Study focuses on neurological consequences of Covid-19

Melbourne: A team of neuroscientists and clinicians are examining the potential link between Covid-19 and increased risk of Parkinsons disease, and measures to get ahead of the curve. The study has been published in the Journal of Parkinsons Disease. "Although scientists are still learning how the SARS-CoV-2 virus is able to invade the brain and central nervous system, the fact that its getting in there is clear. Our best understanding is that the virus can cause insult to brain cells, with potential for neurodegeneration to follow on from there," said Professor Kevin Barnham from the Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health. ....read more

CMAAO Coronavirus Facts and Myth Buster: We can reduce the mortality

With input from Dr Monica Vasudev 1090: Minutes of Virtual Meeting of CMAAO NMAs on “If Sri Lanka can do it, why not others?”19th September, 2020, Saturday, 9.30am-10.30am,Participants: Member NMAs: Dr KK Aggarwal, President CMAAO, Dr Yeh Woei Chong, Singapore Chair of Council, CMAAO, Dr Ravi Naidu, Malaysia, Immediate Past President, CMAAO, Dr Alvin Yee-Shing Chan, Hong Kong, Dr Marie Uzawa Urabe, Japan, Dr Ashraf Nizami, President, Pakistan Medical Association, Dr Prakash Budhathoki, Nepal Invitees: Dr Russell D’Souza, UNESCO Chair in Bioethics, Australia, Dr S Sharma, Editor IJCP Group Key points from the discussionTotal cases in Sri Lanka are 3281, which is 153 per million population; total deaths are 13 (0.6 per million population). Yesterday (18thSept), Sri Lanka had only 5 new cases vs. India which has approximately 1 lakh cases per day. Total tests done in Sri Lanka are 2,62,378 (12,242 per million population). ....read more

World COVID Meter 23rd September: Acute manageable immunogenic thrombogenic inflammatory viral disease pandemic

Cases: 1M April 2, 2M April 15, 3M April 27, 4M May 8, 5M May 20, 6M May 30, 7M June 7, 8M June 15, 9M June 22, 10M June 29th, 11M July 4, 12M July 8, 13M July 13, 14M July 17, 15M July 23, 16M July 25, 17M July 29, 18M August 1, 19M August 6, 20M August 10, 21M August 16, 22M August 19, 23M August 21, 24M August 27, 25M August 30, 26M September 3, 27M September 7, 28M September 10, 29M September 14, 30M September 18, 31M September 21 Ground Zero: Wuhan - in live animal market or cafeteria for animal pathogens: 10th January; Total cases are based on RT PCR, 67% sensitivity Coronavirus Cases: 31,771,441,Deaths: 975,315,Recovered: 23,386,714 ....read more

Science behind regrets

In a US-based study, dying people were asked about their regrets, if any. The top five regrets were:1. I wish I had the courage to live a life I wanted to live and not what others expected me to live.2. I wish I had worked harder.3. I wish I had the courage to express my feelings....read more

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Covid under Heading Covid and Post Covid phase

Medbytes

Healthcare News Monitor

As China hikes prices of pharma KSMs, Indias atmanirbhar drive faces its first real test

timesnownews

The latest move by China is being viewed by some analysts as a ploy to derail the Indian pharmaceutical industrys push to align itself with the vision of PM Modis Atmanirbhar India. Over 70 per cent of Indias API import requirement is satisfied by our northern neighbour, mostly for antibiotics and vitamins National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had warned as far back as 2011 that Indias API dependence could morph into a national security threat if it went unaddressed On March 21, the government sanctioned the development of three mega bulk drug parks in India in partnership with states under a new scheme worth $394 million

Watchdog on pharma ethics violations says it has no such power in RTI reply, takes U-turn later

ThePrint

New Delhi: Drug price watchdog National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority (NPPA) spelt confusion last week about its mandate on monitoring the marketing practices followed by pharmaceutical companies. So far, the NPPA has been seeking compliance reports from industry associations on complaints regarding violations of the Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP), a self-regulatory framework for the industry that aims to curb practices such as offering gifts to healthcare professionals to push a certain product. However, it said in reply to an RTI query last week that it doesn’t have the mandate to monitor potential marketing infractions. The admission came last week, and raised questions about the oversight mechanism for marketing malpractices in the Indian pharma sector.

Violence mounts against Iraqi doctors as coronavirus cases spike

indiatoday

Iraqi doctor Tariq Al-Sheibani remembers little else beyond cowering on the ground as a dozen relatives of a patient, who had just died of Covid-19, beat him unconscious. About two hours later the 47-year-old director of Al-Amal Hospital in the southern city of Najaf woke up in a different clinic with bruises all over his body. "All the doctors are scared," said Sheibani, speaking at his home in Kufa a few weeks after the Aug. 28 attack. "Every time a patient dies, we all hold our breath."

Panchkula: Frontline doctors dealing with anxiety, rising mental health issues amid the pandemic

The Indian Express

Rising anxiety, fear, disturbed sleep patterns and a constant feeling of helplessness are only a few factors wreaking havoc on the mental health of frontline doctors— as Covid-related death toll continues to increase— and India enters the eighth month of battling the pandemic. This deterioration in the mental health of doctors has been a direct consequence of the persisting pandemic. Working shifts of 12-hour or more, while being a bystander to unabated deaths has begun to show its toll on the healthcare staff. As per a psychiatrist posted at the civil hospital of Panchkula, at least 40 per cent of the doctors at the hospital, who are directly involved in dealing with Covid ICUs or sampling have approached him, seeking counselling or advice regarding mental health issues.