IMA Warns Kerala: 65 Lakhs are Under the Threat of Coronavirus

Panic is gripping India with all-around wrong news of coronavirus coming in every minute now:

Today March 17, the third COVID-19 victim dies in Mumbai. An IMA or the Indian Medical letter suggests that more than 65 lakh people in Kerala can be affected by a coronavirus. And it projects the death toll to be at 2,27,000 in Kerala alone if there is a potential outbreak of coronavirus of only affecting its 19% population. Another report says that 25 doctors who were treating coronavirus patients are now in quarantine after one of them testing positive to it. There are official and unofficial reports of infections across India.

A doctor working in the radiology department in the Sri Chitra Tribunal Hospital in Trivandrum Kerala has tested positive for coronavirus. Though he was tested for it on his return from Spain on March 1, it showed negative results, and he did not have any symptoms of coronavirus. But now he is quarantined after testing positive now. But since he was in only the radiology department, it is alleged that he treated only two patients.  But 25 doctors who were in close contact with him and another 47 mostly the hospital staff are now advised to be at-home quarantine. With already 24 confirmed infected cases, this development could be crucial for Kerala.

IMA or the Indian Medical Council Kerala branch has issued a letter stating some alarming facts for the Kerala people and the government. The letter is now under the purview of the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court for ordering to stop public gatherings and social distancing from being safe from the coronavirus outbreak.

The IMA letter cites the example of the Diamond Princess Ship, where more than 700 were infected due to the coronavirus ship. It is a 19% infection out of the total 3,700 on board of the estranged ship. Applying 19% to the Kerala population, the letter states that it comes to around 65 lakh patients. If it happens, then at least 15% of them will be in severe condition and need hospital beds for an average of 10 days. That is 9,40,000 hospital beds in Kerala hospitals.

Of these 9 lakh+ people, 25% or 2,35,125 will need ICU to save their lives.  And the most alarming of the letter is the projected deaths of 2,27,000 people in Kerala. Finally, the letter concludes that Kerala can have higher than 19%  as it is more crowded than the ship.

The warnings of the IMA Kerala letter issued in the public interest

• People should maintain at least a distance of six feet from other persons.
• Six feet is the typical limit of the reach of the droplet from an infected person.
• May people sit pray in their homes until the coronavirus crisis is over.
• A young and good looking persona could be the carriers of coronavirus and known as superspreaders.
• In other words, irrespective of how good looking a person is, to stop potential transmission is to be six feet away from them.