Deaths by covid are just number, until they become the names of the people you know. Covid - 19 is now 20, into Second phase. What was more damaging the first phase or the second? We might need to wait for some more time to know.
P.C. Lini John
Until then - Thoughts from Survivors:
Message from Dr C.S. Pramesh, Director Tata Memorial Hospital
• I know the #COVID-19 numbers in India are not looking good, but here are my (not so) random thoughts on it
• We have 2 options – one, rant & rail against the ‘system’ and lament how it has let us down; second, do whatever we can to avoid getting infected & if infected, minimize adverse consequences to ourselves & others. If you belong to the first, you can stop reading now
• How can we avoid getting infected? There’s no magic bullet, I’m afraid. This is primarily a “stick to the basics” approach. More difficult than it sounds.
• First, maintain all precautions that we know help. These include masks (whenever you are not at home and not alone), physical distancing to the extent possible, and washing hands frequently. The 3 Ws – Wear a mask, Watch your distance, Wash your hands.
• Masks work, and are probably the most important precaution given our current understanding that aerosols are the predominant mechanism of spread. The best is a well-fitting N95 mask, which is now widely available & not too expensive – you could re-use them too.
• How can you optimally use an N95? Get 5 masks, and rotate their use – this is safe, burns less of a hole in your pocket, and is environment-friendly. The next best option is to use two masks – wear a surgical mask first, and a cloth mask over it for a snugger fit.
• How physically distant need you be? The simple answer is “the more the better”. 6 feet preferable, but a minimum of 3 feet. Better still, avoid crowds as much as you can. Meet others only if absolutely necessary – most meetings can be done virtually.
• Being outdoors is better than indoors, but while open gardens and parks are low-risk (where permitted by law), avoid large gatherings – whether they be weddings, parties, and yes, election rallies and religious (all religions) gatherings too.
• Second, get your vaccine as early as you can. In India now, anyone over the age of 45 is eligible for the vaccine. Getting a vaccine gives you 70-80% chance of avoiding getting infected and 95% chance of serious illness. That’s as good as it can get.
• There’s been a lot of noise about which vaccine to take. Anyone who strongly recommends one over the other is talking nonsense. There are no studies so far(& unlikely in the immediate future) to directly compare two vaccines to show which is better. So, take the first one you get
• What about side effects of vaccines? We’ve heard of blood clots etc.
• Yes, they do occur, but they are extremely rare events, and the benefits of taking a vaccine far outweigh the risks.
• What happens if you do get #COVID_19? Yes, you still can get it even in spite of taking all precautions, and yes, even after you’ve taken the vaccine. Remember, none of this is 100% effective – but 70 to 95% effective is a whole lot better than 0%
• Make preparations even before you get infected. Buy a thermometer and a pulse oximeter to keep at home. These are two important instruments you need in case you get infected.
• First, don’t panic on getting a #COVID_19 positive report – 98% get through without major issues. Isolate yourself from others. You can do this at home if possible.
• Chart your temperature using the thermometer, & your oxygen saturation with the pulse oximeter. Check both 2-3 times/day, the latter before & after a brisk 6-min walk. Make sure you drink enough fluids and keep yourself hydrated. Stay positive – you’ll get through this.
• When should you be concerned and seek medical help? If your baseline saturation falls under 94% or if your fall in saturation before and after the 6-minute walk is 4% or more. Contact a hospital, and start proning yourself (lie chest down, back up)
• What medicines should you take? If your oxygen saturation is fine & you have no symptoms other than fever, all you need is Paracetamol
• There is some data that inhaled Budesonide helps you recover faster, but no hard endpoints like reduced mortality
• There is no evidence to suggest that anything helps – including Favipiravir/ Ivermectin. Don’t waste your time desperately trying to procure them
• What medicines help for #COVID_19? Unfortunately, very few. What definitely works is proning and oxygen (when saturation is low), and steroids (Dexamethasone) for moderate to severe disease.
• But what about #Remdesivir, #Tocilizumab and #ConvalescentPlasma?
• #Remdesivir doesn’t help much, and certainly not in all patients; there is probably a small subgroup in which it helps – those requiring oxygen, but not sick enough that they require ventilation. And even here, it doesn’t reduce mortality, probably helps earlier recovery
• #Tocilizumab also helps only in very specific subgroups – those sicker than described above, requiring rapidly increasing levels of oxygen or rapidly deteriorating respiratory parameters
• My plea here is to please allow your physician to decide when Remdesivir/ Tocilizumab is required – there are very limited situations when they are beneficial & please don’t pressurize them to prescribe it – much of the shortage today is because of unnecessary prescriptions
• There is even less evidence to support the use of #ConvalescentPlasma for COVID_19. almost all studies done so far have shown that it is of no benefit. Please don’t waste your time looking for a donor.
• In short, these are difficult times, but each of us can do our bit to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and the world at large by some simple, but effective measures. Stay safe, folks, and we'll see this
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From : 4 Covid survivor
First: I have written a short note on how to deal with Covid since a lot of people are confused on what actions to take when they have symptoms. Of course one must take proper advice from Doctor but these are some basic things one should do:
Once some one has fever, it has to be assumed that it is Covid since there is nothing else going around. I would recommend that they isolate themselves, contact their doctor, do the blood tests and the RTPCR immediately. On medications after consulting the doctor they must start it as soon as possible as recommended by the doctor. Please note all the doctors are available now on Whatsapp or video calling for consulting..no need to visit personally if you feel you have covid. I am consulting my doctor everyday through a call or whatsapp.
