More cases predicted

Letters

THE coronavirus community transmission is evident in the last couple of days as experienced in Port Moresby.
With Australia currently experiencing winter, during this time where wind is being experienced, rain is falling, and temperature drop is evident, the surge in the coronavirus numbers will be seen or otherwise not.
As a new flu virus, and behaviour seen in flu viruses, there is high chance in the surge.
Now that the coronavirus has become the epidemic in Port Moresby, it might reach other parts of Papua New Guinea.
Hospital detection, transmission and admissions will be a reality as experienced at the Port Moresby General Hospital despite the ongoing coronavirus public health awareness of this new virus undertaken by the government.
Hospitals and health facilities in the country will directly deal with the coronavirus management where ICU ventilators, isolation treatment facilities, “new norm” application of operating theatre procedures, and all new check lists will be created in all the clinical disciplines in a “new norm” never experienced before.
Shutting down of health facilities is not the answer.
Personal protection equipment (PPEs) and accessories for workers, buildings and equipment (and instrument) should be made available to health workers and health facilities so that these facilities and workers can attend to the sick without fear and anxiety.
Provide resources for them now.
As health workers, we have sworn by the Hippocratic Oath and this has given us the strength, confidence and the passion to serve the sick and the well without discrimination and deviation.
Nearly 15 per cent of these people with flu-like symptoms with or without fever and including those with sudden heart burn, chest tightness and diarrhoea may require treatment and end up requiring health facility admission and 1-2 per cent might pass on.
Those at high risk would be those about 55-years-old and above and those with comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, immunodeficiency diseases, heart and lung diseases, and chronic stomach and intestine diseases.
To young Papua New Guineans, if you have someone at home who is 55-years-old and above or someone who carries a comorbidity, it is your duty to practice the “new norm” in order to prevent the catching and transmission of the Covid-19 to the vulnerable.
Respect and care for them.
Every individual in PNG should not have fear and anxiety – this will lead to a generation of a flight response.
The decision you make at this time may not be the right one.
We should fight this together by practicing the “new norm”.
Following the new norm is the best guide on hand to “dumb tackle” this virus.
No vaccine has been found as yet.
Maybe next February, something positive might be revealed to the world by competing pharmaceutical companies as alluded and relayed to the international media.
Pharmaceutical companies are racing to produce either one of them or both.
Right now, the Government through the Health Department, a temporary treatment regimen will have to be proposed immediately to avoid the impending avoidable deaths despite this new virus which has no definitive answer(s) as yet as alluded.
Since hospital admission will be needed for a very few percentage of the vulnerable population, an immediate solution will be required to treat the symptoms and similar drugs that can for example complete with the entry points of this virus to the human, and however, if it does enter the intracellular matrix of the human cell, the drug already inside the intracellular region will make the virus useless to strive and make it difficult to multiply in the environment unsuitable and temporarily created for this virus by this already existing drug.
What you have seen in videos and read in multiple read ups are really happening elsewhere or are not really happening.
Our PNG medical team of experts is working round the clock on a white paper to forward it to government so that once approved and trialed, all health facilities (public and private) in the country can use this regime to treat the Covid-19 positive cases in the country.
Without due disrespect to this new virus – Covid-19 – the following questions will need to be asked;

  • Will this be a one-off global pandemic?
  • Will it be an all-year-round virus, will it be like any other flu like viruses and live amongst use?; and,
  • those infected and have recovered, has immunity been established in them?

These are unanswered questions the world faces today.
And, follow the new norm; wear face mask in the public, hand hygiene is equally important, practice social distancing, and stay away from the public if you have flu like symptoms, and remain home if you have nothing to do outside.
And, we must learn to live with this virus.
On the flip-side of life economically; traditionally, we will be okay however, in a modern PNG, while handling the coronavirus, let’s protect our economy as much as possible.

Dr James Naipao,
Otolaryngology Head & Surgeon
President – National Doctors
Association

2 comments

  • The team SIMBU is not carrying out the duties. We have some one who has more or less like COVID-19 symptoms but never got MEDICAL attention. And we are in a School which involves 13 teachers, 285 students and angelariesstaffs surrounding by the community..what’s the best way we can do to this attention..thank you. Ph:70724822

  • PNG needed NOT to Panic!
    FYI-Covid-19 is here to stay just like any other diseases/sicknesses.
    What we NEED to know is how to survive this enemy and not calling public to hide away in their homes and community. People to to move/travel to actually live their lives.

    Govt and PMJM are confusing the public with their TEMPORARY TACTICS.

    Please so called Medical Doctors/Nurses just stop bull-shiting the Public Majority with baseless scientific tips and ideaologies and get down to community level and put some bright ideas in>

    NO MORE HIDING/ISOLATION IS REQUIRED OR ELSE THE SOE RESTRICTIONS WILL KILL MORE CITIZENS THAN THE VIRUS!

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