South African healthcare workers say their greatest fear is infecting their families with the coronavirus that has infected more than 900 people in the country so far.
“I have a two-year-old, I fear infecting my child. I think that’s a concern that every healthcare worker is scared about,” KwaZulu-Natal lung specialist Dr Leon Naidoo says.
South Africa currently has 927 confirmed coronavirus cases nationally.
COVID-19 UPDATE: South Africa now stands at 927 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus on the eve of #21daylockdownSA . This is an increase of 218 cases from Wednesday 25 March 2020. #StayHomeSA #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/s7kBcbhawO
— SABC News Online (@SABCNewsOnline) March 26, 2020
Some healthcare workers are self-isolating in an effort to protect their families from the virus.
This as the national lockdown announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa commenced at midnight on Thursday. Healthcare workers, who will continue to work throughout the lockdown say, while their emotions are high they will do all humanly possible to contain the virus and save lives.
Naidoo, however, says the private sector is experiencing a shortage of resources.
“Our major fear is if the disaster hits all at once. What are we going to do? In the state of emergency, the Health Minister will use us as doctors first. We are going to have to at some point practice out of our field of expertise just to keep patients alive. I think that’s what everyone is scared of as well.”
“We are having to share resources at the moment. A mask that you would use in the ICU, that you would throw away after seeing a patient, you actually have to keep it and use it again.”
In the video below, SABC’s Tsepiso Makwetla speaks to the president of the Health Professions Council of South Africa:
In this video below, the President announces a rise in confirmed cases of COVID-19:
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