COVID-19: Bengal government shifting towards Sweden or Taiwan model, says doctor

Referring to the 72-day lockdown in Wuhan, Dr Diptendra Sarkar of the state-run SSKM Hospital said that a lockdown of 60 to 70 days brings down the number of cases of infection.
Workers unload goods from a bus during the fourth phase of COVID 19 lockdown in Kolkata Friday May 29 2020.  (Photo | PTI)
Workers unload goods from a bus during the fourth phase of COVID 19 lockdown in Kolkata Friday May 29 2020. (Photo | PTI)

KOLKATA: With West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announcing the easing of lockdown restrictions in the state, a renowned doctor said that following ramping up of COVID-19 tests, the government seems to be gradually shifting towards the Sweden or Taiwan model to contain the pandemic.

Dr Diptendra Sarkar of the state-run SSKM Hospital said that with the countrywide lockdown having been in force for nearly 70 days and the government, both at the Centre and the state, having shored up resources during the period to deal with the disease, it was time for a gradual easing of restrictions.

"I feel that they are shifting the model, they were till now going by the hammer and the tongs model which is a lockdown," he said.

Referring to the 72-day lockdown in Wuhan, he said that a lockdown of 60 to 70 days brings down the number of cases of infection.

"The Sweden model or that in Taiwan or South Korea, where instead of lockdown they stressed on testing and segregating high-risk population, they have got equal success," Sarkar said.

He opined that the government had enforced a strict lockdown in the beginning owing to lack of testing facilities, but now with a countrywide testing capacity of around one lakh per day, the government is shifting towards the Sweden or South Korea or Taiwan model from the lockdown model.

He said that according to a study by the Imperial College of London, if 60 per cent of the population wear ordinary masks, then it can prevent 90 per cent spread of infections.

"As an epidemic progresses, a virus in order to survive reduces fatality among its host and gradually loses its vigour," Sarkar said.

While agreeing that the lockdown has to be lifted at some point of time, the Association of Health Service Doctors secretary Dr Manas Gumta expressed his reservations on the manner in which it was being eased in the state.

He said that it is not about one-upmanship with the central government over bringing of thousands of people by trains from other states, including the most affected Maharashtra and Gujarat, but there has to be a scientific basis on the way the lockdown is lifted.

"Lockdown is simply for buying time by which the health infrastructure can be readied to deal with the pandemic effectively as also for non-COVID patients," he said, adding that it has to be lifted but in a phased manner.

"The way the lockdown is being practically lifted without any preparation, it may lead to a catastrophe," he said.

Gumta said the government needs revenue and people also require livelihood and as such lockdown has to be lifted gradually.

"But what is the purpose of opening up religious places, at this juncture, where people may congregate in large numbers," he questioned.

He said that with work from home becoming common in various sectors, there was no need to open up all sectors with full workforce.

Gumta also opined that the government should introduce shift systems in offices so as to ease the crowding of many people at a time, in workplaces as well as in public transport.

The state reported seven more COVID-19 fatalities on Friday, pushing the death toll due to the disease in the state beyond the 300-mark, while 277 new cases were registered during the day, according to a health department bulletin.

Of the total 302 deaths, 72 were due to comorbidities and the novel coronavirus was "incidental" in these cases, it said.

Since Thursday, two deaths each were reported from Kolkata and its neighbouring Howrah district.

One fatality each was registered in South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts, the bulletin said.

West Bengal has a total of 4,813 confirmed COVID-19 cases so far, of which 2,736 are active.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed the rise in the number of cases on the influx of migrant labourers from COVID-19 hotspot states such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh.

Meanwhile, four persons at the Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital -- two in the gynaecology ward and two in the medicine ward -- tested positive for the virus, sources said.

Around 10 personnel from the Kolkata Police combat force also tested positive for the infection, they added.

Since Thursday afternoon, 9,282 samples were tested in the state, and the total rose to 1,85,051, the bulletin said.

Kolkata accounted for the maximum number of fresh cases at 71, followed by 54 from North 24 Parganas district.

Twenty-nine cases were reported from Howrah and 23 from North Dinajpur districts, it said.

Twenty-one people from Birbhum tested positive for COVID-19 infection, East Burdwan accounted for 19 cases, Nadia 18, South 24 Parganas 13, East Medinipore six, West Burdwan five, Alipurduar four and two each from Murshidabad, Jalpaiguri, Hooghly and Bankura districts, the bulletin said.

Six new cases of COVID-19 infection were also found among people from other states, it added.

The districts of North Dinajpur, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas have been witnessing a massive influx of migrants labourers.

"We were successful in controlling the spread of COVID in last two months, but now it is increasing as a lot of people are coming from outside. Railways are sending migrants in jam-packed compartments. In one seat, three-four persons are travelling.

The railways in the name of Shramik Special trains are running 'corona express'," the fiesty TMC boss said.

Meanwhile, over a hundred people were discharged from a hospital in West Bengal's Howrah district on Friday after they recovered from COVID-19.

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