza Hut food - a big treat back then - and watching Kung Fu films.

The National Health is staffed by many foreign-born workers - 13.1% of NHS staff say their nationality is not British, and one-in-five come from minority backgrounds.

As of 3 April, four British doctors, and two nurses, have died after testing positive for COVID-19. Five were from BAME [Black, Asian and minority ethnic] communities. In addition to Adil and Amged, there is Dr Alfa Sa'adu, born in Nigeria, Dr Habib Zaidi, born in Pakistan, and nurse Areema Nasreen, who had Pakistani heritage. "We mourn the passing of our colleagues in the fight against COVID-19," says Dr Salman Waqer of the British Islamic Medical Association. "They enriched our country. Without them, we would not have an NHS."

'NHS crown'

Nurse Aimee O'Rourke, 39, died after a Covid-19 diagnosis on Thursday 2 April.

On Facebook, her daughter Megan Murphy wrote: "You are an angel and you will wear your NHS crown forever more because you earned that crown the very first day you started."

O'Rourke was treated at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent, where she worked.

Both Adil and Amged considered themselves British. "Amged was in this country for 40 years," says Amal. "He was as British as tea and crumpets." But they kept close ties with their native Sudan. "When someone emigrates to the UK, they don't just cut all their ties with their country," Adil's cousin Hisham explains. "They make a better life for themselves, but they maintain their roots."

Adil returned to Khartoum in 2010, to set up an organ transplant unit. "He wanted to give something back to the less fortunate in Sudan," his son Osman explains. Since Adil's death, his family has received dozens of phone calls from people in Sudan, telling them about their father's charity work. They knew their dad spent a lot of time helping people back home in Sudan - they'd overhear his phone calls.

But none of Adil's children realised just how many people he'd helped, until after he died.

Amged was also charitable, climbing in the Himalayas in 2010 to raise money for a CT scanner for Queen's Hospital Burton, where he worked. Like Adil, he was connected to his heritage. "He'd always reminisce about growing up in Sudan," says his brother Amal. "He was very proud to be Sudanese."

His friend Matondo was a frequent visitor at Amged's mum's house in Bristol, where they'd eat "ful medames", a traditional fava bean stew, and feta cheese with chillies. A supporter of Al Merrikh - the Manchester United of Sudan - Amged arranged for the Khartoum team's dilapidated pitch to be repainted, picking up the bill himself.

Both doctors cared deeply about the NHS, an institution they had spent their lifetimes serving. "Adil really believed in this excellent system that provided free care at the point of delivery to everyone who needed it," says his cousin Dr Hisham El Khidir.

His passion rubbed off on his children - Osman and his sister Abeer, 26, both followed in Adil's footsteps to become doctors. The day Osman was accepted as a surgical registrar - a prestigious, competitive post - Adil was emotional. "He was so happy," Osman remembers. "He just kept saying, 'Mashallah, mashallah.'"

When both doctors got sick, they didn't think much of it, their families say. Amged was the first to fall ill. His mother had recently recovered from a nasty bout of pneumonia, and in late February, after finishing a long shift, he drove to Bristol to see her. Amged felt unwell in the car, but assumed he was probably just exhausted.

By 4 March, he was admitted to Burton's Queen's Hospital. His colleagues put him on a ventilator. He was later transferred to Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, where he was put on a more sophisticated ECMO machine, to breathe for him. Amged would stay on that machine, fighting for his life, for nearly three weeks.

Meanwhile, Adil was working in the A&E department of Hertford County Hospital. On the 13 March, the first UK death from coronavirus was reported in Scotland. The very next day, Adil started feeling unwell. He came back to the family house in London, and self-isolated.

Over the next few days, his condition deteriorated. On the 20 March, Abeer didn't like how her dad looked - he was breathless, and couldn't string a sentence together - and she called an ambulance. Doctors at West Middlesex University Hospital put Adil on a ventilator. But even then, alarm bells weren't ringing. "We thought, this is bad," says Osman. "But we had no idea it would be fatal."

On 25 March, Adil's family received a call from the hospital. Things were very bad, and they should come now. They raced there to be with him. Adil's children watched their father die through a glass window. They weren't allowed in the room, because of the risk of contagion.

"That was the most difficult thing," says Osman. "Having to watch him. I always knew that one day my father would die. But I thought I would be there, holding his hand. I never imagined I would be looking at him through a window, on a ventilator."

Adil spent decades serving the NHS. But his family feels that the NHS didn't do enough for him in return, by giving him the protective gear that might have prevented him contracting coronavirus. "I think it's unbelievable in the UK in 2020 that we're battling a life-threatening disease, and our frontline staff are not being safely equipped with PPE to do their job," says Osman. "Bottom line is that it's wrong and it needs to be addressed immediately."

Amid repeated claims of shortages in some parts of the NHS, the government has offered frequent bulletins on the volume of personal protective equipment being delivered. The Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said he will "stop at nothing" to protect frontline health workers - describing the situation as "one of the biggest logistical challenges of peacetime".

All the time Adil had been in hospital, Amged had clung onto life. But on the 28 March, doctors decided to take Amged off the ECMO machine. Dressed in protective gear, Amged's brother Akmal was allowed into his room, to hold his hand. Amal watched from behind a window.

Amged will be buried in Bristol, beside his dad, and close enough for his mum to visit.

At his own request, Adil will be buried in Sudan, besides his father and grandfather. Getting the repatriation paperwork sorted is proving difficult, given the coronavirus lockdown. "The last wishes of someone who died are very sacred in our culture," explains Osman. "We will make it happen."

Adil's children won't be able to attend the funeral - although cargo planes are flying, there are currently no passenger flights to Sudan. But he won't be buried alone. The community of people Adil grew up with - his siblings, and their children, and the people he supported over the years, will bury him instead. In Sudanese tradition, every mourner digs their hand into the dust, and throws soil into the grave. "There are hundreds of people waiting to bury him," says Osman. "I've been on the phone with them all. They're waiting for him to arrive."

Meanwhile, the garden Adil loved so much is overgrown. "It's a sad view," says Ula. "It's dishevelled now he's not around. He was always the one who kept it together." But the apple tree will be coming into blossom soon.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-52152375
 
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Another sad day:

Liverpool nurse dies from coronavirus

A nurse who contracted coronavirus has died at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, reports the Liverpool Echo newspaper.

Liz Glanister was a long-serving nurse at the nearby Aintree hospital and died on Friday.

“All our thoughts are with Liz’s family at this time and we offer them our sincere condolences. Liz will be sadly missed by all those who knew and worked with her," Aintree's Chief Nurse Dianne Brown said.

At least five doctors and three nurses and nursing assistants have died from the Covid-19 in the UK.

It comes as the north-west of England reported a rise in infections to a total of 4,826.
 
QUETTA: Police arrested doctors and medical staff in Balochistan’s capital on Monday for protesting over non-provision of Personal Protective Equipment for treating coronavirus patients.

According to President Young Doctors Association Dr Yasir Khan, more than 150 doctors and paramedics have been arrested.

The doctors and medical staff wanted to protest outside the Chief Minister House when the police baton-charged them.

Dr Khan, in a press conference, announced to boycott services to the patients. "This government wants us to work and does not provide us anything (PPE for protection against the virus)," he said.

During the protests, police and demonstrating medical staff resorted to scuffling as well.

Following the arrests, the young doctors suspended their work in protest.

Police said that the medical staff were arrested due to the violation of Section 144 and now have been sent to different police stations.

The incident came in the backdrop of more than a dozen doctors contracting the virus reportedly while discharging their duties.

Balochistan, as of Saturday afternoon, recorded 192 cases of the coronavirus with one casualty.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/281256-police-arrest-protesting-doctors-and-medical-staff-in-quetta
 
You are welcome. We will get through this together. Everyone, please do your part and stay home and minimize unnecessary travel outside. You will make our lives easier and our work safer!
 
A British nurse who died with coronavirus last week has been described as a "rare girl" who always "put herself last", in an emotional tribute by her sister.

Arema Nasreen, 36, died after spending weeks on a ventilator at Walsall Manor Hospital in the West Midlands, where she worked.

Kazeema Nasreen, who works as a health care assistant at the same hospital, spoke about her sister's symptoms, her final shift and the last time she saw her.

She told BBC News: "We've lost an amazing nurse but we've lost also the most amazing person".
 
Massive respect to all medical staff across the world who are putting their lives at risk for us.

Thank you to everyone.

I hope our resident PP doctors [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] @Dr_Baseem [MENTION=150951]croc[/MENTION]ketjoshila are all safe.
 
Nurses must be protected from abuse during coronavirus pandemic: WHO, nursing groups

Authorities must protect nurses and other health workers from harassment and attacks compounding the already heavy toll they are paying in the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) and top nursing officials said on Tuesday.

Some 100 medical workers are reported to have died from the disease so far, including many nurses, Howard Catton, ceo of the International Council of Nurses, told a news briefing.

The world’s 28 million nurses, 59% of all health workers, were overstretched before the crisis began, the WHO, the Nursing Now campaign, and Geneva-based council said in the first “State of the World’s Nursing Report”.

Some have become targets out of people’s fear of contagion.

“We have picked up reports around the world of abuse, harassment of health workers, we had one case of somebody being spat on as well. It is completely unacceptable, reprehensible,” Catton said.

He called for governments to have a “zero tolerance approach” to such abuse and to ensure that public health messages are clear and fact-based.

Giorgio Cometto of WHO’s health workforce department said it was a relatively new phenomenon “whereby health workers are seen as a potential risk, as a potential threat as opposed to being a solution to the current crisis”.

“This really reinforces the need to have adequate communication for the public as well as specific measures to be put in place to protect health workers particularly in the context of the response to the current pandemic,” he said.

Baroness Mary Watkins, chair of Nursing Now, said nurses have been attacked previously during outbreaks of Ebola and the AID-HIV epidemic.

Referring to COVID-19, she said: “We have not had active violence that I know of in the UK, but we have had people trying to take nurses’ badges because they have been allowed to go into supermarkets early to buy food before going on their shift... That seems to have had a stop put to it.

“But there has been a very very clear directive from the police in many countries that attacking a health care worker is unacceptable. We need to keep pressure up,” Watkins added.

There is still a global shortage of nearly 6 million nurses, mainly in low- and lower-middle income countries, where the number of new recruits barely keeps pace with population growth, the report said.

Nurses are particularly lacking across Africa, in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Venezuela, it added.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...rus-pandemic-who-nursing-groups-idUSKBN21O317
 
Doctors, Nurses, and other healthcare workers deserve appreciation, but so do the people in non prestigious positions who are working during this, such as workers in factories, warehouses, grocery stores, drivers, etc.
 
Dozens of arrests at Pakistan doctors' protest



Police in Quetta have arrested scores of practicing doctors and paramedics after a doctors’ protest over non-availability of safety gear turned violent.

According to eyewitness accounts, police used batons to prevent the doctors' march towards a venue where the provincial cabinet was holding a meeting. The doctors have been critical of the provincial health ministry for failing to ensure safety of medical workers despite promises.

The government says it has provided masks and kits to staff who handle coronavirus patients, but medical workers say they are all at risk, as they have to deal with patients who may be infected but not yet tested.

They point out that more than a dozen doctors who have so far tested positive for coronavirus in the Balochistan region, of which Quetta is the capital, were not working with coronavirus patients.

Doctors and nurses in several parts of the country, including the capital Islamabad, have gone on strike several times over the last couple of weeks to register their concerns over lack of safety kits for hospital staff.

These concerns were triggered by the infection and death in late March of a doctor in Gigit-Baltistan region who had been screening returning pilgrims from Iran.

Hours after the arrests in Quetta, another doctor who recently tested positive for coronavirus died in a Karachi hospital. He is the third doctor to have died of the infection in Pakistan so far.
 
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UK's Queen Elizabeth sends message of enduring appreciation to health workers

Britain's Queen Elizabeth on Tuesday sent a message of "enduring appreciation and good wishes" to health workers around the world for World Health Day.
 
Emergency supplies of medical equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPEs), are being dispatched to Quetta on orders of the chief of army staff "to help medical staff fight Covid-19 effectively in Balochistan", said the army's media wing on Tuesday.

“Doctors and paramedics are the frontline soldiers in this war. Most advanced nations/govts are finding it extremely difficult to fight this pandemic," COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was quoted as saying by Inter-services Public Relations via Twitter.

"Pakistan government is striving hard to acquire and supply the required resources. In this hour of distress, we must remain patient and steadfast,” added Bajwa.

