NEW DELHI: Doctors expect that the next few months are going to be the worst period yet in the United States of America (USA). As the country enters the next phase of COVID-19 pandemic, experts say that doctors have evolved the methods of treating the patients, with lesser usage of ventilators.
Dr Larry Brilliant, epidemiologist, said that death per case has come down with the help of modern medical equipment. Now, there are tools to fight the disease such as Dexamethasone and convalescent plasma. Use of ventilators has declined with time and are now used only when it is the last resort.
Dr Joseph Varon said that the doctors have learned that putting somebody on a ventilator basically means signing their death sentence. He added that putting extra pressure on the lungs which are already crippled with COVID-19 does more damage than relief. Moreover, health workers have learnt the method of proning, where you make somebody lie down on their stomach. It can consequently increase the amount of oxygen reaching the lungs.
However, there are multiple reasons for saying that USA is about to enter the next phase of pandemic which is expected to be worse. Firstly, the capacity of hospitals has not improved significantly so as to accommodate increasing number of patients. Secondly, some of the health workers still don’t have personal protective equipment to protect themselves from the novel coronavirus. Almost 1,700 health workers have lost their lives in the USA due to COVID-19. Lastly, insufficient testing has been an important concern for the American authorities.