Qiagen boosting production of chemical needed to test for coronavirus

The company said extraordinary demand was "challenging" its capacity to supply RNA extraction kits used for some coronavirus testing

German molecular testing company Qiagen said on Wednesday it was ramping up production of a chemical used in some coronavirus tests, after a report that shortages could disrupt testing in the United States.

The company said extraordinary demand was "challenging" its capacity to supply RNA extraction kits used for some coronavirus testing....read more

Italian elderly couple (one doctor) with respiratory distress in India given anti-HIV drugs to treat the virus

“Let us all pray for their recovery” Business Today Extracts: The elderly Italian couple who are currently undergoing treatment for coronavirus (COVID-19) at a hospital in Jaipur have been administered a combination of two drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir which are second line drugs used for controlling HIV infection, approved by DCGI under restricted use.

The decision to administer the combination drugs of lopinavir and ritonavir was taken as the Italian couple had developed severe respiratory problems....read more

Coronavirus Medtalks - Around the Globe 11th March

WHO: It would be the “first pandemic in history that could be controlled.” It is an “uneven epidemic at the global level” because 93% of cases are from four countries. WHO guidelines define a pandemic as a worldwide spread of a new disease. WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that there are still things countries can do to slow down the virus and prevent infections. We are not at the mercy of this virus. Countries should continue finding and testing cases, isolating patients and following their contacts to stop the disease from spreading globally, he said....read more

11th March CMAAO COVID-19 An Uneven, Near Controllable Pandemic Revisited

As expected, a wave of 18 cases on 10th March in India, Kerala under lock down Indian scenario On 10th March, it was confirmed that three more people in Karnataka, including wife and child of the infected Bangalore techie, were diagnosed with the virus. Kerala reported six new cases in Pathanamthitta, all of whom were linked to the five previously confirmed cases from the town....read more

Do not tell others, its a Secret

Most Asians are known for two habits, firstly a ‘crab’ nature and secondly the habit of telling others that "I am telling you a secret and please do not tell others." Crab nature means pulling each other’s legs and not allowing any one to rise. Most people, especially women, will gossip and tell all secrets that they know. For clearing their own consciousness they will add a sentence “I am telling you the secret and do not tell others.” The very fact you have told it to someone, it no more remains a secret....read more

How Corona Aware Are You

Health Sutras By Dr K K Aggarwal

Laughter is the best medicine.

Healthcare News Monitor

How India can beat China in global trade; domestic pharma, chemical-makers have an edge

Financial Express- Samrat Sharma

India can beat China if the country adds efforts to increase production in the field of pharmaceuticals, textiles, engineering goods, and chemicals. The weak competition from the dragon can make India a potential trade beneficiary in the current situation. “This is also an opportunity for India to present itself as a serious alternative to China as an investment destination, according to the March 2020 report by Brickwork Ratings. This would, however, require embarking on structural reforms to present India as an attractive investment destination. As the epidemic has engulfed many countries in its ambit, ramping up the production and exports of certain products may help India climb the ladder. Pharmaceutical industry: The Indian pharma industry has outsmarted other industries as even amid a major slowdown, it has grown by nearly a rate of 10 per cent so far. Also, the Indian pharma industry has recently got another reason to cheer after Afghanistan recognised the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) – Indian standards of drugs – formally by its health department. This has also marked a new beginning for the domestic pharma sector as Afghanistan becomes the first country to approve such recognition by the National Department of Regulation of Medicines and Health Products of the Ministry of Public Health of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

SMS Hospital Gives Anti-HIV Drugs To Coronavirus-Affected Elderly Italian Couple

Medical Dialogues

Amid rising coronavirus cases in India, for the first time a combination of two drugs, which is widely used for controlling HIV infection, was administered on an elderly Italian couple undergoing treatment at a Jaipur hospital for Covid-19. The Drug Controller General of India has approved "restricted use" of the combination of medications lopinavir and ritonavir which are second-line HIV drugs, for treating those affected by novel coronavirus after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) sought an emergency approval for the same. SMS Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr D S Meena said the Italian man and his wife had developed severe respiratory problems following which a decision was taken to put them on the combination of lopinavir and ritonavir. According to officials, consent of the patients was taken before the drugs were administered. "The Italian man, who himself is a doctor, is on oxygen support. Even before he acquired the infection, he had some respiratory issues. His condition had deteriorated and he developed severe respiratory problems after getting the coronavirus infection and thus was given these drugs. "His condition is stable now. His wife is also doing better and she is taking care of her husband," Dr Meena said. The combination of lopinavir and ritonavir along with other drugs have been used in clinical trials in China, where coronavirus first emerged, and Thailand for treating Covid-19 patients.

Amid coronavirus scare, Kerala books doctor who red flagged NRI patient

Hindustan Times

The Kerala police have registered a case against a doctor who allegedly portrayed health officials in bad light and spread false information about a non-resident Indian (NRI) who was quarantined for suspected coronavirus, a top official said Wednesday. The case was registered after the Thrissur district medical officer (DMO) filed a complaint against Dr Shinu Shyamalan saying her information was incorrect and that her social media posts on the subject was for ‘publicity.’ Dr Shyamalan, who worked at a private clinic in Thalikulam in Thrissur, had claimed that she lost her job after informing the government officials about a patient who visited the clinic with symptoms of coronavirus. Later, she also took to social media saying that the patient had later left for Qatar before the tests reports of his samples came. She also claimed that her employer had terminated her service for “telling the truth” and that health officials took her complaints casually. But after inquiry, DMO Dr J J Reena found that the particular patient was under observation and was given permission to leave the country because he had not developed any symptoms during the surveillance period. The DMO said the suspected patient had come to Kerala on January 31 and he had gone back after a 28-day quarantine period.

Anandibai Joshi: All about the first Indian female doctor with a degree in western medicine

India Today

Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi was the first female Indian physician. She was also the first woman in India to complete her studies in western medicine from the United States. Anandibai has a rich legacy and inspired many women to pursue the field of of medicine in India and in the United States. Anandibai also became the first woman from Bombay presidency of India to study and graduate with a two-year degree in western medicine from a foreign country. Anandibais inspiration to pursue medicine: Anandibai was born with the name Yamuna but was later given the name anandi by her husband Gopalrao Joshi. She was born in a family of landlords and due to parental pressure, she got married at the young age of nine. Gopalrao, who was a progressive thinker and supported education for women, enrolled her in a missionary school, and later moved to Calcutta with her, where she learnt how to speak Sanskrit and English. Gopalraos support for Anandibais education: In the 1800s, it was very unusual for husbands to focus on their wives education. Gopalrao was obsessed with the idea of Anandibais education and wanted her to learn medicine and create her own identity in the world. One day, Gopalrao walked into the kitchen and threw a fit of rage when he saw Anandibai cooking instead of studying. This made her even more focussed on her education.