The directive comes a day after young doctors and paramedics gathered on the premises of Civil Hospital Quetta and protested against the health authorities for not supplying safety gears and other preventive items to the doctors performing duty in hospitals.

Police said 30 doctors had been arrested for taking out a protest really in violation of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure imposed by the Balochistan government in the provincial capital in connection with the lockdown.

According to YDA, however, more than 100 doctors and health workers were arrested.

Speaking to Dawn today, Dr Rahim, a spokesman for the YDA, said that that the arrested doctors will not leave the police stations until their demands were met and they were provided with protective gear.

According to president of YDA's Balochistan chapter Dr Yasir Achakzai, 15 doctors in the province had been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus so far but the government still had not supplied protective equipment.

"On one hand, the coronavirus is killing us and on the other, police are beating us up," Achakzai said.

A day earlier, Achakzai said they were baton-charged by security forces, adding that "dozens" were arrested near the Red Zone. Police had denied beating up the doctors.

As matters escalated, a few members of the Balochistan Assembly reached the venue and tried to negotiate with the protesting doctors and paramedic staff.

Later in the day, Chief Minister Jam Kamal Alyani said that he had met the YDA doctors and had assured them of his government's full cooperation in their battle against Covid-19 and in meeting their demands.

'Doctors were arrested for their own protection'
Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani announced in a press conference that the demands of the protesting doctors had been met.

Commenting on Monday's events, he said that doctors had been arrested "for their own protection".

He said that the doctors "were moving towards the CM Secretariat in crowd".

"Our district administration, our police urged the doctors to return for the sake of their own health and that the government will fulfil their demands. They (doctors) were told that you are not observing social distancing [which is vital] to curb the spread of the coronavirus," Shahwani said.

"They did not listen and so, for the sake of their protection, they were arrested for only one hour."

The government spokesperson added that even though all the doctors had been released, they have refused to leave the police stations.

He regretted that the doctors had violated Section 144 of the CrPC without thinking the impression it would leave on the public.

"[The public] would think that if doctors are moving as a crowd without being exposed to danger, why would it threaten us? They will leave their homes too [...] The point of imposing a lockdown will be lost and we will not be able to control the outbreak of the coronavirus in the province."

Shahwani added: "We appeal to the doctors to [follow] the code of conduct followed globally, due to which they are called healers. Healers do not abandon their patients in hospitals and come out on roads to protest for their rights, especially when the chief minister had held talks with them."

Protest
The young doctors and paramedics gathered on the premises of Civil Hospital Quetta and started protest against the health authorities for not supplying safety gears and other preventive items to the doctors performing duty in hospitals. They were carrying placards and banners inscribed with demands, including removal of the health secretary and special health secretary.

They chanted slogans against the provincial authorities, came out of the hospital premises and stated moving towards the Officers Club where the provincial cabinet was in meeting. Police blocked the road leading to the club.

The protesting doctors and health workers tried to break the cordon which led to a clash between them and police personnel. Some protesters were injured when police used batons against them. Police also arrested dozens of protesting doctors.

A spokesman for the Balochistan government termed the doctors’ protest unjustified and claimed that the government had provided the required safety gears to all doctors, paramedics, nurses and other health workers performing duty in quarantine centres and isolation wards. “We do not understand the protest by the doctors who were not performing duties in quarantine centres and isolation wards of Sheikh Zayed and Fatima Jinnah Chest hospitals,” Liaquat Shahwani had said.

However, he said, the government had assured the protesting doctors that they would also be provided safety gears, adding that doctors had the right to criticise the government, but should not stop performing duties. He said China was also facing shortage of safety gears, adding that the National Disaster Management Authority had supplied 50,000 N-95 masks which the health department was distributing among the doctors.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1547141/e...ight-covid-19-being-dispatched-to-quetta-ispr
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Met with a group of young MBBS students from Peshawar in the final year keen to get to work.<br>Healthcare professionals are now at the forefront. We need to respect them, work with them, encourage them, and inspire them. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoronavirusPandemic?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CoronavirusPandemic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoronaFreePakistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CoronaFreePakistan</a> <a href="https://t.co/DKgzGRHp1g">pic.twitter.com/DKgzGRHp1g</a></p>— Taimur Khan Jhagra (@Jhagra) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jhagra/status/1247451151160795136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar announced on Tuesday that the federal government will directly provide personal protective equipment (PPEs) to approximately 400 hospitals across Pakistan as the country's battle against Covid-19 intensifies.

He made the announcement during a press conference with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza.

He said that healthcare in Pakistan is a devolved matter and thus it is the responsibility of the provinces to provide PPEs to frontline medics in this time of crisis. But he argued that it was a time of emergency and that the government's decision to deal with the hospitals directly while circumventing provincial authority was prudent and timely to ensure that there are no more delays in the distribution of medical equipment.

"We have identified approximately 400 hospitals across the country for this purpose. But we will prioritise 153 hospitals that have 5 or more ventilators before moving on to others," revealed Umar.

The provincial breakdown of these hospitals is as follows:

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK): 4
Balochistan: 4
Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT): 7
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 21
Punjab: 75
Sindh: 42

The minister also revealed that the federal government has sent 39,500 medical kits to the provinces.

The provincial breakdown of these kits is as follows:

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK): 3,000
Balochistan: 5,600
Gilgit Baltistian: 1,500
Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT): 2000
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 7,600
Punjab: 10,600
Sindh: 9,200

He argued that testing was extremely important in country's fight against Covid-19 and thus the government was doing all it can to increase testing capacity.

"We were testing around 700 to 800 people per day weeks ago. Then we were testing around 2,000 and now can test around 3,000. So you see, our capacity is constantly increasing. Our target is to conduct 25,000 tests per day by the end of April," Umar revealed.

He once again reiterated the government's pledge to mitigate the economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Through our Ehsaas programme, we want to help 12 million lower-income families who have been suffering financially during this pandemic. Starting tomorrow, cheques will start going out. 4 million families will get monetary assistance at first," revealed Umar.

The minister also dispelled the notion that Pakistanis have immunity from Covid-19 and urged his countrymen to take precautions to protect themselves and others from the virus.

"Pakistanis are very self-confident and brave and that's a good thing but that doesn't mean we are somehow immune from contracting Covid-19. Any of us can contract the virus. And, those of you who are rich and think that having the services of a good doctor will protect them, let me remind you of Boris Johnson, who despite being the prime minister of a prosperous country with excellent healthcare like Britain, is in the ICU at this very moment.

If you take care of yourself, you will automatically take care of others around you," Umar reasoned.

We can flatten our virus curve by mass testing: SAPM Mirza

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza, meanwhile, agreed with Asad Umar that mass testing was an extremely effective way of defeating Covid-19.

"The curve of coronavirus cases can be flattened in Pakistan through mass testing," Mirza said.

He revealed that in Pakistan, 163 tests are being conducted per one million people. In comparison, 50 tests per one million are being carried out in India and 964 per million in Iran.

While he acknowledged that the figure of 163 tests per million is "not really" enough, Mirza said "all efforts are being put into increasing our testing capacity."

He also said that the government was constantly tracing contacts of those who had tested positive for the virus and revealed that his team was working on a strategy titled 'Track, Test and Quarantine' as part of the government's overall strategy to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1547219/f...pes-to-hospitals-directly-announces-asad-umar
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dr.Fakhar ul Islam is a proud & brave father from Peshawar who has two daughters who are doctors and he goes to drop them both at the hospital everyday in this war against <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a>. He is thankful to Allah that his daughters are chosen in this service to humanity.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID2019</a> <a href="https://t.co/bxNvMwZuoK">pic.twitter.com/bxNvMwZuoK</a></p>— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) <a href="https://twitter.com/shoaib100mph/status/1247794919218925572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
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In the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, which has cost thousands of precious lives across the globe, doctors and medical staff have emerged as the true fearless warriors saving lives.

Afghan refugee Dr Saleema Rehman is one such frontline warrior in the COVID-19 battle, providing her services at Pakistan’s Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi.

Read more: Meet the aspiring science journalists battling coronavirus misinformation in Pakistan

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees paid tribute to the refugee doctor, serving humanity in the hour of utmost need.

In its post, the UNHCR Represntation for EU Affairs said: “ At Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi, Afghan refugee Dr Saleema Rehman provides a lifeline to some of the poorest people in Pakistan”.

Pakistan is among the worst-hit countries in South Asia in terms of coronavirus cases, with the tally crossing 4,000 as of Wednesday.

The country has recorded 58 deaths so far.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/281642-meet-afghan-refugee-doctor-in-pakistan-saving-lives
 
Doctors are risking their lives for us and this is what some people think of them. I am talking about this guy from Gujarat who can be seen shouting at his neighbour who came back home after treating Corona patients. He asked her to leave that building fearing she might spread coronavirus. He also tried to hit that lady doctor. Guy looks from a good family but still acting like an illiterate. Here is the video :

 
A doctor diagnosed with coronavirus has died - three weeks after he warned the prime minister health workers urgently need more PPE.

Abdul Mabud Chowdhury,53, passed away after 15 days in hospital.

On 18 March he wrote a message to Boris Johnson asking him to "urgently" ensure personal protective equipment for "each and every NHS worker in the UK".

He told the prime minister that healthcare workers "are in direct contact with patients" and have a "human right like others to live in this world disease-free with our family and children".

Dr Chowdhury was a locum urologist who worked at Homerton Hospital in East London and died on Wednesday at Queen's Hospital in Romford after testing positive for coronavirus.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...inister-about-ppe-dies-with-covid-19-11971068
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Very emotional standing on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WestministerBridge?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WestministerBridge</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/Ldn_Ambulance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ldn_Ambulance</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonFire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LondonFire</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/metpoliceuk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@metpoliceuk</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RNLI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RNLI</a> What a scene &#55357;&#56474;&#55357;&#56473;❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClapForTheNHS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ClapForTheNHS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StayHomeSaveLives?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StayHomeSaveLives</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThankfulThursday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThankfulThursday</a> <a href="https://t.co/wSGPc2eBOn">pic.twitter.com/wSGPc2eBOn</a></p>— a(lisp)&#55356;&#57147; (@alicee_wrightt) <a href="https://twitter.com/alicee_wrightt/status/1248328586806902789?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Yes, bravo to the healthcare staff who are doing more crazy hours than normal and are on the frontline of such a dangerous pandemic. Its crazy crazy times for all of us.
 
The Arab doctors who died of coronavirus on Italy's front lines

The 100th doctor to die on Italy's front lines as the country struggles to contain the coronavirus epidemic was Samar Sinjab, a 62-year-old Syrian woman who was born in Damascus.

Having lived in Italy's northeast Veneto region since 1994, she contracted the virus from a patient in the early stages of the pandemic and died after spending two weeks in an intensive care unit.

She worked until her last days. The last WhatsApp message she sent was to one of her patients, according to the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

More than 18,000 people have died in Italy from COVID-19, a disease that has infected more than 143,000 people in the country.

More than 8,000 healthcare workers have been infected in the country, the majority in northern regions, according to the Italian National Institute of Health, and at least 100 doctors have died.

Family doctors visiting patients at home, without personal protective equipment (PPE), were the first to catch the virus.

According to the Association of Foreign Doctors in Italy, there are about 20,000 doctors with ancestry in other countries.

Of those, 3,700 come from the Middle East. Since the 1960s, young Arabs have studied medicine in Italy.

"It was an unquestioned duty for us to serve our second homeland, considering the unprecedented emergency," Foad Aodi, the president of the association, told Al Jazeera.

"While treating patients, at least 15 Arab doctors have reportedly been hospitalised, three of whom are currently in ICU with severe conditions. We also lost some of our colleagues and friends. But as we mourn, we still feel committed to Italy and our profession."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...rontlines-italy-epidemic-200410093425609.html
 
Nineteen NHS workers have died after contracting coronavirus, the health secretary has revealed, but says he is not aware of a link to a shortage of PPE.

Speaking to Sky News, Matt Hancock said it was a "heartbreaking story" and it affects everyone in the NHS to see their colleagues die.

Mr Hancock said he was not aware of any link between lack of PPE and the deaths, but did say that a full investigation would be carried out to understand how those health workers contracted coronavirus on the front line.

He said: "My heart goes out to their families... the fact that such a high proportion are from people that moved to this country to work for the NHS is really heart-rending... to see people who have literally given their lives for the NHS who were moved here to give that service and I think we should pay tribute to them."

Talking about personal protective equipment, the health secretary said that although he will not criticise people for wearing more than necessary, health workers should use it "appropriately", saying it is a "precious resource" and it is a logistical effort to get it to the millions working in health and social care.