Once Covid positive is established either thru Rapid antigen or RTPCR, then
1. medication must be started immediately after consulting the doctor. In the blood tests they should cover the following: CBC, CRP, SGOT, SGPT, creatinine, uric acid, d dimer and ferretnin. Please check for these blood tests with your doctor.
2. Drink lots of fluids (hot water) ... I am taking atleast 3-4 litres of water everyday, do steam inhalation atleast twice a day, do betadene gargles, sleep adequately and take lot of rest
3. Monitor SPO2, temperature every 2 hours and maintain a chart. Once detected positive should do a brisk walk test for 6 mins and then measure SPO2 before and after walk to see any drop. If they have fever avoid walk test when there is fever, do it when there is no fever.
4. Room isolation to be continued for 14 days + another 3 days of home quarantine (BMC rule is 10 days from 1st day of symptom and another 7 days of home quarantine)
5. One can expect Uric acid level to go up after taking Fabiflu. In my case since I did not have fever Fabiflu was not required.
6. No need to take RTPCR after 14 days of isolation as it is safe to assume that the virus is not active anymore. The thing with the virus is that in 14 days either the virus or the patient survives.
7. If at any time SPO2 drops below 95 then it is important to get a HRCT done and based on the score hospitalisation may be advised. Usually treatment during hospitalisation is Remdesivir administered thru IV and management of the disease thru Steroids.
8. Do lungs exercise to increasing oxygen level in your body. Sleep on your stomach for 10-15 minutes ... 3-4 times in a day , this helps in increasing oxygen level in your body.
9. important point...stay positive during these 14 days of your fight with covid... have positive thoughts and stay positive.
The most important of all the points above is that medication should be started immediately in consultation with the doctor as a lot of people dilly dally or do some home remedy and lose time
I will be completing my 14 days of fight against covid this Saturday so thought of sharing my experience. Trust the above is useful. Happy to help in anyway.
Second: Pls quarantine for 21 days. as after 14 days dead virus is still there in ur body . And it passes out through ur stools. That is the most dangerous state. Bcoz it can pass to other people if using same toilet. Contaminated seats and all. That makes u the asymptomatic carriers. And if u have elderly in home quarantine then pls do their blood test for D-dimer and IL6 . If it's high means there is some clot formation in the body. So they have to undergo blood thinner medicine course.
Third: Three weeks ago the dreadful Corona virus found its way into our lives. It didn’t seem harmful the first day and few others who had already survived it told us that it’s not a big deal. Little did we know that our lives were going to turn upside down!
On the second day, the symptoms kicked in full swing- fever,severe headache,nausea,loss of appetite, body ache, severe cough,loss of sense of smell and taste,abdominal pain and the terrible breathing difficulty.
The magnanimity of the illness dawned on us when Naveen started developing the symptoms on the third day. We were isolating in separate rooms. Neither of us had the energy to stand up let alone make food. Standing up for five minutes would lead to fainting. Lifting a cup of water was excruciatingly painful. Our friend Jobu made sure that our supply of medicines and provisions never ran out.I ended up in the emergency twice due to breathing difficulty and severe chest pain. They did a whole lot of tests on me and figured out that I don’t have pneumonia but my lungs have been affected. The Public Health informed us that being healthy individuals with no history of any illness, the symptoms will subside in 7-10 days but the virus is just refusing to leave us.
We are on the 3rd week but the symptoms still persist. Yes, we are a lot better now but our bodies feel like deflated balloons. We still do not have the strength to stand up or do the basic functions. We cannot talk for hardly 5 minutes without breathing difficulty. As per the Public Health, we are no longer infectious but will continue to remain Covid positive for 6 weeks. So there is no point in a re-test.
Only a very few people knew about us and a biiiiig hug to the darlings who tirelessly kept checking on us every day despite us not responding. You know who you are😘😘 And a request to everyone out there, please do not trivialize Covid-19. It’s extremely scary and painful. It ruins you physically and mentally. When the 911 guys rushed me to the hospital due to chest pain, I thought I will never see my loved ones ever again. I didn’t know what was in store for me. I still cannot believe that I am actually sitting here and typing about the nightmare we were living through. I am so thankful to the amazing doctors and health care staff who took such good care of me and kept pushing me to keep fighting. You are the true superheroes ❤️
We still have a long way to get back to our normal routine and life but we are glad to be where we are right now. Thanking our bodies for not giving up in this fight. Take care of your body and health everyone. Stay safe❤️ Lini.
Fourth: It is only today that we received a sad message from Delhi that the Malayali senior counsel in our tower had passed away. Last week someone had told that the senior counsel and his wife were Covid positive. Sad!My condolences!
The late senior lawyer had all fortunes in his life- loving family, beautiful house, a Mercedes Benz, a bewitching garden, many staff members at his beck n call! But nothing could save him from Covid! Yes, Covid affects the privileged n under privileged alike! So, beware of it! Keep away from it. Deal it scientifically. Else the consequences will be much disappointing!
From the personal experience- Covid came with mild symptoms in the initial stage- body pain, chills, sore throat, stomach ache and loose motion. Still, I took Vitamin C, Iron and Dolo 650. Drank a lot of hot water and took steam inhalation. Still, as the days went, body pain increased. Now joint pain is unbearable. Sugar level increased. I am as tired as my father in his seventies. The office is closed since 27th March. That agony is there. So, it is a request to all my friends and acquaintances- please avoid the situations in which you may catch this deadly disease.
Oh God! Please help mankind to sail though this tough times, with better senses and lesser losses.
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