As many as 196 healthcare workers, including doctors, were found positive for Covid-19 at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in 10 days (from December 26 to January 4), the hospital authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
As many as 87 (44%) are doctors, with most of them resident doctors. Also, a total of 90 healthcare workers, including 37 doctors, were found infected on January 4 (Tuesday) alone. For the PGIMER, an institute of national importance, the high positivity rate among staffers is an added worry as it already suffers from inadequate staff to cater to patient load from across the region.
Since the pandemic broke out in March 2020, 2,300 health workers of the institute, including doctors, nurses and sanitary staff, have been tested positive, with some getting reinfected in the second surge and in present spike.
Dr PVM Lakshmi, professor, Community Medicine and School of Public Health, PGIMER, said: “The healthcare workers, especially doctors and nurses, come in direct contact with hundreds of patients daily. Not only from the Covid-19 ward or emergency ward, but staffers of almost all the departments are found infected.”
Dr Lakshmi said that in the peak of the first and second wave of the pandemic, maximum of 50 to 60 healthcare workers were found positive in a single day. “Ninety cases reported on Tuesday is the highest single-day count so far. Some employees were found positive on Wednesday as well, but the data will be compiled on Thursday,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Lakshmi said that in the peak of the first and second wave of the pandemic, maximum of 50 to 60 healthcare workers were found positive in a single day. “Ninety cases reported on Tuesday is the highest single-day count so far. Some employees were found positive on Wednesday as well, but the data will be compiled on Thursday,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}98% +ve staffers double vaccinated
As per data, 193 healthcare workers of the total 196 infected have taken both doses of the Covid vaccines. Of the remaining three, one has taken only one shot while two have not taken even the first dose yet.
“Vaccination is definitely helping in controlling the severity of the infection. None of the 196 infected staffers required hospitalisation. All are isolated either at their homes or institutional isolation centres, with mild symptoms,” said Dr Lakshmi.
GMCH, GMSH docs Covid +ve too
Meanwhile, seven doctors have tested positive at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, in the past two days. Also, on Tuesday, two doctors of the Civil Hospital at Sector 22, and two doctors and a clerk of Government Multi Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, were found positive for Covid-19.
During the first and second wave, the cases were increasing gradually, but this time there is a sudden spike. Dr Lakshmi said it is definitely the beginning of the third wave.
“But, we cannot say if it is driven by the Omicron variant, as the last genome sequencing reports showed Delta as the dominant variant. To check the variant of concern among the PGIMER staff, we will send some fresh samples for genome sequencing,” she said, adding that Chandigarh and neighbouring states will witness a peak in January, as earlier the cases peaked within 10 days of doctors testing positive in large numbers.