Mr Hancock advised health workers at Friday's daily press briefing to only wear exactly the right amount of PPE, as getting it distributed was a "Herculean effort".

Responding to Mr Hancock's suggestion that frontline workers could be wearing too much PPE, Labour leader Keir Starmer tweeted: "It is quite frankly insulting to imply front line staff are wasting PPE.

"There are horrific stories of NHS staff and care workers not having the equipment they need to keep them safe.

"The government must act to ensure supplies are delivered."

Mr Hancock also reiterated his message that people should spend the Easter weekend indoors, despite warmer weather.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-19-health-workers-have-died-in-uk-with-covid-19-11971879
 
The UK's health secretary, Matt Hancock, has said he is not aware of a link between a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and any of the 19 deaths of NHS staff that he has confirmed.

But there is growing criticism of the government's plans to equip NHS and social care workers with the right equipment.

Supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) in London and Yorkshire are at "dangerously low levels", according to the British Medical Association, which says doctors' lives are being put at risk.

Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour party, said suggestions some NHS staff are wasting PPE was "frankly insulting," while Liberal Democrat acting leader Ed Davey said he was "frustrated and disappointed more isn't being done".

Mr Hancock told the BBC the government was looking into how NHS staff who had died with the virus were infected.

However, he said it was important to note that some may have caught it outside of work. He has also said a "Herculean effort" is underway to distribute PPE.
 
I didn't write this , I copied from from another doctor, but I'm sure this is not just my story but tens of thousands of nurses and doctors working in NJ, NY and other hotspots for corona virus infection go through this ritual on daily basis. I'm sure same is true for nurses and doctors in UK . I think nurses deserve even more applaud and appreciation than us doctors.

"I have just finished the night shift on the Covid-19 ward. I look at myself in the mirror: I have a C on my nose from the FFP2 (N95) mask I wear all the time, deep marks on my face left by the elastic bands; my eyes look tired, my hair is damp with sweat. I am not a doctor and a woman any longer — now I am just a doctor, a soldier in the war against the virus.

Before starting my shift, I have to don the protective gear — this is when I get the adrenaline rush: you are in the room with your colleagues, you try cracking a joke, but our eyes reflect our worry about protecting ourselves adequately as we carry out correctly all the steps in dressing: gloves, gown, second pair of gloves, glasses, cap, mask, visor, shoes, shoe covers…and tape over tape to keep everything sealed. The person who helps you dress writes your name and your role on your lab coat with a red marker, because when we are so costumed nobody recognizes anybody else. And when she says “Done,” it’s time to enter the ward.

You feel like a soldier about to jump from a plane, hoping your parachute will open: you hope the mask and the visor will protect you, you hope the gloves will not rip, you hope that nothing “dirty” will come in contact with your body.

Entering the ward is like walking into a bubble: all sounds are muffled by the heavy equipment. For the first 10 to 15 minutes you can’t see anything because your breath fogs up the visor until it adapts to the temperature, and then you start seeing something between the droplets of condensation. You walk in, hoping the shoe covers will not come off as usual, and the shift starts.

You take your instructions from your exhausted colleagues from the previous shift. There is a phone that’s used for receiving special instructions on hospitalizations from the regional coordinator of the health system; you hope it will not ring often and that hospitalizations will be few. You and your colleagues sort out tasks and you start visiting patients: the young patient you were about to intubate the other day is getting better, the elderly one is dying, the nun is still fighting, and the nurse from your hospital is not doing well…. You see faces you don’t know and others you know very well, the faces of people who worked in your ward until only a couple of weeks ago.

It’s amazing how quickly everything has changed. Your research and clinic routine feel so far away. You miss the emergency department shifts because compared with this, they appear easy as pie. The hours go by, and your nose hurts more and more, the mask cuts through your skin and you can’t wait to take it off and finally breathe. Breathe. It’s what we all want these days, doctors and patients, nurses and care workers. All of us. We want air.

Finally, the end of your shift comes, 12 hours made even longer and more endless by thirst, hunger, and the need to relieve yourself, things you cannot do when you’re on duty: drinking, eating, or going to the bathroom would mean taking off the protective equipment. Too risky. And too expensive. Protective equipment is precious, and taking it off means having to replace some of it, reducing the quantity available to your colleagues. You have to be thrifty, you have to resist and wear a diaper you hope you won’t have to use because your dignity and your psychological state are compromised enough as it is by the work you are doing, the look on the patients’ faces, the words of their relatives when you call them to update them on the condition of their loved ones. Some ask you to wish their father a happy name day, others to tell their mother they love her and to give her a caress…and you do what they ask, trying to hide from your colleagues the tears in your eyes.

The end of the shift comes, reinforcements arrive, other colleagues take over. You give them instructions, the things to do, the things not to do. You can go home, but first you have to take off your protections, and you must be careful — careful with every move you make. Removing protective equipment is another ritual that must be performed calmly, because everything you are wearing is contaminated and must not come in contact with your skin.

You are tired and you just want to get away, but you must make one last effort, concentrate on each movement you make to remove all the protections. Each movement has to be slow. You can finally take off the mask, and when you peel it off, you feel a searing pain from the bleeding cuts that it made in your nose. The tape was useless — it didn’t stop your nose from bleeding or hurting. But at least you’re free. You leave the undressing area naked, put on uniform scrubs, and go to the changing rooms.
You get dressed, leave the hospital, and take a deep breath. Get in the car. When you get home you have to be watchful again. The entryway is already organized like the hospital undressing area because you cannot risk contaminating the house. You undress, put everything in a bag, and quickly take a hot shower: the virus can survive on your hair, so you have to wash yourself thoroughly.
It’s over.

The shift is over, the fight has just begun."
 
moghul said:
I didn't write this , I copied from from another doctor, but I'm sure this is not just my story but tens of thousands of nurses and doctors working in NJ, NY and other hotspots for corona virus infection go through this ritual on daily basis. I'm sure same is true for nurses and doctors in UK . I think nurses deserve even more applaud and appreciation than us doctors.

"I have just finished the night shift on the Covid-19 ward. I look at myself in the mirror: I have a C on my nose from the FFP2 (N95) mask I wear all the time, deep marks on my face left by the elastic bands; my eyes look tired, my hair is damp with sweat. I am not a doctor and a woman any longer — now I am just a doctor, a soldier in the war against the virus.

Before starting my shift, I have to don the protective gear — this is when I get the adrenaline rush: you are in the room with your colleagues, you try cracking a joke, but our eyes reflect our worry about protecting ourselves adequately as we carry out correctly all the steps in dressing: gloves, gown, second pair of gloves, glasses, cap, mask, visor, shoes, shoe covers…and tape over tape to keep everything sealed. The person who helps you dress writes your name and your role on your lab coat with a red marker, because when we are so costumed nobody recognizes anybody else. And when she says “Done,” it’s time to enter the ward.

You feel like a soldier about to jump from a plane, hoping your parachute will open: you hope the mask and the visor will protect you, you hope the gloves will not rip, you hope that nothing “dirty” will come in contact with your body.

Entering the ward is like walking into a bubble: all sounds are muffled by the heavy equipment. For the first 10 to 15 minutes you can’t see anything because your breath fogs up the visor until it adapts to the temperature, and then you start seeing something between the droplets of condensation. You walk in, hoping the shoe covers will not come off as usual, and the shift starts.

You take your instructions from your exhausted colleagues from the previous shift. There is a phone that’s used for receiving special instructions on hospitalizations from the regional coordinator of the health system; you hope it will not ring often and that hospitalizations will be few. You and your colleagues sort out tasks and you start visiting patients: the young patient you were about to intubate the other day is getting better, the elderly one is dying, the nun is still fighting, and the nurse from your hospital is not doing well…. You see faces you don’t know and others you know very well, the faces of people who worked in your ward until only a couple of weeks ago.

It’s amazing how quickly everything has changed. Your research and clinic routine feel so far away. You miss the emergency department shifts because compared with this, they appear easy as pie. The hours go by, and your nose hurts more and more, the mask cuts through your skin and you can’t wait to take it off and finally breathe. Breathe. It’s what we all want these days, doctors and patients, nurses and care workers. All of us. We want air.

Finally, the end of your shift comes, 12 hours made even longer and more endless by thirst, hunger, and the need to relieve yourself, things you cannot do when you’re on duty: drinking, eating, or going to the bathroom would mean taking off the protective equipment. Too risky. And too expensive. Protective equipment is precious, and taking it off means having to replace some of it, reducing the quantity available to your colleagues. You have to be thrifty, you have to resist and wear a diaper you hope you won’t have to use because your dignity and your psychological state are compromised enough as it is by the work you are doing, the look on the patients’ faces, the words of their relatives when you call them to update them on the condition of their loved ones. Some ask you to wish their father a happy name day, others to tell their mother they love her and to give her a caress…and you do what they ask, trying to hide from your colleagues the tears in your eyes.

The end of the shift comes, reinforcements arrive, other colleagues take over. You give them instructions, the things to do, the things not to do. You can go home, but first you have to take off your protections, and you must be careful — careful with every move you make. Removing protective equipment is another ritual that must be performed calmly, because everything you are wearing is contaminated and must not come in contact with your skin.

You are tired and you just want to get away, but you must make one last effort, concentrate on each movement you make to remove all the protections. Each movement has to be slow. You can finally take off the mask, and when you peel it off, you feel a searing pain from the bleeding cuts that it made in your nose. The tape was useless — it didn’t stop your nose from bleeding or hurting. But at least you’re free. You leave the undressing area naked, put on uniform scrubs, and go to the changing rooms.
You get dressed, leave the hospital, and take a deep breath. Get in the car. When you get home you have to be watchful again. The entryway is already organized like the hospital undressing area because you cannot risk contaminating the house. You undress, put everything in a bag, and quickly take a hot shower: the virus can survive on your hair, so you have to wash yourself thoroughly.
It’s over.

The shift is over, the fight has just begun."
Click to expand...

First few days were really nasty. Cap part of PPE suit was so stiff my neck was flexed forcibly to maintain it in place throughout duty hours. I got severe headache after duty on first day and had to take 2 pills. With little modifications PPE is more comfortable now but forehead now feels a different texture from face. My shift is 04 hours.

btw, I found some help in chewing gum. I put in 2 bubbles before entering the hospital. Keeps the thirst away.
 
I'm a very cynical person and maybe this post ain't in the right place, but just you watch as all the social media bandwagoners and "#supportthenhs" 9pm clappers subsequently vote for and defend the same policies that underfund the health service, cause junior doctors to work slave hours for a slave salary and change absolutely nothing when this blows over.

I really hope this virus will cause change and lead to proper funding in health but lets be realistic, it sadly wont. The cheerleaders will shift to another trend that gets them clout and the actual heroes in all this will be left doing the same thankless task in woeful conditions.
 
Donal Cozzie said:
I'm a very cynical person and maybe this post ain't in the right place, but just you watch as all the social media bandwagoners and "#supportthenhs" 9pm clappers subsequently vote for and defend the same policies that underfund the health service, cause junior doctors to work slave hours for a slave salary and change absolutely nothing when this blows over.

I really hope this virus will cause change and lead to proper funding in health but lets be realistic, it sadly wont. The cheerleaders will shift to another trend that gets them clout and the actual heroes in all this will be left doing the same thankless task in woeful conditions.
Click to expand...

Agree with you but I think there will be some changes.

COVID-19 has shaken up the status quo.
 
Tributes have been paid to three more nurses who died due to Covid-19, with more than 20 NHS staff now thought to have died with the virus.

On Saturday, Central and North West London (CNWL) NHS Foundation Trust confirmed Sara Trollope, a nurse employed by the trust, had died at Watford General Hospital after testing positive for Covid-19.

Mrs Trollope had worked at Hillingdon Hospital and has been praised for her empathy and support for older people with dementia.

Paying tribute to the mother-of-four, medical director Dr Paul Hopper said: “Sara had that unbeatable combination of kindness, selflessness and total determination to get things right for patients. She was an example to every one of us.”

It comes after Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed the death of a nurse who was self-isolating due to Covid-19 symptoms.

Julie Omar, 52, was an experienced nurse who had been working at Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital.

Trust chief executive Matthew Hopkins said: “It is with great sorrow that I have to share with you the sad news that a much-loved member of our nursing team – Julie Omar – has died.”

Nurse Gareth Roberts, who had been a nurse since the 1980s, was also confirmed to have died after testing positive for the virus, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said.

Earlier: Nineteen NHS workers have died in coronavirus pandemic, Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirms
Sorry, this content isn't available on your device.

