Quarantine conditions may affect recovery of patients: Psychiatrists

JALANDHAR: According to medical experts, the way pilgrims from Takht Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, were huddled under sheds or in halls with common toilets and bathrooms might have further led to spread of infection among them. A US-based psychiatrist said the pilgrims, who were patients or potential patients, appeared in depressing situation which would lower their immunity thus increasing the risk for them.
"They should have been put up in separate rooms, if available, instead of huddling them under sheds with few common facilities like toilets and bathrooms, to ensure isolation to minimise spread of infection. There have been several videos showing pilgrims being kept in conditions which distressed them. It's the immunity of an individual which is most crucial to survive Covid-19," said Dr Paramit Chumber, assistant professor of psychiatry at West Virginia University, US, and currently looking after Covid patients there. He was the first one to write an article against vilification of Punjab's first Covid casualty Baldev Singh and flagged serious consequences it could have.
"Pilgrims should be shifted to where they want to stay, preferably in gurdwara sarais and strict quarantine ensured there. They have to be comfortable. It has been coming out they are not happy. They should be relaxed and there should be no stress, so they can fight the infection," said Indian Medical Association Punjab chapter president Dr Navjot Singh Dahiya, who helped create a 20-bed isolation centre with all facilities at Shahkot at a place built by his cousin.
Meanwhile, when scores of Nanded returnees have tested positive and it has also emerged that several migrant Punjabis working in Maharashtra shared the bus rides back home with them, it is becoming clear that while both Punjab government and SAD leaders were coordinating with Maharashtra government or the Centre, they ignored each other in their game of one-upmanship.