Nagpur: The Covid-19 vaccines taken by doctors and healthcare workers in the state have started showing their intended effect. The vaccine is not guaranteeing 100% protection against the infection but restricting the disease to either asymptomatic or mild symptomatic level in most of the cases reported among healthcare workers.
Especially young doctors, who constitute the frontline workforce in government Covid hospitals, and resident medical officers (RMOs) working in private hospitals are not getting severe type of Covid-19 since the last two months, as per the data obtained from government medical colleges across the state.
Vidarbha has not reported any death of HCWs due to Covid-19 in the last two months.
The data shows that more than 450 resident doctors were infected with Covid-19 during the period February 10 to April 10. These include 62 from Nagpur, 22 from Yavatmal and 13 from Akola. But all of them have either recovered or on the way to recovery in home isolation.
“Resident doctors in Maharashtra are working hard in Covid-19 hospitals and the rate of infection among them is high in the second wave. Of the 463 doctors who have been infected, most have recovered. Some of them have again joined duties in their respective hospitals,” said Dr Dnyaneshwar Dhobale Patil, president of central committee of Maharashtra Resident Doctors’ Association (MARD).
Administrations in five leading private hospitals in the city told TOI that doctors and healthcare workers engaged in Covid-19 wards and ICUs are getting infected but are also recovering very fast.
“Becoming Covid-19 positive has become a normal thing for doctors who work in ICUs or Covid wards. Fortunately, if they get infected after vaccination, they develop either mild or very moderate symptoms. Recovery time has also reduced up to seven days,” said a senior member of Vidarbha Hospitals Association.
Many senior doctors like former IMA president Dr YS Deshpande who have tested positive even after getting second dose of vaccine, have recovered without much issues.
Healthcare workers including doctors started receiving Covid vaccine from January 16. Most of them completed their second dose by March second or third week. According to experts, severe cases and deaths due to Covid-19 in healthcare providers will further reduce as a positive effect of the vaccine.
Vax effect
- 463 resident doctors in 19 GMCs in the state test positive in last 2 months
- Of them, 38 from GMCH Nagpur, 24 from IGGMCH, 22 from Yavatmal and 13 from Akola
- Hundreds of RMOs and HCWs in government as well as private hospitals tested positive
- Many treating doctors, senior doctors tested positive but none had serious symptoms
- No death of frontline worker due to Covid-19 reported in last two months