Two porters at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford were also confirmed to have died.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said on Saturday that both men were married to nursing staff at the hospital.

Dr Bruno Holthof, chief executive officer, and Sir Jonathan Montgomery, chair of the Trust, said: “This tragic loss of our two colleagues touches us all.

“We are a team and every single member of our team is precious. We all need each other and we stand together in honouring the memories of our colleagues.”

Doctor Abdul Mabud Chowdhury who issued warning over lack of PPE dies after contracting Covid-19
Sorry, this content isn't available on your device.

On Saturday morning, Health Secretary Matt Hancock paid tribute to those who had died, then announcing a total of 19 deaths.

He said: “My heart goes out to their families, these are people who have put themselves on the front line.

“The work is going on to establish whether they caught coronavirus in the line of duty while at work or whether, like so many other people, caught it in the rest of their lives.”

A nurse based at St Cross Hospital in Rugby, who the trust are not identifying, died of suspected Covid-19.

Elsie Sazuze, a care home nurse who worked for Wolverhampton-based agency Totallycare, died this week, the agency confirmed.

Aintree University Hospital said staff nurse Liz Glanister died on Friday April 3.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock paid tribute to the members of the “NHS Family” who had died in the pandemic on Saturday. Credit: PA
Nurse Areema Nasreen, 36, died on April 2 in intensive care at Walsall Manor Hospital in the West Midlands – where she had worked for 16 years.

Nurse Aimee O’Rourke, 39, died at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (QEQMH) in Margate, Kent, where she worked, on Thursday.

Rebecca Mack, 29, died on Sunday after going into self-isolation with coronavirus symptoms.

Donald Suelto, who worked at Hammersmith Hospital in west London, died after going into self-isolation with coronavirus symptoms, a friend and fellow NHS nurse said.

The Mail on Sunday reported that 27-year-old nurse John Alagos – who treated coronavirus patients at Watford General Hospital – died after a shift on Friday April 3.

Nurse Alice Kit Tak Ong, 70, passed away on Tuesday, her daughter said.

Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex on Sunday announced the death of 54-year-old midwife Lynsay Coventry while Janice Graham, a 58-year-old healthcare support worker in Scotland, died on Monday.

Healthcare assistant Thomas Harvey, 57, a father-of-seven who worked at Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford, east London, died at home on March 29.

Another healthcare assistant, Glen Corbin, 59, had worked at the Park Royal Centre for Mental Health in Harlesden, north-west London, for more than 25 years.

Dr Habib Zaidi, 76, a GP in Leigh-on-Sea, died in intensive care at Southend Hospital, Essex, on March 25.

Amged El-Hawrani, an ear, nose and throat consultant with University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB), died at the Glenfield Hospital in Leicester on March 28.

Dr Alfa Saadu, 68, who had returned to work from retirement, died on Monday at the Whittington Hospital in north London.

Transplant surgeon Adil El Tayar, 63, died at West Middlesex University Hospital in Isleworth, west London, on March 25.

Professor Sami Shousha, 79, who had worked at UK cancer research laboratories at London’s Hammersmith and Charing Cross hospitals since 1978, died on April 2.

Consultant geriatrician Anton Sebastianpillai, who had a long association with Kingston Hospital in south-west London, died on April 4.

Consultant urologist Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, who wrote a Facebook post asking Prime Minister Boris Johnson to urgently provide every NHS worker with PPE, died on Wednesday night.

Dr Edmond Adedeji, 62, who worked as a locum registrar in the emergency department of Great Western Hospital in Swindon, Wiltshire, died on April 8.

Jitendra Rathod, an associate specialist in cardio-thoracic surgery at the University Hospital of Wales, died on Monday morning.

GP Fayez Ayache, 76, died in Ipswich Hospital on April 8.

Another family doctor, Syed Haider, who worked in Dagenham east London, died in hospital on Monday after it is believed he developed coronavirus symptoms.

Patient discharge planner Barbara Moore, 54, died on Monday, the Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said.

https://www.itv.com/news/2020-04-11/tributes-paid-to-three-more-nurses-as-nhs-death-toll-rises/
 
India, like most parts of the world, is in a race against time to procure personal protective equipment (PPE) for the safety of its medical teams fighting to halt the spread of coronavirus.

The country has reported more than 8,500 coronavirus cases and at least 289 have died. The first 100 cases were mostly reported in cities, but now more people have tested positive in smaller towns and cities.

This has generated a huge demand for protective equipment for doctors and health workers across the country, and state governments are struggling to cope with it.

In some cases, doctors were forced to use raincoats and motorbike helmets.

One doctor, who is working in the state-run hospital in the northern city of Lucknow, said: "We are not getting PPE kits as fast as we should."

"This is really a war and we are being compared to soldiers. But you don't send soldiers to fight a war without ammunition," she told the BBC.

Several doctors and nurses have tested positive in cities like Delhi and Mumbai and the hospitals where they worked have been shut down.

This has raised serious concerns about the safety of frontline medical staff.

But PPE kits are also needed for law enforcement agencies who are helping health workers with contact tracing and the management of quarantine facilities.

A senior police officer in Uttar Pradesh told the BBC that policemen are also "directly exposed to the risk of coronavirus infection".

"Recently a man who had tested positive ran away from a quarantine facility. The police had to bring him back. So, we also need to protect ourselves," he said.

The policeman added that "we have PPE for now" but more will be "needed in the near future".

Several state chief ministers have also said that more PPE are needed to protect emergency workers.

"We urgently need PPE kits and have written to the central government about it. I do not want the doctors and nurses to work without the protective gear," Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal recently said.

India needs at least a million PPE kits, as well as 40 million N95 masks, 20 million surgical masks and a million litres of hand sanitisers at the moment, according to HLL Lifecare Limited, a government-owned body that has been tasked to procure PPE.

The federal ministry of health on 9 April said that it had placed orders for 17 million PPE kits - which is way more than the HLL Lifecare Limited's estimates.

The ministry said it has approved 20 domestic manufacturers to produce protective gears.

But it's unclear how quickly the manufacturers can meet the demand. The ministry said in a press release on 30 March that the suppliers were able to produce a total of 15,000 kits per day.

It also added that orders are being placed with foreign manufacturers from countries like Singapore and China, and some have come in the form of donations.

But the fear is that even this supply may not be enough if the pandemic spreads widely in smaller districts and towns.

Several smaller firms and self-help groups have come forward to bridge the gap - but they are mostly making masks and face shields.

Maker's Asylum, a collective that provides tools and space to designers, came up with the idea of face shields for frontline workers.

Richa Srivastava, the collective's managing partner, said "we usually provide tools and space for designers".

"But we took on manufacturing because the country needs it. The face shield stops people from touching their faces frequently," she told the BBC.

Ms Srivastava added that they have activated 12 such labs across the country and have so far manufactured 100,000 face shields.

Women-led groups in several states, including Kerala in the south and Indian-administered Kashmir in the north, are also making cloth masks.

But it's the production of medical-grade PPE that India desperately needs to ramp up.

Public health expert Anant Bhan told the BBC that the government should have taken decisions quickly.

"We knew in January that the pandemic was coming and we should have started stockpiling sooner," he said.

The government released production specification for PPE only on 23 March.

Mr Bhan said that "it was too late for manufacturers" to quickly ramp up production.

"They need to source raw material and adjust production lines to meet the specification. And that takes time," he said.

Experts say that there are other areas where the government can look into to meet the demand.

Rajiv Nath, of the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry, told the BBC that the government should import raw material quickly and sign up more manufacturers.

"Garment exporters, manufacturers of army uniforms should be roped in because specifications are now available," he said.

But Mr Bhan feels it's not going to be easy.

"It's admirable that clothes-making factories are coming forward to help. But PPE manufacturing requires specific skills and expertise," he said.

He added that quality control is the key because "there is no point in having bad PPEs".

"This virus is highly contagious and the only defence medical teams have is good-quality PPEs," he said.

The country is in a complete lockdown. Exporters say it is difficult for them to get workforce and procure raw material.

Mr Bhan says that such "worries are real".

"PPE manufacturing has to be taken as an emergency. Entire state machinery has to come together. Passes have to be given to factories and their workers so they can move easily," he said. Ensuring supplies to remote corners of the country is another challenge.

Mr Bhan say there is no point in making PPE if they "can't reach the one who need them the most".

"It's okay to compare our doctors with soldiers - but they shouldn't be asked to make this heroic choice of going to work without proper protection," he added.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52215071
 
One third of NHS staff and key workers tested in the UK have coronavirus, amid concerns over access to protective equipment

A third of NHS staff and key workers who have been tested for coronavirus in the UK have returned positive results, new British government data shows.

According to figures released Monday, 16,888 people who fall into the category of "key workers and their households," and who have shown symptoms or live with symptomatic people, have been tested. So far, 5,733 -- or 34 percent -- were confirmed to have the virus.
Health workers who are not symptomatic and do not live with people who are do not meet the UK's criteria for testing, so the number is not necessarily representative of all workers.

The government has been under intense pressure to ramp up testing for NHS workers and their families, and to improve their access to appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has previously said that the ultimate goal is to provide testing to all NHS workers regardless of symptoms.

But the level of testing in the UK remains drastically lower than several European countries. Responding to criticism over the rate, Hancock said on April 2 he would increase the number from 10,000 to 100,000 tests per day by the end of the month -- saying he was "determined we'll get there".

On April 12, however, only 14,506 tests were conducted according to his Health Department, suggesting the government is significantly behind that goal.

On the issue of equipment, meanwhile, Hancock said Sunday that the government was "working night and day to make sure that we get the right PPE."

At least 19 NHS workers battling the coronavirus pandemic have died, and numerous associations representing medical workers have complained that they have not been provided with enough PPE to safely treat Covid-19 patients.

On Monday, the Royal College of Nursing issued guidance that staff were entitled to refuse to work if they did not feel comfortable doing so: "If the employer does not provide appropriate PPE and a safe working environment, as an employee you can refuse to care for a patient."

The union emphasized that this should be a "last resort," and that "you must be able to justify your decision as reasonable, so keep a written record of the safety concerns that led you to withdraw treatment."

Donna Kinnair, the union's chief executive, told the BBC on Saturday that British nurses do not have adequate protection.

"My inbox, on a daily basis, this is the number one priority that nurses are bringing to my attention -- that they do not have adequate supplies of PPE equipment," she said.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/14/uk/uk-coronavirus-nhs-one-third-test-positive-gbr-intl/index.html
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This 99-year-old war veteran has raised more than £6m for the NHS amid the ongoing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a> pandemic. <a href="https://t.co/GTxJupHkqu">pic.twitter.com/GTxJupHkqu</a></p>— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) <a href="https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/status/1250408534174556160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Saud Anwar is taking on the novel coronavirus on multiple fronts: as a Connecticut resident, a state senator, and first and foremost, he says, as a doctor.

"I am just a doctor, who happens to be in [the] public and policy arena," Dr Anwar, a pulmonary specialist in the United States, told Al Jazeera. "I'm not a policymaker who's a doctor. It's the other way around."

to be in a position to serve as the world contends with the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than two million and killed at least 133,000 worldwide.

Anwar has won the praises of his community and other medical professionals for his multipronged efforts, including helping develop a ventilator device that makes it possible for seven patients to be treated at once.

While most people who contract the novel coronavirus do not need a ventilator, for those who do, the machine, which helps people breathe, can be lifesaving. As the number of cases in the US - which now tops 619,000 - began to surge, governors from New York to California scrambled to amass their ventilator stockpiles, warning shortages could cause more deaths.

That is when the idea for the ventilator device came about. Kevin Dyer of InterPRO, a 3D printing and manufacturing company based in Connecticut, used his network to reach out to Dr Anwar and engineer Robert Conley, who owns Interactive Cad Solutions, about what could be done.

The 3D-printed splitter can increase the capacity of ventilators to treat more than one patient at once [Courtesy of Kevin Dyer] [Daylife]
The team developed a "simple" splitter device that can be used on a ventilator to create "multiple branches" so that several patients can be hooked up to the machine at once, Dyer told Al Jazeera.

Downloaded worldwide
Anwar shared information about the ventilator device on his Facebook page, including a video demonstrating how the part works.

The team also made the design information available for anyone to download. The reaction was almost immediate.

"There was a lot of enthusiasm" since it was "made available as a downloadable, shareable file that anyone could print," Dyer said.

According to Dyer, the design had been downloaded about 1,000 times in more than 100 countries, including Zimbabwe and South Africa as of last week.

"Our hope is that somewhere in the world, as this crisis continues to unfold, that this design will be able to help someone, somewhere who doesn't have the access to all of the technology that we have in the US," Dyer said.

