Cocktail of antibodies may block coronavirus infection, shows study

WASHINGTON: A combination of antibodies, including those from a patient who had recovered from the 2002-03 SARS pandemic virus infection, can effectively block the novel coronavirus, according to a study which may lead to new therapeutics against COVID-19.The study, published in the journal Nature, noted that antibodies, produced by the immune system of recovered people, can neutralise the virus, and help in the development of anti-viral treatments or vaccines....read more

CMAAO IMA Coronavirus Facts and Myth Buster 99: IDSA Guidelines on Diagnosis

(With inputs from Dr Monica Vasudev)867: Summary of the IDSA guidelines on the diagnosis of COVID-19 [INFECTIOUS DISEASES SOCIETY OF AMERICA]Recommendation 1:SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplification test in symptomatic individuals in the community suspected of having COVID-19, even when the clinical suspicion is low (strong recommendation, very low certainty of evidence).The panel placed a high value on accurate assessment of COVID-19 in order to minimize overdiagnosis of COVID-19 using clinical diagnosis alone. ....read more

Spiritual Prescription: Yoga Nidra

Many people in the East and the West are attracted to yogic practices, for they think they can find a solution to every problem therein, be it physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. Hence, much importance is attached to relaxation techniques that one thinks might help a person in easing the tension caused due to chronic stressful lifestyle. Yoga Nidra is a wonderful technique that not only helps with physical or mental relaxation but also prepares the mind for spiritual discipline. It relates primarily with pratyahara (withdrawing senses from sense-objects) and dharana (concentration)....read more

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significant exposure to Covid-19

Healthcare News Monitor

Found effective drug combination to cure Covid-19 patients: Bangladeshi doctors

Hindustan Times- PTI

A Bangladeshi medical team led by a senior doctor has claimed that their research on the combination of two widely used drugs has yielded “astounding” results in curing the patients with acute symptoms of the coronavirus that has created havoc worldwide and claimed the lives of over 312,000 people globally. The claim by the Bangladeshi medical team, which includes prominent physicians from the country, comes amidst the desperate global attempts for a remedy to the deadly coronavirus. “We have got astounding results. Out of 60 Covid-19 patients, all recovered as the combination of the two drugs were applied,” said Professor Dr Md Tarek Alam, the head of medicine department at private Bangladesh Medical College Hospital (BMCH). Alam, a reputed clinician in Bangladesh, said a frequently used antiprotozoal medicine called Ivermectin in a single dose with Doxycycline, an antibiotic, yielded virtually the near-miraculous result in curing the patients with Covid-19. “My team was prescribing the two medicines only for coronavirus patients, most of them initially reporting with respiratory problems with related complaints, later to be tested Covid-19 positive,” he said. Bangladesh has so far reported 20,995 coronavirus cases. A total of 314 people have lost their lives in the country due to the disease. Claiming that the efficacy of the drug developed by them was such that patients recovered from the virus within 4 days, he said, adding that there were no side effects of it.

Huge scope for Indian pharma as FDA eases drug scrutiny over shortage in US

Business Standard- Sohini Das

Most Indian pharma plants that were inspected by the US drug regulator in the last few months or so have received positive outcomes. As drug majors in the country have gradually improved compliance, against the backdrop of high shortages in the US, analysts see this as a positive sign for pharma exports. Drug shortages have remained high this year in the US and the CLSA noted that the issue seems to be exacerbated when it comes to injectable products, which account for over 60 per cent of the current drug shortages. India accounts for roughly 30 per cent of the generic drug supply to the US and it is a great opportunity for the players here. If one looks at the inspection outcomes for plants between March and May, most have received Establishment Inspection Reports (EIRs) from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). For example, Lupin’s active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) unit in Vizag got an EIR in mid-May. The facility was inspected by the USFDA in January this year. Earlier, Lupin’s Pithampur plant -I and Nagpur plants (both formulation making units) had received EIRs in April. Following these, some brokerages upgraded the Lupin stock to ‘buy’ from ‘reduce’. Analysts see the combination of Indian plants clearing USFDA scrutiny and the growing drug shortages in the US as positive signs for exporters here.

Coronavirus treatment: Bangladesh doctors claim to have found drug combinations to treat COVID-19

The Times of India

As the novel coronavirus continues to spread its fang across the globe, the medical experts, researchers and scientist are working round the clock to develop potential drugs and vaccine to combat the highly infectious various. From HCQ to remdisiver, there is a host of potential COVID-19 treatments which are being tested for their efficacy and safety as the world has joined hands to find a remedy for the highly infectious COVID 19 disease. The pandemic has already claimed more than 3 lakh lives across the globe and infected 4.7 million people. While the number of COVID-19 cases is bound to rise, there is a piece of good news shared by the Bangladeshi medical team which serves as a glimmering ray of hope. The Bangladeshi team led by a senior doctor exclaimed that they have found groundbreaking results in the treatment of severely ill COVID-19 patients with a combination of effective drugs. As per a report by a news agency, the ‘near-miraculous’ results were reported with the usage of antiprotozoal medicine called Ivermectin which is a parasite killing drug, along with Doxycycline which is an antibiotic. The Bangladeshi doctors explained that the combination of these two drugs gave great results in patients with acute symptoms of the coronavirus disease. Both the drugs were given to 60 patients admitted with respiratory problems who later tested positive for COVID-19. The doctors further stated that all the 60 patients recovered with the combination of both the drugs in a time frame of four days, which is astounding, to say the least. It is important to note medical researchers around the world have been trying different combinations for the treatment of novel coronavirus including the HIV-drug combo (lopinavir and ritonavir) but there haven’t been enough studies conducted to understand their efficacy.

5 doctors test positive for Covid-19 in Kashmir

Hindustan Times- Ashiq Hussain

The Covid-19 tally in Jammu and Kashmir rose to 1,188 on Monday after five doctors in three hospitals in Srinagar tested positive for the disease, officials said. A 75-year-old man also died of Covid-19 at Chest Diseases (CD) hospital in Srinagar on Monday taking the death toll to 14. Officials said that the five doctors were tested a day after a 29-year-old woman, who was earlier treated at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh(SMHS) hospital by ENT specialists and then tested positive for Covid-19, died at the CD hospital. “5 doctors positive - 4 of them were treating a single positive patient. No one is immune to the infection. Please take precautions,” Dr Naveed Shah, head of chest medicine at CD hospital, said in a tweet. Dr Salim Khan, nodal officer Covid-19 at Government Medical College, Srinagar, said that three of the doctors are from the ENT department of SMHS, one from Government Dental College and one from SKIMS, Bemina. “The Covid positive deceased lady from Habba Kadal was treated by the doctor from the Dental College and also at ENT, SMHS hospital, Srinagar,” Khan said. The patient was operated at SMHS by ENT surgeons for Ludwig’s Angina (submandibular abscess) and mediastinitis and had suffered septic shock.