KOCHI:
Rise
in Covid-19 cases and reports of deaths due to
oxygen shortage
in other states have triggered
panic
among many
Covid
positive patients.
Telemedicine services and
hospitals
are receiving
calls
from relatives and patients even when the latter show slight variation in blood pressure, due to panic.
Doctors warn that getting panic would adversely affect their health and advise Covid positive patients to accept the fact first and remain calm.
Doctors also say that news reports of deaths due to shortage of oxygen and pathetic situations of patients in other states accelerate fear among patients. They advise patients to stay away from monitoring the appalling condition of Covid patients.
“Even when a small variation in the condition of a Covid positive patient is noted, they panic and call us for availability of bed. When they have some symptoms, they get tense. We feel the large number of inquiries might be because of it,” said spokesperson of a private hospital in the city.
While mental health doctors noted that some refuse to accept the fact that s/he is a Covid positive patient.
“Asymptomatic patients do not have any panic problems. But symptomatic patients panic. When such a patient reads or watches a report of oxygen shortage, s/he will be more anxious,” said Dr Soumya Raj, nodal officer of district mental health programme (DMHP).
“The symptoms of panic attack include breathlessness, racing heartbeat, shivering of hands and legs, stomach pain and restlessness. The problem arises when the patient refuses to accept the fact that s/he is a patient. When you deny that, again it is a problem. To address this issue, s/he has to remain calm, accept the fact that s/he is a patient, monitor health conditions, take rest and stay away from watching news on bad situations regarding Covid. Deep breathing exercises can help reduce anxiety and stress. If a problem is developed, one should check whether it is relevant or not and approach medicine service,” said Dr Raj.
Doctors in the telemedicine team in Ernakulam also aired the same views.
“We give advice to patients when they panic. We did the same during the first wave too. When one gets panic, breathing issues occur. Besides, if choking problems are surfaced, s/he gets panicked. We get such calls from houses and hospitals daily. If one needs hospitalization, we shift them to hospital immediately,” said a doctor in the telemedicine team in Ernakulam.
The team handles around 700 to 1,000 calls per day.
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