While Anwar has not had to use the device in Connecticut, he said that should the need arise and should it pass bureaucratic hurdles for use, he could.

'Unsung hero'

In the meantime, however, he continues his work in both the medical and policy arenas.

"This battle has multiple fronts," Dr Anwar said.

"How do you manage these patients? What can be done? So I'm helping educate the people at various levels about strategies to manage the disease as we learn more about it," he added. "Everybody is doing their part and I'm doing my little part to hopefully share my experience and in my effort and my passion to help people and fight for every single person to take it to the next level."

That passion has not gone unnoticed. An "unsung hero parade" of cars drove past Anwar's home last week to thank the doctor for his work.

"Thank you for all your heroism," read a sign on one of the cars.

Dyer agreed. "Without [Anwar's] willingness to get involved, without him being open to the [ventilator device] idea [it] would have gone absolutely nowhere," Dyer said.

For Anwar, the battle against the coronavirus starts with making sure those on the front lines have the necessary protection and equipment.

"If people have equated the current COVID pandemic with a war ... then the healthcare workers, the physicians, the nurses, the respiratory therapists [and] the nurses' aids - these are the front-line warriors," he said. "They need their protection and they need their support. And they need an investment to make sure that they are well taken care of all over the world. Because between this invisible illness and the protection of our society, it is just one force of healthcare workers standing there."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...kes-ventilator-shortages-200415211901285.html
 
Coronavirus: Concern over protective kit guidance change

Concerns have been raised that updated government guidance on personal protective equipment (PPE) could put hospital staff and patients at risk.

Healthcare workers have been advised to reuse gowns or wear different kit, such as plastic aprons with coveralls, if stocks in England run low.

Unions representing doctors and nurses have expressed concerns about the updated Public Health England guidance.

The government said it is working to provide the PPE stocks hospitals need.

There have been warnings some hospitals could run out of the gowns used in intensive care units this weekend.

Healthcare staff treating patients with Covid-19 have previously been advised to wear long-sleeved disposable fluid-repellent gowns.

But Public Health England changed its guidance on Friday, outlining three options if the gowns are not available as "some compromise is needed to optimise the supply of PPE in times of extreme shortages".

One option is for hospitals to reserve the gowns for surgical operations and procedures which are likely to transmit respiratory pathogens.

Another is for staff to reuse "(washable) surgical gowns or coveralls or similar suitable clothing (for example, long-sleeved laboratory coat, long-sleeved patient gown or industrial coverall) with a disposable plastic apron for AGPs (aerosol-generating procedures) and high-risk settings with forearm washing once gown or coverall is removed".

Front-line workers are particularly at risk. The British Transport Police has announced that a 53-year-old detective has died with coronavirus, leaving behind a wife and child.

Greater Manchester Police announced that Marcia Pryce, 61, who worked in the force's intelligence bureau, died after contracting Covid-19.

Meanwhile, councils in England have warned that the coronavirus crisis is pushing them to the brink of financial failure.

Elsewhere, Buckingham Palace has confirmed the Queen will not be marking her 94th birthday next Tuesday with gun salutes this year.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52335561
 
UK paramedic dies after contracting virus

A UK paramedic has died after contracting coronavirus, says the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS).

"This will deeply affect many people within the trust and we are supporting our staff during this very sad time," said the NWAS, which services north-west England.

It said they had lost a "very dear colleague" who had worked for the trust for a "considerable number of years". The unnamed paramedic was married with children.

As of 16 April, the government said there had been 27 verified deaths of National Health Service staff during the pandemic. But others, including retired staff who still worked within the NHS, have also died.

At Saturday's Downing Street briefing, Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick said the UK death toll, which has now risen above 15,000, was "heartbreaking".
 
UK hires former Olympic chief to boost hospital protective kit provision

Britain has appointed the former Goldman Sachs investment banker who led the country’s 2012 Olympic planning to organise the domestic manufacture of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers treating coronavirus patients.

The government has faced severe criticism from doctors and health workers over shortages of equipment, including masks, visors and gowns, and the suggestion that some items might have to be re-used if supplies run out.

Paul Deighton, who was chief executive of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, was appointed by Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Sunday.

“He will lead a singular and relentless focus on PPE as the country’s top manufacturing priority, with the full weight of the government behind him,” Hancock said.

The government and trade bodies have cited competing international demand for PPE from other nations hit by the global health crisis as the main reason for the shortage. Many items are primarily bought from China.

Deighton’s unpaid role will be to scale up production domestically, where brands like Barbour and Burberry have already switched factory lines from high-end fashion to PPE.

“Countries around the world face unprecedented demand for personal protective equipment and this necessitates an equally unprecedented domestic manufacturing response,” said Deighton.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...spital-protective-kit-provision-idUSKBN2200YI
 
Coronavirus: Delivery of protective kit for NHS delayed

A personal protective equipment (PPE) delivery from Turkey to the UK has been delayed, the government has said.

Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick said on Saturday equipment including 400,000 gowns would arrive on Sunday, and there was "short supply" in some areas.

A government spokesman confirmed the delay on Sunday, saying they were working "to ensure the shipment is delivered as soon as possible".

A source told the BBC they hoped it would arrive in the coming days.

The pledge to take delivery of more protective kit came after warnings that some hospitals' intensive care units could run out of gowns this weekend.

Public Health England changed its advice on Friday to allow the NHS to re-use gowns if stock was running low, saying "some compromise" was needed "in times of extreme shortages".

It asked staff to reuse "(washable) surgical gowns or coveralls or similar suitable clothing (for example, long-sleeved laboratory coat, long-sleeved patient gown or industrial coverall) with a disposable plastic apron for AGPs (aerosol-generating procedures) and high-risk settings with forearm washing once gown or coverall is removed".

The guidance also said hospitals could reserve the gowns for surgical operations and procedures which were likely to transmit respiratory pathogens.

NHS England's medical director Prof Stephen Powis said for the guidance on the use of protective equipment to be properly followed, it was "absolutely critical above everything else that we have the supplies of PPE going out to the front line".

But the Royal College of Nursing said the guidance was developed without a full consultation and the British Medical Association (BMA) - which represents doctors - said any change must be driven by science, not availability.

The delay to the consignment is a real worry, both in the short and long-term.

It is clear the pandemic stocks we have been largely relying on to date are running out, at least in terms of gowns and visors.

It has left us depending on international supply - certainly for gowns - as we do not seem to be able to manufacture them ourselves.

Given the international demand for them, this threatens to be an on-going issue that could cause problems for months to come.

Staff are understandably worried - they are putting their lives at risk.

Ministers and their officials are clearly working hard to do what they can.

But in the future, serious questions will need to be asked about why this situation has arisen in the first place.

Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said the UK had built up stocks of PPE in expectation of a flu pandemic - as well as to prepare for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit - but he said there was a "worldwide pressure" on supplies.

However, he told the BBC's Andrew Marr the extra resources would be coming from Turkey "this weekend", along with another 25 million gowns, that were coming from China.

Labour's shadow health secretary, Jon Ashworth, said "serious mistakes have been made" by the government in tackling the outbreak.

He told Sky News: "We know that our front-line NHS staff don't have the PPE, that they've been told this weekend that they won't necessarily have the gowns which are vital to keep them safe."

The government has appointed Lord Deighton, who headed the organising committee of the London Olympics, to resolve problems with supplies and distribution of PPE.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-52343912
 
A "hugely respected" NHS emergency consultant has died in the hospital he worked at after contracting coronavirus.

Manjeet Singh Riyat was the first A&E consultant from the Sikh community in the country and died at Royal Derby hospital on Monday.

Royal Derby Hospital and University Hospitals of Derby and Burton said it is with "deep sadness" they share the news that the trust and the wider NHS "has lost a hugely respected colleague".

Gavin Boyle, chief executive of the hospital, said: "I want to pay tribute to Mr Manjeet Riyat, who has sadly passed away.

"Mr Riyat, known to his colleagues as Manjeet, was a widely respected consultant in emergency medicine nationally.

"Manjeet was the first A&E consultant from the Sikh community in the country and was instrumental in building the Emergency Medicine Service in Derbyshire over the past two decades.

"He was an incredibly charming person and well loved. Manjeet knew so many people here across the hospital, we will all miss him immensely."

Speaking to Sky News, the cousin of Mr Riyat said: "He was a mountain of a man. He was my brother basically, if there's one man I'm going to miss the most it's him.

"He was the most generous man you could meet - the kindest man you could meet, with a great sense of humour."

Susie Hewitt, consultant in emergency medicine at the hospital, described Mr Riyat as an "enormously valued and much loved colleague".

She said: "He was a powerful advocate for the sickest patients and was well known for his fair, no-nonsense approach. By contrast, Manjeet could be relied upon to lift the mood with his dry humour and sense of fun.

"For many, Manjeet was considered the father of the current emergency department in Derby and many more will reflect on how his inspiration has shaped their own careers."

Ms Hewitt added that Mr Riyat was "fiercely proud" of his wife and two sons.

Mr Riyat became one of four consultants in emergency medicine at the Royal Derbyshire Royal Infirmary in 2003 and was the first person from the Sikh community to be appointed as an emergency medicine consultant in the UK.

Among his many achievements, Mr Riyat had a passion for teaching and contributed to medical education throughout his career.

As Derby college tutor for emergency medicine, he oversaw the training of junior doctors from multiple specialties in the emergency department, Ms Hewitt said.

He also spent 17 years serving as an educational supervisor to dozens of regional emergency medicine trainees, taking particular pride in his work supporting trainees in difficulty for the Deanery.

In another tribute, Dr Kathy McLean OBE, chair of the University Hospitals Derby and Burton, said: "Mr Manjeet Riyat made a huge contribution to the NHS in Derbyshire and across the field of emergency medicine nationally.

"It was clear that he was an outstanding emergency medicine doctor and generations of families in this region have benefitted from the care he provided.

"Manjeet was hugely popular across the hospital and a warm and embracing figure, a person who many of our staff looked up to."

As of Monday, a total of 16,509 people diagnosed with COVID-19 - the disease caused by coronavirus - have lost their lives in the UK.

Most of those who have died across the four nations have been over the age of 70, but the victims have also included young children.

Meanwhile, another health professional has died after contracting the disease.

Gerallt Davies, 51, is the first paramedic in Wales to die after suffering COVID-19.

He had been awarded an MBE in 2009 for his work as a national operations officer for St John Cymru Wales.

He was based at Cwmbwrla Station in Swansea and had worked for the ambulance service for 26 years.

Mr Davies' death was described as "a devastating blow" for his colleagues.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...worked-in-after-contracting-covid-19-11976198
 
A top orthopaedic surgeon at Whiston Hospital - described as a "caring, very experienced and dedicated doctor" - has died with coronavirus.

Sadeq Elhowsh, 58, is the latest frontline worker on Merseyside to tragically succumb to Covid-19.

Bosses at Whiston said the married dad-of-four was "dearly loved by all of his close colleagues and well respected by his patients" over his 17 years with St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

In a statement, his devastated family said: "Sadeq was a wonderful husband, as well as a devoted father, and he dearly loved his family. We cannot put into words the depth of our loss.

"He loved his work and was dedicated to supporting his patients and his colleagues.

"As a family we are extremely appreciative for all the kind words and messages we have received. We would like to take this time to grieve in private."

Close friends said Mr Elhowsh, whose well-known catchphrase was "Don't worry, I will sort it," had died yesterday evening.

Mr Elhowsh had been fighting for his life on a ventilator for weeks, colleagues also said.

Tributes were paid to the medic, who worked in trauma and orthopaedics, and who was described as a "true gentleman" by devastated friends.

So far, an amazing £27,500 has been raised for Mr Elhowsh's family within just 10 hours, and to support his eldest son who has just been accepted into medical school, pals added.

It was set up by his close friend, colleague and fellow consultant orthopaedic surgeon Ravi Gudena.

In his moving tribute, on behalf of colleagues, he said: "Sadeq Elhowsh is our dear friend and colleague and a caring orthopaedic doctor at Whiston Hospital [who] succumbed to Covid 19 on 20th April 2020.

"He is a true gentleman, loving father and husband.

"He is a very valuable member of the orthopaedic team at Whiston Hospital.

"He is always there to help any one .. and his famous quote is "don’t worry, I will sort it."

"He was well respected by all the patients, and dearly loved by all the staff, colleagues and juniors.

"He is a proud father of four sons and the eldest been offered medical school admission this year, which he is so proud of.

"He left us before he can cherish the moments of seeing his son as medical graduate.

