Heute erreichte uns eine letzte Nachricht aus Dar Es Salaam. Die Universitäten wurden nun geschlossen, sämtliche Ärzte, die sich in Weiterbildung befinden, wurden in ihre Heimatkrankenhäuser zurück beordert.
Der letzte Bericht aus Dar Es Salaam ist beunruhigend:
Reports on corona virus infection in Tanzania are surely a mess, to be more correct they are just rubbish. My young brother who’s a pharmacist and works in one of the three treatment centres in Dar Es Salaam tells me an even alarming update. There were 500 ‚dead body gowns‘ distributed in these centres, last 2 weeks they were finished and more were brought in, and now even the pharmacist who places orders is blocked from seeing their actual consumption.
I beg to differ with you on how secure the young are when it comes to Covid-19 in our settings. In fact, the issue of infective dose and therefore need for serious preventive measures should be a talking point in response to immunologists who claim otherwise in their views. The basic facts remain true though, comorbidies, age and male gender presents a high risk. However here are a few cases from my surrounding:
A junior physician and a friend who works with a military hospital called me yesterday. I must say it was a very long phone conversation. He informed me of loss of a colleague (I worked with him last semester when doing community obstetrics), a pediatrician and a soldier 42yrs old last 2 weeks. This good doctor fell ill with mild symptoms, tested malaria and UTI were both negative, he had controlled Diabetes. He was advised to take a rest at home. 3 days later he called the physician when his wife found that he was saturating at 70% still with mild symptoms. Physically fit he drove to the hospital asked an intern (had no mask) to take blood samples by then saturation was 60% still with mild symptoms. The intern called a pediatrician and gynecologists (mask on but expose nose) on sight, they called the physician and transferred the patient to ICU for oxygen support. Within four hours they lost this doctor who drove himself to the hospital few hours before (in Tanzania we see people just drop dead after a short span of complaints in streets, yesterday there were two that I heard of). They took swab which tested positive for corona, all those involved with him at least 15 people were quarantined for 14 days including this physician. 3 days later, the intern and the gynecologist showed symptoms and tested positive (the gynecologist, a healthy 38yrs old army guy with no known comorbidity is actually still fighting for his life).
Another incidence is of a soldier young in his carrier 28 yrs old who was physically fit with no known comorbidies. He had mild symptoms cough, headache, feverish no DIB. They quarantined him at the military facility for 3 days when he requested discharge. According to Tanzania guideline if you can ensure self isolation you’re allowed to take it home. 4 days later he called complaining of air hunger, they immediately dispersed an ambulance and this poor guy died en route to the hospital. I know many more such cases by now.
In the end we agree that, it was very correct not to lock down the city because we would otherwise surely have more deaths due to hunger than that of Covid-19. However, I strongly believe it is wrong not to introduce simple prevention laws like wearing masks and prohibit mass gatherings. I do not believe if these now advocated traditional methods in our country works, I certainly have my doubts but everyone now is an expert of corona.
I will hopefully be able to return to my studies soon, it was just a tail remaining, surely very disappointing. But if you ask me, my goals have surely changed very much, right now I am looking forward to come out alive after all this.
Stay safe and best wishes.
Yours
Dr K.
