By Anupama Nair
Mumbai May 3
“It was the best of the times; it was the worst of times,
It was the age of wisdom; it was the age of foolishness,
It was the season of light; it was the season of darkness,
It was the spring of hope; it was the winter of despair”
These are very prophetic words written more than a century ago, but never have they seemed true. Twenty-Twenty was one such year when a “mere” virus held the world in its grasp. Even in 2021 it still does not seem to free the world from its grasp. After the first phase killed millions now second phase is on the same path.
Is it a curse that from 1720, the world has been witnessing such killer pandemics every hundred years? The Great Plague (1720-1723), killed 100 thousand people worldwide. The Cholera Pandemic (1820-1824) killed millions in Asia. In 1920 after the First World War, the Spanish Flu killed nearly 17 million people. Come circa 2020, Corona Virus has killed nearly 2.7 million people and the list goes on and on. In Part I spoke out the first phase of Corona and the destruction it caused on the world. In the second part I spoke about the destruction of the second phase is and has the world in it grasp once again.
Nostradamus the great French physician and astrologist, became quite famous in recent times with his prediction of Corona. He stated “There will be a twin year (2020) from which will arise a queen (corona) who will come from the east (China) and who will spread a plague (virus) in the darkness of night, on a country with 7 hills (Italy) and will transform the twilight of men into dust (death), to destroy and ruin the world. It will be the end of the world economy as you know it.”
This prediction was proved right. Nostradamus has predicted 2021 also as a year of suffering with draughts and floods. One can hope it does not come true like his prediction of the end of the world in 2012. But, the first four months of this year is equally grim and seem to make his predictions true again. The cases are increasing day by day. As per today’s counts the word has 147,820,011 cases with 3,116,287 deaths with United States the biggest contributor with 32 million cases, with India with 17.3 million followed by Brazil with 14.3 million cases. France, Russia, UK, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Germany and Argentina are not far behind.
India is currently in the midst of a second wave of the virus, with confirmed daily infections reaching an all-time high of more than 3 hundred thousand per day this week. But what is still comforting is our recovery rate, low case rate per million. At the beginning of the pandemic, health experts had predicted that India, with a population more than four times the size of the U.S., would quickly become the world’s worst-hit country—especially given that China, the only country in the world with a larger population, mounted an effective campaign to suppress the virus. But bad outbreaks in the U.S. and Brazil, meant India never officially reached that point. But now we are inching closer to the grim figure.
COVID-19 is an infectious and contagious disease caused by the recently discovered coronavirus. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus enters the body via nose, mouth and eyes. Some recent studies suggest that virus may be airborne and can be spread through infected droplets which remain suspended in the air in closed air-conditioned environments of our offices, homes, AC cabs and buses, shopping malls and theatres due to absence of cross-ventilation, even when you are not in direct contact with an infected person.
How can COVID-19 transmission be reduced? Transmission can be reduced easily by using some common sense i.e., staying at home if possible, especially if you are more than 60 years or less than 5 years of age, or have co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension or chronic ailments and avoid meeting visitors at home. Wash your hands and face at regular intervals with soap and water and hand sanitizer if possible. Wear a mask at all times when you are out of the house. The most important and life-saving tip is social distancing – keeping a distance of 6 feet from others when out of the house. Frequently cleaning the frequently touched surfaces with disinfectant like Dettol. Avoid closed spaces with central air-conditioning like offices, malls, etc. with inadequate fresh air. It is difficult to manage without air-conditioning this hot summer for a person like me. Ensure proper nutrition through balanced diet, maintaining hydration with plenty of fluids, boosting immunity through fresh fruit juices, herbal drinks and turmeric in milk. Do not forget daily exercise and meditation. Ensure taking your daily prescribed medicines regularly. Don’t ever self-medicate as you are not a doctor. Last not but the least avoid going near sick people.
Next question is how this killer virus manifests? The most commonly reported symptoms of COVID-19 are:
· Dry cough, cold, sore throat
· Fever or chills
· Fatigue, tiredness, muscle or body aches
· Headache
· Congestion or runny nose
· Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
· Loss of appetite/taste/smell
These are common symptoms. The severity and duration of symptoms for people who have COVID-19 can vary and for most people, usually the symptoms take 7-14 days to subside. Some people may have no symptoms, while others may require hospitalization. Recovery from symptoms varies from person to person. In some cases, these symptoms might persist even after testing negative for COVID-19. If you have any of these symptoms, you should consult your physician who will advise for COVID testing if necessary. If you test positive and you have mild symptoms, the doctor may advise home quarantine. If very severe, hospitalization may be advised. If the test result is positive, it is mandatory for the hospital to report to the government and sometimes government representatives may visit your house for checking on you and isolating the family members.
What are the Do’s for home quarantine? Please stay at home all the time, unless there is a medical reason for travel. It is necessary to practice good hygiene by washing your hands for more than 20 seconds, including in between your fingers and under fingers and under your nails using plenty of soap and water. Using an alcohol-based sanitizer with more than 60% alcohol is the best. Do this frequently, especially before you eat, after you use the restroom, blow your nose or cough, or before you touch your face. Cover your cough and sneeze to prevent it from spreading. If possible, stay in a separate room with door closed and use separate washroom. Do not forget to disinfect all surfaces i.e., doorknobs, countertops, stairway railings and switches, you come into contact with. Any bleach-containing household product is effective. Wipe your phone with disinfectant wipes or 70% iso-propyl alcohol as it touches your hands and your face often. Do not forget to wash your hands thoroughly after handling cash or credit cards as their surface may have virus. Always wear a facemask if you step out of your room or if someone enters your room and wash your hands before you wear your mask. Protect your immune system by consuming balanced diet, staying hydrated, avoiding alcohol, getting enough sleep and maintain healthy weight. Daily monitoring of symptoms such as dry cough, shortness of breath, fever above102 F, loss of taste and smell is necessary. It is good to have a finger pulse oximeter at home to monitor oxygen saturation. Seek medical advice for chemo-prophylaxis for your family members. Avoid visiting older relatives or community members, or babies as they are most vulnerable. Discourage visitors. Don’t ever discontinue self-quarantine until instructed by your doctor
If you get any one of the symptoms, seek emergency medical care immediately: worsening shortness of breath/ trouble breathing and cough, if you are using a pulse oximeter, oxygen saturation less than 95%, worsening ability to concentrate/confusion, bluish lips or face, a new or recurring fever or persistent fever more than 100 F for 3 days, persistent pain or pressure in the chest and inability to wake or stay awake
(Credits: Medanta)
