Patients in a dilemma as hospital beds become scarce

They are finding hard to acquire oxygen and other essential COVID-19 drugs too

When a 35-year-old software professional tested positive for COVID-19, a telemedicine specialist that he consulted advised home isolation as he had no symptoms initially. However, when he developed some mild symptoms after two days, the doctor advised him to get a high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) done and the scan showed significant changes in his lung. From then on the infection progressed rapidly and oxygen saturation levels too dropped. He required hospitalisation at the earliest, but by the time he got a bed his condition had further worsened and he required ICU admission. Doctors said early intervention would have helped in easily managing the case with oxygen in a high dependency unit. It is not just beds that patients are finding hard to find, but also oxygen and other essential COVID-19 drugs. In fact, several patients have lost lives waiting for a bed and oxygen in the last few days as most smaller hospitals have run out of oxygen. After testing positive for the disease, most patients are in a dilemma over whether to look for a bed immediately or not.