50 percent of patients infected with Covid19 in the Western Province of Sri Lanka are oxygen-dependent Deputy Director-General of Medical Services Dr. Lal Panapitiya said. He also said that the majority of people who are hospitalized with Covid infection at the last minute may need to give oxygen.
According to the Deputy Director, some people who are asymptomatic patients who work hard without knowing that they are infected with the virus tend to turn up to the hospital when they get breathing difficulties. There are some people who knowingly or unknowingly ignore the symptoms of being infected with the virus also coming to the hospitals when their symptoms become worse. He said these are the factors behind the rising level of oxygen-dependent people in hospitals.
Dr. Panapitiya further said that due to the hospitalization of Covid patients, the capacity of even ordinary hospitals has been exceeded and a home treatment system has been introduced under the supervision of a doctor to control the capacity of patients in hospitals.
He also said that patients with Covid who are receiving treatment at home can obtain medical advice by calling 247 and downloading the self-shield app.
He said that if there are any symptoms of Covid, people should spend time at home without resting unnecessarily and people should take steps to protect themselves from the Covid virus with self-control.
