COVID 19 is a Killing machine: Indian-American cardiologist urges CM Mamata Banerjee to take urgent measures

"We cannot take anything for granted as you will regret if thousands are infected, and hundreds start dying because of a lack of strictness in preventing the spread and appropriate detection of COVID-19.

"I would therefore kindly request you to take urgent steps to realise the deadliness of this virus and the fact that it is a killing machine.

Appropriate measures, including augmented testing, isolation of all contacts, and forceful enforcement of the lockdown, are mandatory to prevent the exact scenario as seen in the west," he said, adding that the coronavirus is exceptionally infective and highly lethal.

Dr Ray, a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist who has also been a Professor of medicine and public health at multiple universities in the US and India, expressed shock that instead of doctors, a committee has been asked to provide COVID-19 death certificates.

"Hushing up such infection and not taking appropriate precautions like isolation would lead to death and destruction, which I certainly know that you would not like as the Chief Minister of my state," he added.

In India, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 67,152, after a record number of 4,213 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours till May 11 8 AM, while the death toll rose by 97 to 2,206, the Union Health Ministry said in its daily update.

In West Bengal, there were at least 1,939 confirmed COVID-19 cases as on May 11. A total of 118 people have lost their lives due to the coronavirus in the state.

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