Can we now focus on the non-COVID patients, please?

America, reportedly, has the maximum 'COVID deaths' in the world. Yet, there are sizeable protests against the lockdown by the people.

And if one wants to dismiss these protests as acts of silliness, then there are well-known doctors, researchers, and epidemiologists, who have raised concerns about the lockdown. One of them is Dr David L Katz of the Yale University, who is also a volunteer physician for COVID patients.

“I am deeply concerned that the social, economic, and public health consequences of this near-total meltdown of normal life will be long-lasting and calamitous, possible graver than the direct toll of the virus itself,” says Dr David L Katz

If, for any reason, you mistrust him, then you can find similar thoughts among other doctors/ researchers – in various parts of the world.

For instance Dr Gerard Krause of Hannover (Germany) says, “We know that unemployment, for example, causes illness and even increased mortality. It can also drive people into suicide. Restricting freedom of movement is likely to have a further negative impact on public health.”

These projections have been written for countries that are richer than India. They have:

• Lesser density.
• Better environment.
• Richer people.
• Better medical facilities.

It is likely, then, that the effects will be more serious for India.

With this possibility in mind, can we kindly ask our mainstream media to bring this to light?

They focus mostly on COVID figures and deaths, which will eventually turn out to be lower than deaths by suicides, deaths by delayed cancer treatments, delayed check-ups of cardiac issues, and other similar medical urgencies.

Add to this the possible cases of child abuse and spouse abuse, and their lasting emotional / mental impact.

I urge the media – as a concerned and well-meaning patriot – to raise these issues deliberately and extensively. Even at the cost of the regular COVID reportage.

For it’s quite likely that the fatality rate of COVID will be 1%, or even lower:

• 0.1% as per Professor John Giesecke (advisor to the Swedish government).
• 0.2% and lower as per Dr John Ioannidis of Stanford University.
• Much lesser than 3% as per the World Health Organisation's March report.

Which implies that one to three people, out of every thousand, will fall victim to COVID.

The rest will be hailed as COVID survivors. Some of them will be interviewed on TV and celebrated.

The non-COVID sufferers will likely not receive the same honour. There will be pity, but there won’t be glamour around ailing kidneys, and bruised mental conditions.

That’s already the case, as some hospitals are refusing immediate treatment to non-COVID patients. They are relying for their well-being, on any pressure we put on private hospitals and government agencies.

It is for this pressing reason, I urge the mainstream media to be rational in their panic-coverage of COVID, and focus on the everyday people – who make the soul of India.

(The writer is on Instagram : @skanda.skanda )