My Story of the Pandemic
Dr Mamta Soni
Sr. Consultant & HOD, Department of Haematology & Clinical Pathology, Apollo Main Hospital, Chennai
The plot, the situation at lab – when the pandemic started 18 months ago
There was an increasing awareness about COVID-19 and there were discussions related to it but its potential to become a pandemic, affect so many people and come so close to us, was something we had not factored. As international organizations had not yet rung the alarm bells on a global scale, we were busy with the current work and future budget planning this being the month of March (2020).
The initial struggle
The challenges were at many ends including challenges with processes & with people too. Since at that point of time knowledge of this disease was limited, and data was just emerging, processes needed to be identified for adequately supporting COVID-19 patient care. We were frantically trying to identify & establish the tests which would contribute towards diagnosis, treatment & prognosis of COVID-19. Along with this we also had to make sure that the lab environment remained safe for everyone working there. Ensuring adequate availability of staff 24 hrs. for adequate patient care while maintaining adequate social distancing was essential. Staff education on COVID-19 protocol was another priority. Ensuring adequate availability of consumables and optimum functioning of equipment, given the lockdown situation was something which required foresight and planning as certain tests like D-dimer were requested multi-folds across the world and the availability of the kits became a challenge.
The adjustments in personal and professional life
Adjustments in both personal & professional lives hovered around COVID-19. Managing productivity with reduced patient inflow became a priority. For the purpose of safety, professional meetings could be managed virtually, but returning home from work and interacting with family members became a constant source of apprehension.
Emotional breakdowns
The situation became distressful when one human being avoided another human being for the fear of contracting the infection. In-person social interactions became nil. Staying strong was the only option available. Giving strength to self, family members, team members, neighbours was the priority and the only choice.
Role played by peers, friends, staff, family as a strong pillar of support
Each challenge brings with it an opportunity. The social distancing ushered in virtual meetings and webinars which became a powerful tool to connect with many scientific personnel and exchange knowledge. I had the opportunity to share Covid related experience with close to 20 webinar sessions across various topics.
Staff displayed extraordinary grit in being available every day for the well-being of patients. Their sense of duty was inspirational. Knowledge is power – accurate and timely information from peers and colleagues ensured that we were responding rather than reacting to an ever-changing situation. Sharing of experiences with friends on video calls and their cheerful tones were mood elevators throughout.
Activities initiated during the Pandemic
Immense data was being generated at the lab as hundreds of COVID-19 patients were frequenting the hospital. Putting this data to a good use for the benefit of patients across the world and especially in resource constrained pandemic settings became the focus. We were able to publish international papers in reputed journals with an objective of contributing to early diagnostic indicators and prognostic predictors of COVID-19. We did not limit our publications to COVID-19. We also completed a couple of other pending publications.
Conducting webinars, sharing and gaining knowledge, publications and of-course enhanced family time was something which contributed to positivity amidst the cloud of
negativity surrounding the dreaded disease. This also became the most permanent and memorable part of the pandemic.
Brief about the studies that were published
Few studies that we published during the pandemic are as below.
1. Evaluation of eosinopenia as a diagnostic and prognostic indicator in COVID-19 infection https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijlh.13425
2. Response to letter to the editor-original article: Evaluation of eosinopenia as a diagnostic and prognostic indicator in COVID-19 infection International Journal of Laboratory Hematology. DOI: 10.1111/ijlh.13573
3. D-dimer level is a useful predictor for mortality in patients with COVID-19: Analysis of 483 cases https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsx.2020.11.007
4. Significance of RDW in predicting mortality in COVID-19 - An analysis of 622 cases https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijlh.13526
5. Urine abnormalities predict acute kidney injury in COVID-19 patients: An analysis of 110 cases in Chennai, South India https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsx.2020.12.021
6. Leukocyte Morphological Changes in COVID 19, a Peripheral Smear Study and Analysis at a Tertiary Health Care Centre in India http://www.apollomedicine.org/
7. Diagnosis of Hyperoxalosis on Bone Marrow Aspirate Smears http://www.apollomedicine.org/
8. Quantification of Haemophagocytes on Bone Marrow Aspirate Smears and its Correlation with the Clinical OutcomesA Prospective Study National Journal of Laboratory Medicine. 2021 Jul, Vol-10(3): PO54-PO57 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353174161