Afghan COVID-19 patients struggle to accept diagnosis

Afghan COVID-19 patients struggle to accept diagnosis

KABUL: On his emergency room bed in Afghanistan's capital, you can barely hear Said Ali Shah speak through the oxygen mask plastered to his face. He was taken to the Muhammed Ali Jinnah hospital "out of breath“ by his wife, he says, and is only just able to sit up after four days in intensive care. "No, no, no,“ he gasped, "I don't have the coronavirus.“ The 50-year-old, like some other Afghan patients, refuses to accept the reality of his condition. "Of course it is (COVID-19),“ Dr Sayed Amiri, director of the 200-bed hospital, told AFP. "He has tested positive, but we avoid telling patients who arrive in this unit“¦ Otherwise, they think they are going to die and lose all hope.“

Officially Afghanistan has recorded fewer than 90,000 infections, with around 3,400 deaths, but health experts say a lack of testing and the refusal of patients to seek treatment hides the true figures. And the situation is only getting worse. "In one week, we recorded an increase of nearly 200 percent in cases,“ said Minister of Health Wahid Majrooh.

'Hard to change habits'

Now, the main concern for officials is ensuring they have enough oxygen. "The next four weeks will be difficult,“