"We are raising funds to support his family and his son’s medical education.

"May his soul rest In peace.

"We will forever miss you, Mr Elhowsh."

Another friend, himself a former orthopaedic and trauma surgeon, added: "Unlike Boris, he had caught coronavirus in the line of duty, serving the public of Knowsley and St Helens.

"Sadly, despite the truly heroic efforts of the intensive care staff in his own hospital, he succumbed and leaves a grieving young family.

"When I was working, he was appointed by me, he stood by me and supported our unit during its darkest times when it was potentially going to fall apart and be disbanded.

It is something that has, at some point, touched all our lives.

From cradle to grave, the National Health Service, and the incredible professionals within it who care for us, is a part of British life.

Today, more than ever, we should cherish those who dedicate themselves to our care, heedless of their own health as they work tirelessly to care for people in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Nurses and others - employed by the NHS and any other part of health and care - we have never needed them more.

So let’s show them some love, and create a living map of gratitude from every corner of Britain.

Thanks a million, NHS workers - we love you.

"He was a caring and very experienced doctor, dedicated, enthusiastic and hard working, despite being kicked in the teeth by the system as a whole on many occasions.

"As a permanent member of staff, but a staff grade doctor, he was one of my “children” for whom I became educationally responsible....

"Now his struggle has ended.

"May he rest in paradise.

"Please help his young family."

Ann Marr, the Trust's chief executive, said: “Sadeq will be sadly missed by all who knew and worked with him.

"He was without doubt a much loved member of the team. All our thoughts are with Sadeq’s family and friends at this time and we offer them our sincere condolences.”

Well-wishers and those who knew Mr Elhowsh paid further tributes to him.

Sadeea Kaleem said: "I taught brother Sadeq’s sons, and I have never met such a loving and caring father.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/top-surgeon-whiston-hospital-dies-18123629
 
East London GP Dr Yusuf Patel sadly died with Covid-19 yesterday, becoming the fifth GP to pass away from the virus in the UK.

Dr Patel, who was a GP partner and founder of the Woodgrange NHS Medical Practice in Forest Gate, had been treated at Whipps Cross Hospital.

His practice described the 'immeasurable pain' of losing their colleague.

Its statement said: ‘It is with a very heavy heart that we have to inform you of the sad loss of Dr Yusuf Ismail Patel, GP principal and founder of Woodgrange NHS Medical Practice.

‘After a valiant struggle with Covid, Dr Patel finally succumbed to his illness on Monday 20 April.

‘This is a tragic loss to all his family, friends, colleagues and patients. The pain is immeasurable. He has touched and enriched many lives and we miss him dearly.'

Dr Muhammad Waqqas Naqvi, chair of NHS Newham CCG and Dr Patel’s practice colleague, added: ‘Yusuf was a very special GP, person and leader’.

Dr Osman Bhatti, a fellow GP in East London, told Pulse: ‘He was an experienced GP who was involved not only with his local practice and his patients, but also for the local community around Newham.

‘Specifically, he was also a support of knowledge and judgement for many colleagues around him, and his loss will leave a big void in the practice and local community.’

Dr Patel graduated from Sheffield Medical School in 1984.

Demonstrating how his influence was not only observed within the realm of medicine, he was also remembered as a pillar of his community.

All five of the GPs who have died with Covid-19 were men of BAME origin. The Government is currently investigating why this demographic appears to be worst-affected by coronavirus.

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/clinica...UJvwS0n7K9z_BqCDYfhXYu_67NV2ahX3HSMeV9Pwo7-CY
 
MenInG said:
A top orthopaedic surgeon at Whiston Hospital - described as a "caring, very experienced and dedicated doctor" - has died with coronavirus.

Sadeq Elhowsh, 58, is the latest frontline worker on Merseyside to tragically succumb to Covid-19.

Bosses at Whiston said the married dad-of-four was "dearly loved by all of his close colleagues and well respected by his patients" over his 17 years with St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

In a statement, his devastated family said: "Sadeq was a wonderful husband, as well as a devoted father, and he dearly loved his family. We cannot put into words the depth of our loss.

"He loved his work and was dedicated to supporting his patients and his colleagues.

"As a family we are extremely appreciative for all the kind words and messages we have received. We would like to take this time to grieve in private."

Close friends said Mr Elhowsh, whose well-known catchphrase was "Don't worry, I will sort it," had died yesterday evening.

Mr Elhowsh had been fighting for his life on a ventilator for weeks, colleagues also said.

Tributes were paid to the medic, who worked in trauma and orthopaedics, and who was described as a "true gentleman" by devastated friends.

So far, an amazing £27,500 has been raised for Mr Elhowsh's family within just 10 hours, and to support his eldest son who has just been accepted into medical school, pals added.

It was set up by his close friend, colleague and fellow consultant orthopaedic surgeon Ravi Gudena.

In his moving tribute, on behalf of colleagues, he said: "Sadeq Elhowsh is our dear friend and colleague and a caring orthopaedic doctor at Whiston Hospital [who] succumbed to Covid 19 on 20th April 2020.

"He is a true gentleman, loving father and husband.

"He is a very valuable member of the orthopaedic team at Whiston Hospital.

"He is always there to help any one .. and his famous quote is "don’t worry, I will sort it."

"He was well respected by all the patients, and dearly loved by all the staff, colleagues and juniors.

"He is a proud father of four sons and the eldest been offered medical school admission this year, which he is so proud of.

"He left us before he can cherish the moments of seeing his son as medical graduate.

"We are raising funds to support his family and his son’s medical education.

"May his soul rest In peace.

"We will forever miss you, Mr Elhowsh."

Another friend, himself a former orthopaedic and trauma surgeon, added: "Unlike Boris, he had caught coronavirus in the line of duty, serving the public of Knowsley and St Helens.

"Sadly, despite the truly heroic efforts of the intensive care staff in his own hospital, he succumbed and leaves a grieving young family.

"When I was working, he was appointed by me, he stood by me and supported our unit during its darkest times when it was potentially going to fall apart and be disbanded.

It is something that has, at some point, touched all our lives.

From cradle to grave, the National Health Service, and the incredible professionals within it who care for us, is a part of British life.

Today, more than ever, we should cherish those who dedicate themselves to our care, heedless of their own health as they work tirelessly to care for people in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Nurses and others - employed by the NHS and any other part of health and care - we have never needed them more.

So let’s show them some love, and create a living map of gratitude from every corner of Britain.

Thanks a million, NHS workers - we love you.

"He was a caring and very experienced doctor, dedicated, enthusiastic and hard working, despite being kicked in the teeth by the system as a whole on many occasions.

"As a permanent member of staff, but a staff grade doctor, he was one of my “children” for whom I became educationally responsible....

"Now his struggle has ended.

"May he rest in paradise.

"Please help his young family."

Ann Marr, the Trust's chief executive, said: “Sadeq will be sadly missed by all who knew and worked with him.

"He was without doubt a much loved member of the team. All our thoughts are with Sadeq’s family and friends at this time and we offer them our sincere condolences.”

Well-wishers and those who knew Mr Elhowsh paid further tributes to him.

Sadeea Kaleem said: "I taught brother Sadeq’s sons, and I have never met such a loving and caring father.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/top-surgeon-whiston-hospital-dies-18123629
Click to expand...

A moving tribute:

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 80%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/s/icpkul/jfxwft" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>
 
NHS staff already tested for coronavirus have been informed their test results might have been inaccurate, a health minister has admitted.

Helen Whately, the social care minister, told Sky News that those healthcare workers are now being offered another COVID-19 test after their initial test was deemed to have been "not up to scratch".

The Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday that a leaked document revealed tests on thousands of NHS staff were found to be flawed.

The memo from Public Health England (PHE), dated 11 April, warned of "degraded" performance, meaning the test results are less reliable than first thought, the newspaper said.

It also said PHE testing centres have now been told to stop using existing tests by Thursday and to instead use tests supplied by commercial firms.

Asked about the report, Ms Whately told Sky News: "My understanding from the clinical advisers is some of the early tests were evaluated and the evaluation was actually they weren't effective enough.

"This is a normal process when you are using a test for an illness, which as we know is a new illness and we're learning all the time.

"Those who were tested with the test that we think is not up to scratch have been written to, to let them know and they will be offered another test."

But Ms Whately downplayed the possibility of the flawed tests meaning that healthcare workers had been sent to work in hospitals and care homes with coronavirus.

She added: "In general we know that the guidance has been to people that, if you have symptoms, to make sure that you are isolating.

"We have to make sure we look at the reliability of tests.

"And this has been, also, the whole debate around the testing of people who don't have symptoms, for instance.

"One reason why the testing is focused on people who do have symptoms is because we know the testing is most accurate when you have symptoms.

"This is really, really important - not just to test but to make sure we are testing people effectively.

"You need to make sure that it's giving you an accurate result on which decisions can then be made."

On Tuesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was "terrific" that capacity for coronavirus testing across the UK was increasing, as the government aims to deliver 100,000 tests a day by the end of this month.

Official figures showed less than half of the current available COVID-19 testing capacity has been used.

In the 24 hours to 9am on Monday, 19,316 tests were conducted against capacity for 39,250.
Professor Sharon Peacock, director of the national infection service at PHE, told the Daily Telegraph: "No diagnostic test is 100% sensitive.

"Following a rigorous evaluation, we learned the PCR test produced different results to alternative tests in less than 2% of samples, and we issued immediate actions to laboratory staff to ensure the continued reliability of the test.

"The test is regularly and thoroughly reviewed to make sure it remains reliable and effective.

"It is standard practice to move to commercial test kits once available, and this work is already under way."

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...er-initial-checks-found-to-be-flawed-11976873
 
103 UK healthcare workers believed to have died

Analysis by BBC News suggests 103 healthcare workers are now believed to have died from coronavirus. 53 were men, 49 women.

Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people represent 65 of those deaths, where we have been able to establish ethnicity. Thirteen have been reported as Filipino.

We've been unable to verify whether these people tested positive for the virus. Instead, our information comes from public reports where the family or workplace have said their death was related to Covid-19.

Of the doctors who we believe were working in a hospital environment, all 16 were BAME and male, with a significant majority over 50.

Medical staff account for 22 deaths; nursing and midwifery 34 deaths; allied occupations 47 deaths.

It is unclear how many contracted the virus in the course of their work in the health sector.
 
As much as I love and respect their work, there is no way I believe they should be sending out social media videos of rehearsed, choreographed dancing. It is very disrespectful to those who have lost so, so much because of this pandemic.

Dance, booze, party all you like behind closed doors to relieve stress and lift each other’s spirits, but have the courtesy to not share it as a rehearsed video for social media for the world to see.
 
New York City - Dr Ahmed Hozain intends to wake up around 4am on Friday and begin the first day of his Ramadan fasting. For 15 hours, the 32-year-old surgery resident and lung transplant researcher plans to abstain from eating, drinking, chewing gum and taking medicine as he goes through his daily routine, which now includes caring for more than a dozen COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit at the Brooklyn hospital where he works.

Hozain has been fasting since he was 10 years old, and although some days are harder than others, he generally feels good. He is a bit sharper mentally. He has more free time. He does not worry about feeling tired after a big meal. Even in his first years of practising medicine, when he would sometimes be pulled unexpectedly into the emergency room and have to extend his fast for an additional hour or two, he never broke early and ate before sunset.

But amid the exhaustion of fighting a pandemic, he wonders whether that will be the case this year.

"The goal is to go through it like I've always done," he says. "But, I'm not opposed to breaking it if I need to."

Muslims worldwide are trying to figure out how they'll adapt their religious practices to a radically different world during the holy month of Ramadan. In March, the National Muslim Task Force issued a statement that urged the United States's more than 3.4 million Muslims to "follow local protocols for self-quarantine and social distancing" and requested that congregational prayers be suspended. Even in the 12 states with religious exemptions to their stay-at-home orders, mosques contacted by Al Jazeera have been closed for weeks, including those in Jacksonville and Gainesville, Florida, Dearborn, Michigan, Missoula, Montana, Birmingham, Alabama, and Austin, Texas.

"Anecdotally, I do not know of a single mosque in America that remains open for business right now," says Edward Ahmed Mitchell, the executive director of the Council of American-Islamic Relations. "And the few that were kind of stragglers and delayed by a week or so - even they ended up getting on board."

On one hand, these closures have severely disrupted the traditions surrounding Ramadan, when Muslims typically break their fast together as a community.

On the other, Islam is uniquely capable of adapting to the stay-at-home orders. Ramadan does not require Muslims to pray inside a mosque, and the dangers of a pandemic are part of the religion's founding. "Historically, the Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings be upon him, taught people that if a plague breaks out in your land, don't leave," says Mitchell. "And if a plague breaks out somewhere else, don't go there. So this wasn't a major theological dispute."

