Covid-19 patient on plasma therapy off ventilator now

NEW DELHI: India’s first Covid-19 patient who had received plasma therapy has been weaned off ventilator and shifted to a normal room from ICU.The 49-year-old man from south Delhi, who was admitted to Max Saket (east block) on April 4, has also tested negative twice for the novel coronavirus which means he has recovered from the disease, doctors said on Monday. “Plasma therapy worked as a catalyst in speeding up his recovery. We cannot attribute 100% recovery to plasma therapy only, as there are multiple factors which helped in the recovery,” Dr Sandeep Budhiraja, clinical director of Max Healthcare, told TOI....read more

Covid-19: Testing Times

Reproduced from: https://www.indialegallive.com/special/covid-19-widespread-testing-is-crucial-95702, April 11, 2020.Various tests are being done to confirm if a patient has the disease, be it bronchoalveolar lavage, oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swabs or rapid antibody tests.Hours after having advised “rapid antibody tests” in “hotspot areas” in an interim advisory, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) left the decision to states and put out a list of such tests that had been approved earlier. ICMR said: “Population in hotspot areas may be tested using rapid antibody test, and antibody positives to be confirmed by RT-PCR using throat/nasal swab. Antibody negatives to be quarantined at home.” Once it has been confirmed that Covid-19 is finally over, diagnostic criteria will change. We may no longer require diagnostic tests with 100 percent specificity. ....read more

CMAAO Coronavirus Facts And Myth Buster 65: Oxygen Therapy

Respiratory Care of The Nonintubated PatientSpecific aspects of respiratory care for deteriorating patients with COVID-19 before admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) include oxygenation with low flow and high-flow systems, noninvasive ventilation and the administration of nebulized medications....read more

Mindfulness meditation

• Sit on a straight-backed chair or cross-legged on the floor.●Focus on an aspect of your breathing, such as the sensation of air flowing into your nostrils and out of your mouth, or your belly rising and falling as you inhale and exhale.●Once youve narrowed your concentration in this way, begin to widen your focus. Become aware of sounds, sensations, and ideas....read more

Health Sutras By Dr K K Aggarwal

Go for Covid 19 test and isolation

Healthcare News Monitor

India could see shortage of medicine as coronavirus hits Asias largest pharmaceutical hub

IndiaTV

There could soon be a shortage of medicines in India as the COVID-19 outbreak just hit nearly 55 crucial pharmaceutical facilities that are part of Asias largest pharma hub in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. The operation in these facilities has been suspended for a period of 9 days to contain the spread of the virus. Earlier, these units were operating at 25-30 per cent of capacity with in-house employees. After the declaration of containment zone, all manufacturing facilities, including pharmaceuticals, that fall in Jharmajri and Nalagarh areas, just 40 km from Chandigarh, have to shut operations till door-to-door screening for Covid-19 symptoms and sanitization of the area is not over. Officials said six positive cases have been reported recently in the zone that comprises big units like Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. "Our production is almost at a standstill for nine days now. There is a huge, huge backlog of orders. The big question for all of us is how quickly we can return to normal," Torque Pharmaceuticals Private Ltds Managing Director P.S. Chhatwat told IANS here. He said since the March 24 countrywide lockdown there has been a huge shortage of raw material. "We depend largely on Mumbai for the raw material. Now the government allows the transportation of goods. It will take at least 10-15 days for the supply chain of raw material to get normal,a he said. Allying fears of shortage of medicines, Chhatwal said if the timeframe of the containment zone declaration continues at least for a week more, a certain crisis lies ahead.

Workflow optimization is a key priority for pharma labs in India: Agilent

Bio Spectrum

Agilent Technologies has unveiled the results of its most recent Pharma Lab Leaders Survey, conducted in association with the global research firm Frost & Sullivan. The survey gathers insights from pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and contract research laboratories around the world. Respondents included 650 laboratory managers, directors, and supervisors from China, Germany, India, South Korea, Switzerland, Austria, and the United States. The laboratories surveyed are involved in a range of activities from disease research to manufacturing. Respondents highlighted their unique industry challenges, laboratory pain points, and goals for the future. Globally, the primary focus was on achieving quicker results (55%), superior quality (44%), and data integrity (43%). Over half of the respondents indicated that quality standards are getting more stringent in their laboratories, with over 80% finding that their current workflow requires further optimization. In India, it was found that sustainability goals were a key priority for pharmaceutical and biotech companies, especially reducing carbon emissions (70%). With regard to challenges, 85% of lab managers felt that more reliable and accurate instrumentation would be crucial to further optimizing workflows. More lab leaders in India are concerned about increased demands to get generic medicines to market quicker than any other region (3rd ranking in India’s regional survey). Bharat Bhardwaj, India Country General Manager, Agilent Technologies said, “At Agilent, we endeavor to enhance our offerings in line with the evolving needs of the industry. This survey has helped us better understand key pharmaceutical objectives, requirements, challenges, and operational pain points in a laboratory setting. Based on the new insights, we will continue to design and deliver solutions that help our customers drive efficiency across their labs.”

IMA warns of ‘White Alert’, ‘Black Day’ over violence against doctors

Hindustan Times

The Indian Medical Association on Monday called for an immediate end to violence and abuse against doctors and medical professionals across the country. The IMA asked the Centre to enact central law on violence against doctors and hospitals across the nation. “Our legitimate needs for safe workplaces have to be met. Abuse and violence should stop immediately,” the IMA stated. The IMA stated that doctors and medical professionals across the country will light a candle at 9 pm on April 22 as protest and vigil against the violence and abuse. The IMA termed it as ‘White Alert’ to the nation. It said that doctors across the country will work with black badges on April 23 and declare it as ‘Black Day’ if the government fails to enact central law on violence against doctors and hospitals. “The IMA has maintained utmost restraint and patience inspite of extreme provocations. Doctors have been abused, beaten up, denied entry and residence. Obstruction to cremation is the last straw that IMA can bear,” a statement released by the IMA read. Last week, residents of a Chennai locality protested against the cremation of a doctor from Andhra Pradesh who died of coronavirus in the city, saying it might lead to the spread of coronavirus in their locality, news agency PTI reported.

Another ‘much loved’ Indian-origin doctor dies of Covid-19 in UK

Hindustan Times- Prasun Sonwalkar

Manjeet Singh Riyat, an emergency medicine consultant who was ‘hugely respected and much loved’ by colleagues and patients in Derbyshire, died on Monday after being infected by coronavirus, making him the latest Indian-origin medical professional to fall victim to the virus. Riyat, who got his medical qualifications from the University of Leicester in 1992, was the first Sikh accident and emergency consultant in the National Health Service, and was instrumental in building the emergency medicine service in Derbyshire, his hospital trust said. Gavin Boyle, chief executive of the hospital, said: “I want to pay tribute to Mr Manjeet Riyat, who has sadly passed away…He was an incredibly charming person and he was loved. Manjeet knew so many people here in the hospital, we will all miss him immensely”. Riyat’s colleague, Susie Hewitt, said: “In 2003, Manjeet became one of four consultants in Emergency Medicine at the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary...Manjeet was enormously valued and much loved as a colleague, supervisor and mentor”. “Manjeet’s passion for teaching and contribution to medical education were constant during his career…he had many skills, but was most comfortable as an emergency medicine consultant”, she added.