Heat may slow corona but early summer unlikely

NEW DELHI: Many Indians have been praying for an early onset of peak summer this year in the light of some studies that have shown that transmission of Covid-19 infections may slow down in high heat. That hope may be dashed, with met department forecasts showing that the chances of summer setting in early are low.Temperatures across most of India are likely to remain below normal at least over the next two weeks, the India Meteorological Department’s extended range forecast reveals. The forecast, which gives weekly outlooks for the next 28 days, shows that the probability of the mercury hitting 40°C, even in central India, are low till the second week of April....read more

Every adversity is an opportunity: COVID-19 will end with a healthier society (For attention of Doctors)

We have got an answer to pollution health emergency: Lock down for a week. In Anand Vihar we are seeing PM 2.5 levels of 24 -50.2.In Nigam Bodh Ghat: number of deaths 21 on 24th MarchIn January 1976, there was a strike in Los Angeles County, California. Doctors went on strike against the increasing medical malpractice insurance premiums. Over a period of five weeks, nearly half of the doctors in the county reduced their practice and withheld care for anything except emergency services. An analysis by Cunningham and colleagues noted that the strike may have actually prevented more deaths than it caused....read more

CMAAO IMA HCFI Corona Myth Buster 18 (For attention of Doctors)

Hydroxychloroquine Myth BustersHydroxychloroquine causes retinal toxicityNo. Retinal toxicity, which can result in irreversible retinopathy, is mainly associated with high daily doses and more than 5 years of use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of rheumatic diseases....read more

CMAAO IMA HCFI Corona Myth Buster 17 (For attention of Doctors)

D Dimer is the only lab criteria for severity: No, Absolute lymphocytic count < 800, D Dimer > 100, CPK > 2x ULN, CRP > 100, LDH > 245, Trop I rising, Ferritin > 300There are no standard lab guidelines: Daily tests: CBC with differential lymphocytes, CMP, CPKRisk stratification Q2-3 DAY PRN (as needed): D Dimer, Ferritin, ESR, CRP ....read more

CMAAO IMA HCFI Corona Myth Buster 16 (For attention of Doctors)

Corona has general flu like symptoms with no clinical cluesTHINK of Corona: Patient says he or she has sudden loss of sense of smell (American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO–HNS), Sudden loss of taste, TLC shows low lymphocytes count. Viral fever must have high lymphocyte count. Cough with exertional fall of SPO2 by > 4%, Sudden onset of fever and cough ....read more

Wahans (Vehicles) In Mythology

In mythological world, the negative tendency of an individual is symbolized with animal nature. Gods in Indian mythology have been symbolized as living a positive behavior. Every God has a vehicle or Wahan. Both God and the Wahan symbolize how to live a positive life and how to control the animal tendencies. ....read more

How Corona Aware Are You

Health Sutras By Dr K K Aggarwal

Never cough in hands or handkerchief. Cough in your sleeves or use disposable tissue paper.

Healthcare News Monitor

Lockdown will soon hit medicine supplies in the country: Chemists and Druggists lobby

The Economic Times- Teena Thacker

The lockdown in India will soon hit medicine supplies in the country, the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists have said. Jagannath Shinde, president of the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) said he has approached the Prime Minister to ensure smooth functioning and that they don’t run out of stocks. “I had a video-conference with the Prime Minister and shared with him the problems chemists and suppliers are facing all over the country,” Shinde told ET. Kailash Gupta, President All India Chemists and Druggists Federation said that the transportation challenges are resulting in supply chain disruption. “The distributors are facing it difficult to get supplies from warehouses due to the lockdown and supply it to the chemists,” he said. The warehouses stock medicines and are located all across the country in the outskirts of cities. Sandeep Nangia, President, Delhi Chemists Association blamed the police for not letting distributors and suppliers’ function smoothly irrespective of them carrying IDs. “The police are taking unnecessary action on the medicos without even checking their IDs. We are all providing essential services but in the wake of police’ action on our delivery boys and those working in stores, I am sure India is heading towards a major supply disruption,” he said.

Coronavirus: 18 testing kits approved for sale in India. Experts raise concerns

Scroll.in- Sruthisagar Yamunan

India has approved the sale of 18 diagnostic kits made by private companies for coronavirus testing, a top official confirmed on Thursday. These include three kits made by Indian companies which have been evaluated by the National Institute of Virology in Pune, and 15 kits which have obtained fast-track approvals based on licences and certificates obtained in other countries. “We have issued approvals for 18 kits,” VG Somani, the Drug Controller General of India, told Scroll.in on phone. “These include both manufacturing and marketing [IMPORT] approvals.” The approvals were fast-tracked, said Somani, given the need to rapidly scale up coronavirus testing in India. Until March 26 evening, 633 cases had tested positive in the country for Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Experts believe this is an undercount given India had tested only 25,254 people till March 25. While public health activists have urged the government to expand testing, they say the country needs to maintain transparency in its regulatory process for the diagnostic kits. When asked for the list of the 18 kits that have been granted licenses for import and manufacture, Somani said it was available on the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation’s website. But Scroll.in was unable to find it. Somani did not respond to further messages. Malini Aisola, co-convenor of the All India Drug Action Network, said there should be public disclosure of the basis on which each test kit was granted a marketing licence in India. “We should know if it was on the basis of local evaluation or approval by a recognised foreign regulatory body,” she said.

17 states earmarking hospitals for dedicated treatment of Covid-19 patients: Health ministry

The Times of India- PTI

The health on Thursday said that 17 states have started work on earmarking hospitals for dedicated treatment of Covid-19 patients. Briefing the press on the coronavirus situation, health ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal said, "There is still no hard evidence to say there has been community transmission of coronavirus in India." Agarwal said. He also denied that the virus spreads through mosquitoes. Assuring the general public, Agarwal said that India is geared for COVID-19 challenge. More on Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic: Complete Coverage 21-day lockdown: What will stay open and what wont How to quarantine yourself at home Trust the newspaper for your daily verified news The ministry of external affairs said that a discussion on travel restrictions has been conducted during a meeting of the Group of Ministers and it will be conveyed to the public soon. Agarwal said if "we can maintain 100 per cent social distancing than it will be effective intervention in breaking chain of coronavirus transmission".

Coronavirus | Government doctors in Patna seek home quarantine

The Hindu- Amarnath Tewary

As many as 83 junior doctors of the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) in Patna, which has been designated as the State’s first COVID-19 special hospital, have written to their superintendent seeking a 15-day home quarantine as many of them have developed symptoms of the viral disease in the absence of protective kits and masks. Bihar has reported six positive cases and one fatality so far. The NMCH junior doctors’ petition to the hospital superintendent has been forwarded to the Principal Health Secretary Sanjay Kumar. The junior doctors expressed serious reservation over the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), N-95 masks, gloves and protective gowns in the hospital. “We’re on duty without all necessary kits and masks, which makes many of us vulnerable to infection...many of us have developed symptoms of COVID-19...but nobody is here to listen us,” said Ravi Ranjan Kumar Raman, president of the NMCH Junior Doctors Association. “We face acute shortage of PPE kits, N-95 masks and other necessary protective gear ...we’re still waiting for these to come... till then we’re left to serve and die herewhen our principal is handling everything through videoconference,” they alleged.