Due to the quarantine, many Muslims now control their daily schedules in a way that is normally impossible during the holy month. But the opposite is true for thousands of doctors, nurses and other essential workers in the US, who are overworked and under immense stress.

"Cognitively, you're engaged the whole day," says Hozain, whose patients have such trouble breathing that the majority must be intubated. "If I don't give that patient sedation, they're freaking out. They're very uncomfortable. They're biting on the tube," he says. "So you have to give them enough medication that they don't fight it, but not too much because it can have longer-term side effects."

Pros and cons
Should Hozain want to delay his fast, the Quran allows him to make up the days at a later time.

"Islam teaches that protecting human life is the number-one priority," says Mitchell. "So there are exceptions to almost every religious rule."

However, religious authorities disagree about how widely these exemptions should be applied. "Fasting is uncomfortable," says Kassem Allie, executive administrator for the Islamic Center of America, in Dearborn, "but you can't just say, 'I don't feel well. I'm not going to fast.' To really be excused from fasting, you need to have the recommendation from a physician."

Others see the decision as more of a personal choice, like Adam Stadheim, an assistant imam at the University of Montana. He compares it to how you are permitted to sit during prayers if standing causes you pain. "How do you decide what's too painful?" he asks. "Enough that it distracts you, so there is a level of subjectivity in determining if you feel too sick."

But those who choose not to fast miss out on a fundamental part of Islamic culture, says Shima Dowla Anwar, a 31-year-old MD / PhD candidate in Birmingham with a stomach condition that typically prevents her from fasting for more than a few days at a time.

"It's a communal experience," she says. "Everybody's talking about it. Everybody's going through it together, and I don't get to do that with them."

Echoing that sentiment is Dr Bedirhan Tarhan, a 31-year-old resident in pediatric neurology in Gainesville, Florida. Though he loves fasting, he is uncertain whether he will go the full month should the number of cases spike in his area. "If I feel like the fast is affecting my health or performance fighting against the virus, I'll delay it," he says.

For other doctors, though, there is no doubt. Despite the fact that Dr Mobeen Rathore's models predict the virus to peak around the second week of Ramadan in the Jacksonville area, the infectious disease specialist, who has been practising for almost 29 years, says it has "never even been a consideration not to fast".

For Hozain, not fasting is a consideration, but not an easy one, especially in the heat of the moment.

"I've always wondered, 'Am I actually judging myself fairly to be able to determine my capacity to work, or is it an unfair, biased judgement?'," he says.

However, he trusts the other doctors to help him make the decision, and after more than 20 years of observing Ramadan, he also trusts himself. "You know yourself," he says, "and you know how hard you work, and you know how sharp you need to be and what kinds of clinical decisions you need to make."

https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/f...uslim-doctors-weigh-fast-200423122526535.html
 
A "very special" doctor who cared for elderly people on three continents during his career has died after contracting coronavirus.

Dr Medhat Atalla, 62, was a consultant geriatrician at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, where he passed away.

The hospital said he was a "hugely popular and respected colleague" and a "truly gentle gentleman" who affected the lives of "so many in such a positive way".

"He will be hugely missed by us all," senior staff added as they thanked colleagues for doing "all they could to care for and support him as he bravely battled COVID-19".

Dr Atalla arrived in Britain from Egypt about 20 years ago and cared for many elderly patients in hospitals in the north of England.

Hundreds of people paid tribute to the consultant on Facebook, with one saying she "sat crying" as she read the news, adding that he was a "real NHS hero".

Someone else said he was "such a kind and gentle soul".

One member of staff said on the trust's Facebook page: "RIP you wonderful man.

"Your ward rounds were absolute gold, so much time spent listening to patients & giving them a reassuring squeeze when so many of us felt too rushed for time.

"You made them smile so much & your empathy did not go unnoticed. An enormous loss to geriatrics."

Dr Tim Noble, medical director, and Richard Parker OBE, chief executive of Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals, said: "It is with immense sadness that we inform you that our colleague, Dr Medhat Atalla, has passed away following treatment for COVID-19 at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

"Dr Atalla became a full-time member of our trust in 2014, when he was appointed as a consultant geriatrician on our Gresley Unit. We were fortunate to have worked with him for many years prior to this, since his arrival in the United Kingdom in the early 2000s."

They added: "A hugely popular and respected colleague, Dr Atalla was a very special human being who practised medicine across three continents throughout his career, affecting the lives of so many in such a positive way.

"He was a truly gentle gentleman and he will be hugely missed by us all.

"As a Trust, we share our deepest sympathies with Dr Atalla's brother and sister, and loved ones in Egypt, and we ask that the media respect their wishes during this extremely challenging time."

Dr Atalla is the second member of staff at Doncaster Royal Infirmary to die after being diagnosed with coronavirus, after plaster technician Kevin Smith.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...alla-dies-after-contracting-covid-19-11977531
 
Two married doctors who say they have been exposed to coronavirus patients are challenging government guidance on personal protective equipment (PPE).

Dr Nishant Joshi and Dr Meenal Viz, who is pregnant, are concerned PPE advice has changed "without rhyme or reason".

The couple also said guidance in England differs from World Health Organization (WHO) advice.

Public Health England (PHE) said the safety of front-line health and social care staff was its priority.

'Unclear and inconsistent'

In a pre-action legal letter to the Department of Health, the doctors - who work at separate hospitals - said there was "great anxiety" among staff over safety protocols.

They claimed the government's stance was not in line with international standards, was unclear and inconsistent and exposed healthcare workers to a greater risk of contracting Covid-19.

Speaking to BBC 5Live earlier, Dr Joshi said: "[We ask] at what stage were PPE guidelines downgraded, and was there science used to back that up?

"If we were making decisions based on shortages, then why haven't British manufacturers been mobilised?"

He said that the "devil was in the detail", referring to a statement from Public Health England (PHE), which said the Word Health Organisation "had confirmed that UK guidance is consistent with what it recommends for the highest-risk procedures".

"Those procedures only take place in intensive care units, and that's where all the PPE is being concentrated," he said.

"What about my colleagues in maternity units, in A&E or any other department who have become unwell with coronavirus, quite possibly due to prolonged periods of high exposure to the virus?

"There have been chinks in their armour because they have not been protected adequately."

Their letter also refers to the death of NHS staff who have tested positive for coronavirus, saying the the government owed an apology to their bereaved families.

Ministers have come in for mounting criticism over failures to ensure NHS staff and those in care homes have adequate PPE.

Earlier this week, the British Medical Association said doctors on the front line were "frightened" and being left with difficult choices about whether to risk their lives by treating patients because of a lack of kit.

The Department of Health said it could not comment on pending or potential legal action.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-52411814
 
If the bottom part of the above meme is unclear it says “strategic messaging aimed at priming the general public to accept the massive upcoming healthcare worker death toll as a necessary and heroic “wartime” sacrifice instead of the entirely avoidable government incompetence and private sector greed it actually is.”
 
aliasad1998 said:
If the bottom part of the above meme is unclear it says “strategic messaging aimed at priming the general public to accept the massive upcoming healthcare worker death toll as a necessary and heroic “wartime” sacrifice instead of the entirely avoidable government incompetence and private sector greed it actually is.”
Click to expand...

Spot on.


Also, this highlights in the current model. Which is basically indentured servitude to the elites. They have the funds to isolate for however long it takes but they will force the masses back to work or they face bankruptcy or starvation.

All to fill the coffers of those elite.
 
miandadrules said:
Spot on.


Also, this highlights in the current model. Which is basically indentured servitude to the elites. They have the funds to isolate for however long it takes but they will force the masses back to work or they face bankruptcy or starvation.

All to fill the coffers of those elite.
Click to expand...

Highlights the fall in the current model.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pakistani health professionals are on the frontline in the fight against <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> across the world. They also want to help us combat COVID19 in Pak. We have launched <a href="https://twitter.com/YaranWatan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YaranWatan</a> iniitiative for our overseas health professionals who can now register to volunteer their services. <a href="https://t.co/O0MkyDMNDs">pic.twitter.com/O0MkyDMNDs</a></p>— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1253938286583779328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Dozens of doctors and nurses in Pakistan have launched a hunger strike over a lack of protective masks and other equipment for treating patients with Covid-19.

More than 150 doctors in Pakistan have tested positive for coronavirus, according to the Young Doctors’ Association in Punjab, the country’s worst-hit province.

Several doctors and nurses have already died from COVID-19, including a 26-year-old physician who had recently started his career, and an official told AFP that a specialist at a state-run hospital died from the disease on Saturday.

Salman Haseeb, head of the Punjab’s Grand Health Alliance, said about 30 doctors and nurses in Punjab were now on hunger strike. The protesters have kept working in their hospitals while taking turns to demonstrate outside the health authority offices in provincial capital Lahore, where they have been joined by up to 200 colleagues.

“We do not intend on stopping until the government listens to our demands. They have been consistently refusing to adhere to our demands,” said Haseeb.

“We are on the front line of this virus and if we are not protected then the whole population is at risk,” he told AFP.
 
A senior doctor at Peshawar's Hayatabad Medical Complex passed away from Covid-19 early on Saturday morning, the hospital's director Shehzad Faisal confirmed.

Dr Mohammad Javed was an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist and had been working inside the Covid-19 ward of the hospital. "He was on the front lines to combat the coronavirus," Faisal said.

The hospital director added that Dr Javed had tested positive for the coronavirus a week ago and was on a ventilator. He is the first doctor in the province to die of the virus.

"More than a dozen doctors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have tested positive for the coronavirus," the director said.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said that he would nominate Dr Javed for a civil award in recognition of his "splendid job and unmatched sacrifice".

He offered condolences to the staff at the hospital over Dr Javed's death and announced a "special package" for the deceased doctor's family.

In a post on Twitter, the chief minister said: "Dr Javed remained in front line saving lives of our people against the disease. He set very high standards of professional pride and integrity not only for his fellow medical community but for all of us."


Spokesman for the KP government Ajmal Wazir also expressed sorrow over the doctor's death. While paying tribute to doctors, he said that they were "putting their lives at risk to save the nation from coronavirus".

'Over 50 medics infected in KP'

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Provincial Doctors Association has strongly recommended a complete lockdown in the province and separate hospitals at divisional level for those infected to contain the spread of the virus and manage active patients effectively.

Dr Amir Taj Khan, president of the provincial doctor's association, demanded a complete lockdown to enable people to stay home and enforce social distancing or else he warned the health system would collapse and all health workers would end up infected, leaving patients in lurch.

“More than 50 health workers, including 20 doctors, have tested positive for Covid-19 because of the arrival of all patients to hospitals. It would be most appropriate to have separate wards for suspected and active patients as well as quarantine centres away from the hospitals, not only to ensure their best management but to safeguard our people and health professionals from being infected,” Dr Khan said.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1552114
 
Dr Milind Baldi was on duty in a Covid-19 ward when a 46-year-old man was wheeled in with severe breathing difficulty.

The man was scared for his life and kept repeating one question: "Will I survive?"

The question was followed by a plea: "Please save me, I don't want to die."

Dr Baldi assured the man that he was going to do "everything possible to save him".

These were the last words spoken between the two men. The patient was put on a ventilator, and died two days later.

The doctor, who works in a hospital in the central Indian city of Indore, vividly remembers the 30 "terrifying minutes" after the patient was brought to his hospital.

"He kept holding my hands. His eyes were full of fear and pain. I will never forget his face."

His death deeply affected Dr Baldi. "It ate away my soul from inside and left a lacuna in my heart."

Seeing patients die in critical care wards is not uncommon for doctors like him. But, he says, nothing can compare to the psychological stress of working in a Covid-19 ward.

Most coronavirus patients are kept in isolation, which means, if they become critically ill, doctors and nurses are the only people they see in their final hours.

"No doctor ever wants to be in this scenario," says Dr A Fathahudeen, who heads the critical care department at Ernakulam Medical College in southern India.

Doctors say they usually share the emotional burden of treating someone with that person's family.

But Covid-19 doesn't allow that.

Dr Fathahudeen says he will never forget "the blankness in the eyes" of a Covid-19 patient who died in his hospital.

"He wasn't able to talk. But his eyes reflected the pain and the fear he was experiencing."

Dr Fathahudeen felt helpless because the patient was going to die alone. But there was a tiny sliver of hope: the man's wife was being treated for coronavirus in the same hospital.

