'Indian mutant strain may have reached Oman'

Oman Tuesday 18/May/2021 09:54 AM
By: Times News Service
'Indian mutant strain may have reached Oman'

Muscat: The Indian mutant strain of coronavirus may have reached Oman because the world is a small village and the methods of transmission are present, said the Director of the field hospital for COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Nabil Mohammed Al Lawati, Director of the field hospital for COVID-19  patients said in an interview with Oman TV: "Since receiving the first case of COVID-19  on October 6, 2020 til this morning, we received approximately 1,300 cases and succeeded in bidding farewell to about 1,200 cases."

Dr. Al Lawati indicated that the occupancy rate in the hospital is still high and the peak times during the months of March and April reached about 95 per cent, sometimes approaching 100 per cent. Currently there is a negligible decline in occupancy, as it stands at 80 per cent.

Dr. Al Lawati confirmed that new methods such as the ‘helmet’ in which ventilators and positive air pressure is provided helps the patient to breathe more comfortably and contributes to raising oxygen rate in the blood. High flow nasal cannula is another method which is the flow of oxygen through the nose mask.

Assad bin Rashid Al Hasani, nurse at field Hospital said: "We received cases at the hospital in the prime of life, there are those who reach us in critical situations, and there are those who have passed on. It is said in the community that the most cases of COVID-19 are the elderly, but this is not true as we have cases in the hospital between 20 to 30 year old."