— recovering US doctor with Guyanese roots warns citizens about COVID-19

By Navendra Seoraj
DOCTORS are not exempted from the debilitating effects of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, which has so far proven to be a “real killer”, taking the lives of over 163,000 persons and infecting more than 2.3 million persons globally.

“Yes. Doctors do get sick. COVID-19 is considered by some, a great equaliser as it does not discriminate who is attacked based on economic status, social standing or profession,” said a US Medical Practitioner, Dr. Surendra Sugrim in an invited comment.

Dr. Sugrim, who has Guyanese roots, contracted the COVID-19 disease in March, but was able to successfully battle the deadly disease.

While he was able to overcome the debilitating effects of the disease, his father, a well-known local medical practitioner, Dr. Ramesh Sugrim, remains hospitalised in the US as he battles the dreaded disease.

Dr. Surendra Sugrim and his father are just two out of thousands of medical practitioners who have been infected by this disease.

“This pandemic has shown us that it is arguably the most dangerous time to be a health care professional, as frontline healers are being infected on a daily basis despite use of personal protective equipment.

“I was very aggressive with wearing my PPE to try to protect me, my family and others. Still, it got me! And I will tell you it’s really difficult to overcome,” said Dr. Sugrim, as he recounted his bout with the COVID-19 disease.

It started with daily fevers, but quickly moved to severe body aches, headaches and occasional diarrhea, said the doctor. Those symptoms were already bad, but his condition was even worse because he has asthma.

The added effects of COVID-19 coupled with the lung complications due to asthma, quickly brought Dr. Sugrim to his “knees”.

“It was very painful to breathe. I knew I had to call the ambulance when my nebulizer was failing me and I couldn’t get enough oxygen. I was about to pass out,” the doctor recounted.

His saviour or saviours in this case, were his very colleagues- health care professionals- who delivered oxygen and administered life-saving care.

SALUTE
“I really salute and thank them. I would say that I’m very strong and relatively fearless yet this was tough for me to go through on different levels. So I advise everyone out there to avoid COVID 19 at all cost.

“It doesn’t matter how good you think your immune system is or how fearless you are. At a minimum, do it for others who may not be as strong as you are,” said Dr. Sugrim.

He encouraged persons to take every possible precaution in order to stay safe from the COVID-19 “scourge”. He is advising everyone to follow all relevant, update precautions and guidelines and become familiar with infection control practices.

The world will get over this, he said, as he urged everyone to safeguard themselves.
Dr. Sugrim’s uncle, Suresh Sugrim, who is President of the Humanitarian Mission in Guyana, had also urged Guyanese and others the world over to take more precautions and adhere to the rules and regulations established by the local health authorities.

“I have been seeing pictures of people who are not listening to authorities and officials. They have not been practicing social distancing and the other measures,” he said, noting that the disease has devastated parts of the world’s economic superpower, America, and if allowed to spread throughout Guyana, it can be very catastrophic.

TAKE NO CHANCES
In this regard, he called on all Guyanese to take the disease seriously because it affects all persons, regardless of their status, race, political affiliation and social standing.
In stressing the seriousness of the disease, Dr Sugrim said: “Many doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers have fallen because of this pandemic…I have friends who are medical doctors and nurses, who have died.”

“Government can only do so much to help us, we as individuals need to do the rest… so I call on you to stay home and practice social distancing because there is only so much the police and government can do.”

With no approved treatment or cure, there is no assurance that persons will survive after contracting the disease. In the absence of approved medication, governments and authorities across the world have employed a number of preventative measures to contain the spread of the disease.

Locally, the government had extended its emergency measures to combat the dreaded disease, with the imposition of a 12-hour curfew on citizens. These emergency measures were taken pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) (b) of the directions issued by the President, in accordance with the Public Health Ordinance, Cap. 145, and published in the Official Gazette, Legal Supplement B, on March 16, 2020.

The measures at reference took effect from April 3, 2020, and are expected to last one month, unless earlier terminated, extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Public Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions.

Guyana Chronicle had reported recently that Guyana is on course to “flattening the curve” and reducing the spread of the COVID-19 disease. This was according to Resident Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow, who noted that this will only remain possible if government maintains the existing containment measures.

According to the WHO, COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the newly-discovered coronavirus.

The WHO said most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illnesses and recover without requiring special treatment. Older persons and those with underlying medical problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer, are more likely to develop serious illness.
The WHO believes that the best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well-informed about the virus, the disease it causes and how it is spread.

“Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub frequently and not touching your face. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practise respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow),” the WHO has advised.