Role of Social Media in Diagnosis and Management of COVID-19; An Experience of a Pulmonologist

Abstract

COVID-19 is the recent and one of the severe pandemic faced by the whole world. No country was left without feeling its wrath. Due to blurred picture regarding the pathogenesis of this disease it posed a great (treatment) challenge for healthcare professionals all over the world and particularly the challenge was even greater in Pakistan. Such situation in Pakistan aroused mainly due to controversial isolation/quarantine and burial policy by Government, misconception and rumors among public about COVID-19 and social stigma attached with a COVID-19 positive case. As a result majority of patients with mild and moderate disease started avoiding Government and private hospitals. Only severe cases of COVID disease with respiratory insufficiency presented in emergency department. In order to prevent conversion of mild and moderate cases into severe ones, the Pulmonology team of Sahiwal Medical College Sahiwal utilized Social Media tools (Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger) for telemedicine to address medical issues of the vast majority. This methodology was also adopted to make timely diagnosis of severe cases for prompt medical attention and prevention of spread of disease by advocating social distancing and masking.