So Dr Fathahudeen brought her to the ward. She stood still and kept looking at him and said her goodbye. She never thought her 40-year marriage would end so abruptly.

The experienced doctor says the incident left him "emotionally consumed". But, he adds, there was "some satisfaction that he didn't die without seeing his wife".

"But that won't always happen. The harsh truth is that some patients will die without saying goodbye to their loved ones."

The emotional toll is made much worse as many doctors are themselves in a form of isolation - most are staying away from their families to protect them.

Image caption
Dr Shahnawaz says patients are often very scared about their future
As a result, Dr Mir Shahnawaz, who works at the Government Chest Hospital in Srinagar, says it's "not just the disease we are fighting with".

"Imagine not knowing when you will see your family next, add that to the constant fear that you may get infected and you will begin to understand what we are going through."

Adding to the stress, is the fact that they also have to constantly deal with the emotional outbursts of patients.

"They are very scared and we have to keep them calm - be their friend and doctor at the same time."

And doctors also have to make phone calls to the families of patients, and deal with their fears too.

The whole process, Dr Shahnawaz says, is emotionally draining.

"It hits you when you go back to your room in the night. Then there is the fear of the unknown - we don't know how bad the situation will get."

Doctors are used to saving lives, he adds, and "we will continue to do that no matter what".

"But the truth is that we are also human beings and we are also scared."

He says that the first coronavirus death in his hospital made his colleagues break down: it was when they realised that Covid-19 doesn't afford the family a final glimpse of their loved one.

"Family members want to remember the final moments of a patient - a faint smile, a few last words, anything really to hold on to. But they can't even give a proper burial to the dead."

Dr Fathahudeen says such psychological pressure needs to be addressed and each hospital needs to have a psychiatrist - both for doctors and patients.

"This is something I have done in my hospital. It's important because otherwise the emotional scars will be too deep to heal. We are staring at cases of PTSD among frontline workers."

Doorstep doctors

It is not just those working in Covid-19 wards who are on the front line, but also the doctors, community health workers and officials who are involved in contact tracing and screening suspected patients by going door-to-door in virus hotspots.

Dr Varsha Saxena, who works in the badly affected northern city of Jaipur, says she walks into grave danger knowingly every day. Her job is to screen people for possible symptoms.

"There is no other option. It's the fight of our lifetime, but one can't ignore the risks," she says.

"But it poses great risk because we don't know who among the ones we are screening is actually positive," she adds.

She says doctors like her don't always get proper medical-grade personal protective equipment.

"The fear of getting infected is always there and we have to live with it. It does play on our mind and we have to fight hard to keep such negative thoughts away."

But her biggest fear, she says, is getting infected and not showing any symptoms. "Then the risk is that we may end up infecting others. That is why field doctors also need PPE," she adds.

And the stress, sometimes, also comes home.

"It's so draining. My husband is also a doctor, most nights we don't even have energy to cook and our dinner involves just bread."

Aqueel Khan, a bureaucrat and a colleague of Dr Saxena, acknowledges that psychological stress is a reality for all frontline workers, including officers like him who are embedded with medical teams.

The fear really comes home for these workers when somebody close to them dies.

"I lost my uncle and a friend recently. It shook me, I can't stop thinking about them. You can't stop thinking that it can easily happen to you," he says.

Mr Khan is also staying away from his family: this year is the first time he will miss his daughter's birthday.

"My heart says to go home and see her from far, but the mind tells me otherwise. This constant struggle is very stressful.

"But we can't turn our backs on the job. We just have to just keep at it, hoping that we come out alive on the other side of this fight."

'The risk is always there'

There is no respite for doctors and nurses even when they are not directly involved in the fight against coronavirus.

People with other ailments are continuing to come to hospitals. And there has also been a surge in the number of people who are turning up at hospitals with coronavirus-like symptoms.

Dr Mohsin Bin Mushtaq, who works at the GMC Hospital in Indian-administered Kashmir, says coronavirus has "fundamentally changed our lives".

"We are seeing patients every day for other ailments. But the risk is always there that some of them could be infected," he said.

And it worries him even more when he reads about doctors getting infected despite wearing PPE and dying. A number of doctors have died in India and dozens have tested positive.

There is nothing we can do about it, he says, adding that "we just have to be mentally strong and do our jobs".

Dr Mehnaz Bhat and Dr Sartaz Bhat also work in the same hospital, and they say that the "fear among patients is too much".

Dr Sartaz says people with a slight cold end up thinking they have coronavirus, and rush to the hospital.

"So apart from treating them, we also have to deal with their fear," Dr Sartaz adds.

He recently diagnosed Covid-19 symptoms in a patient and advised him to go for testing. But his family refused and took him away.

The patient was brought back to the hospital after Dr Sartaz called the police. He says he had never imagined doing something like this in his medical career.

"This is the new normal."

The way patients are examined has also changed for some doctors.

"We really have to try and limit close interactions with patients," Dr Mehnaz Bhat says. "But it's not what we have been trained for. So much has changed so quickly, it's stressful," she says.

And several attacks on doctors and nurses across the country have made them even more worried.

She says it's difficult to understand why anybody would attack doctors. "We are saving lives, risking our lives every day. We need love, not fear." she adds.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52377965
 
Doctors, nurses in Punjab launch hunger strike over virus protection fears

5ea42fae4712d.jpg
5ea42faf23efd.jpg

Dozens of doctors and nurses in Punjab have launched a hunger strike demanding adequate protective equipment for frontline staff treating coronavirus patients, the lead organiser of the protest said on Saturday.

Health workers have complained for weeks that the country's hospitals are suffering chronic shortages of safety gear, prompting the arrest of more than 50 doctors who called for more supplies in Quetta earlier this month.

Frontline staff have been left vulnerable, with more than 150 medical workers testing positive for the virus nationwide, according to the Young Doctors' Association (YDA) in worst-hit Punjab.

The protesters have kept working in their hospitals while taking turns to demonstrate outside the health authority offices in Lahore.

“We do not intend on stopping until the government listens to our demands. They have been consistently refusing to adhere to our demands,” said doctor Salman Haseeb.

Haseeb heads the province's Grand Health Alliance, which is organising the protest, and he said he had not eaten since April 16.

“We are on the frontline of this virus and if we are not protected then the whole population is at risk,” he told AFP.

The alliance said about 30 doctors and nurses were on hunger strike, with up to 200 medical staff joining them each day for demonstrations.

Punjab's health workers union is supporting the alliance and also demanding adequate quarantine conditions for medical staff.

Nearly three dozen doctors, nurses and paramedics contracted the virus in one hospital in Multan, while seven members of a doctor's family were infected in Lahore, it added.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1552167/d...nch-hunger-strike-over-virus-protection-fears

Doctors and Nurses are under obligation to serve the patients not with their lives, least that they deserve is protective equipment for their own safety.
 
Last edited:
An NHS trust in England is classifying all of its Bame staff as "vulnerable and at risk".

Somerset Foundation Trust announced the move in a letter to all ethnic minority staff. It is thought to be the first NHS organisation taking this step.

The measure will allow Bame staff and their families to be tested in the first five days of developing symptoms, and to request an FFP3 mask, which offers more protection than a regular surgical mask.

It comes after research found Bame patients were more likely to become critically ill or die of coronavirus, and that a disproportionate number of the NHS staff to have died of the virus have been Bame. The government recently launched an inquiry into the issue
 
Families of frontline NHS and social care staff who die from coronavirus will each receive a £60,000 payment, Matt Hancock has announced.

The health secretary told the daily Downing Street briefing on COVID-19 that 82 NHS workers and 16 social care staff had died with the virus so far.

He said he felt a "deep personal sense of duty that we must care for their loved ones" as he confirmed the government was setting up a "life assurance scheme".

"Families of staff who die from coronavirus in the course of their essential frontline work will receive a £60,000 payment," Mr Hancock said.

"Of course, nothing replaces the loss of a loved one but we want to do everything we can to support families who are dealing with this grief."

The health secretary said the government was also looking at other frontline professions who do not have access to a life assurance scheme "to see where this may be required".

He also revealed that some NHS services which had been paused due to the coronavirus outbreak will be restored from Tuesday, starting with urgent services "like cancer care and mental health support".

Another 360 coronavirus deaths in UK hospitals were announced on Monday - the lowest daily increase in four weeks.

A total of 21,092 hospital patients have now died in the UK after testing positive for COVID-19, the Department of Health said.

It is the smallest daily rise in coronavirus deaths in UK hospitals since 30 March when 180 deaths were confirmed.

Monday's figure is also the smallest percentage increase on the previous day to date at 1.7%.

Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK is "beginning to turn the tide" in the fight against COVID-19, but he insisted it was not the time to relax the nationwide lockdown.

'If you keep going, we will beat this'

England's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said the country was "definitely not consistently past the peak" of coronavirus deaths.

He told the Downing Street briefing there was still a "very long way to run" as he was asked about the UK's expected death total.

The government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance had suggested that keeping the death toll below 20,000 would be a good outcome - but that total has been surpassed in hospitals alone.

"We need to view this epidemic over the long run and this has got a very long way to run," Prof Whitty said.

Mr Hancock admitted the government has a "lot of work" to do to hit its target to carry out 100,000 coronavirus tests a day from Thursday.

Some 29,058 tests had been carried out in England, Scotland and Wales in the 24 hours up to 9am on Saturday.

The health secretary said the government was "broadly where we expected to be" in terms of testing capacity, saying the UK had gone past the number of tests carried out in South Korea.

Monday's Downing Street briefing was the first in which members of the public were invited to send in questions, with 15,000 submitted.

The polling company YouGov selects one issue to be put to ministers every day and the person chosen to ask a question records a video or it will be read out on their behalf.

The first chosen question was from Lynn in Skipton who asked whether being able to hug close family members will be one of the first things to be allowed when the lockdown is eased.

Prof Whitty said it will depend on "individuals' circumstances", in terms of their age and health conditions.

Meanwhile, Mr Hancock said quarantine measures for people arriving in the UK will become more important when infection levels are low in the UK.

His remarks follow reports that anyone entering the UK could be forced to go into quarantine for two weeks under plans being discussed in government.

Mr Hancock said that as the number of coronavirus cases in the UK reduces, "judgement on the measures you need at the border changes".

"We will have more to say about it in due course," he added.

The health secretary also said he was "very worried" about reports of a serious coronavirus-related syndrome developing in a small number of children and he is "looking into it closely".

Prof Whitty says it was a "very rare situation" but admitted it is "entirely plausible" it is caused by coronavirus.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...aff-who-die-with-covid-19-to-get-60k-11979573
 
A top New York City doctor who was on the front line of the US fight against coronavirus has taken her own life.

Dr Lorna Breen, who was medical director of the emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital in Manhattan, died of self-inflicted injuries on Sunday, police said.

The 49-year-old's father, Dr Philip Breen, told the New York Times: "She tried to do her job and it killed her."

New York accounts for 17,500 out of America's coronavirus 56,000 deaths.

The elder Dr Breen said his daughter had had no history of mental illness. She died in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she had been staying with her family.

Lorna Breen herself had fallen ill with the coronavirus during the course of her work and returned to the job after about a week-and-a-half of recuperating, said her father.

The hospital had sent her home again, before her family "intervened" to bring her to Charlottesville, said her father.

He said that when they last spoke, his daughter had seemed "detached" and told him how Covid-19 patients were dying before they could even be removed from ambulances. Dozens of patients have succumbed to coronavirus at the 200-bed hospital in Manhattan.

"She was truly in the trenches on the front line,'' her father told the Times.

"Make sure she's praised as a hero. She's a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died."

According to the newspaper, Dr Lorna Breen was a devout Christian who was very close to her family. She was an avid skiier who also enjoyed salsa dancing. She volunteered once a week at a home for old people.

New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital said in a statement: "Dr Breen is a hero who brought the highest ideals of medicine to the challenging front lines of the emergency department."

In a press release confirming her death, the Charlottesville Police Department also described Dr Breen as a "hero".

The police department said that after a call for help on 26 April, Dr Breen was taken to a local hospital for treatment "where she later succumbed to self-inflicted injuries".

Police chief RaShall Brackney said in a statement: "Frontline healthcare professionals and first responders are not immune to the mental or physical effects of the current pandemic.

"On a daily basis," she added, "these professionals operate under the most stressful of circumstances, and the coronavirus has introduced additional stressors."

New York state has recorded almost a third of the country's nearly one million confirmed Covid-19 cases.

On Monday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said random antibody tests indicated that a quarter of New York City (24.7%) - America's most populous city with 8.3 million people - had been infected with coronavirus.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52451094
 
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