COVID19- ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

 

World is going through one of the worst pandemic of the century since late 2019. Named as COVID-19 or Corona Virus Disease 2019, the infection was first reported from Wuhan city of China which then spread rapidly around the world within next few weeks. It is caused by a newly discovered strain of Corona virus named as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus is said to have originated from horseshoe bats. 

                                                               

When to suspect?

Symptoms mostly appear 2 -14 days after exposure to virus.

Common symptoms include

•  Fever,
•  Sore throat,
• Congestion or runny nose
• Dry cough
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea.
• Loss of smell
• Difficulty in breathing.

 In severe cases patient will have severe respiratory distress, pneumonia, multiple organ failure and can   be fatal.

 

When to get tested?

If you have symptoms seek medical attention. The health care workers can then decide whether you need to be tested or not according to the local health guidelines.

 

 What are the tests available?

1.  Molecular diagnostic tests

a) Real time PCR (Polymerase chain reaction): It is based on the detection of genetic material (RNA) of the virus. It detects current infection and confirms the diagnosis. The test takes 4-5 hours to complete and  results are obtained by next day.

b) TRUENAT- Samples tested positive by TRUENAT are reported as positive for COVID19. No further RT-PCR need to be done. Results are available with in one hour.

c) CBNAAT(GeneXpert)- Catridge based PCR system used in emergency. Results are available within one hour and require no further confirmation.

2. Rapid antigen test : Detects the specific antigen for novel coronavirus in the nasopharyngeal swab. Results are obtained after 15 to 30 minutes and can be interpreted with naked eyes. A positive result is confirmatory; but symptomatic negative case need to be confirmed by RT-PCR.

      3. Serological test or antibody test: Detects antibody produced against the virus by the immune system which can be detected in the blood of the patient. It cannot tell you whether you have a current infection or had a previous infection. Antibody takes a minimum of 5 days to appear in the blood.

 

What are the samples collected for testing?

1. Nasopharyngeal swabs / Throat swabs

Swabs are taken through mouth or nose. Sampling takes only few seconds and hardly cause any difficulty for the patient. Avoid going for sampling immediately after a meal as gag reflex sometimes may cause nausea and vomiting.

2. Blood

Few drops of blood obtained by a finger prick is enough for the antibody test, which gives the result in few minutes.

 

What if you are tested positive? 

·            Do not Panic.

·         Most of the infections present with mild symptoms and resolve within 5 to 7 days under appropriate       medical help.

·         Follow instructions from your health care workers.

·         Isolate yourself.

·         Watch out for emergency warning signs like breathlessness or severe chest pain.

·         If present, seek emergency medical care.

·         All close contacts should stay in home isolation for 14 days.

What is the recovery time of Corona virus disease???

Around 2 weeks in people with mild disease. People with severe disease takes around 3 to 6 weeks for recovery.

 

When can the patient be considered cleared of infection??

In symptomatic patients

·         if atleast 3 days have passed since the resolution of fever without medication and with improvement       in symptoms like cough, respiratory distress and

·         atleast 10 days since symptoms first appeared.

If two consecutive tests 24 hours apart are negative.

 

What if you are tested negative?

If you are symptomatic, continue self-isolation till you become symptom free.

Contact healthcare system in case of worsening of symptoms.

 

How to protect yourself and your loved ones???

Virus spreads through respiratory droplets released by a patient with infection. But it is not necessary that the infected person should be symptomatic. So the best method to protect yourself is by reducing the chance of getting exposed to the virus. This can be achieved by

·        Avoiding social gatherings and public places.

·        Maintain a distance of 1 meter (2 arm distance) from others.

Covid19 patient can breastfeed after wearing a mask and practicing respiratory hygiene. Wash hands thoroughly before and after touching the baby

Hand hygiene

Wash your hands with soap and water.

Follow proper hand washing steps for 20 seconds.

Do not forget to dry your hands in air before touching yourself.

HAND WASHING STEPS

If soap and water is not available, you can use alcohol based sanitizers. (atleast 60% alcohol).

Remember that use of hand sanitizers can never replace hand washing with soap and water.

Follow minimal touch technique in public places like bus, metro and shops.

Avoid frequent touching of your face, mouth, nose and eyes.

Wearing masks

Although medical masks are advised only for health care workers and sick patients it is better for you to wear a mask while going out.

You can wear any kind of mask.

N95 mask provides 95 % protection against particles less than 0.3 micron in size.

Surgical masks provide less protection but can be worn if you don’t have an N95 mask.

If you have neither of them wearing a handkerchief covering your mouth and nose can also help.

But please remember that wearing masks will not protect you, if you do not follow proper hand hygiene and wear the mask properly.

Make sure that the mask covers your mouth and nose properly.

Do not touch the outside of the mask.

Wash your hands after touching or adjusting the mask.

Reuse of masks: Ideally none of the masks can be reused. But in case of shortage you can reuse according to the manufacturer instructions.

Cough etiquette: Cover your mouth and nose during coughing or sneezing. Try to cough or sneeze into your elbow rather than hands.

 

Why is this virus feared of??

It is considered highly contagious, with current Ro value or Reproduction number between 2 and 3 that is each infected person spreads the virus to an average of 2 to 3 persons. You can imagine how rapidly it will spread in case of any delay in prompt precautionary actions. If we can bring down Ro value below 1, we will be able to control the pandemic according to experts in the field.

 

Who are at increased risk??

Elderly above 60 years of age

Diabetic patients

Obese patients (BMI of 40 or higher)

Suffering from chronic lung disease

Chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis and

Immunocompromised patient on corticosteroids and chemotherapy 

 

 Case fatality Rate (CFR) of COVID-19:

 It is the total number of deaths due to COVID-19 divided by the total cases in a period of time. The CFR of COVID-19 is 3% which is much lower than that of previous respiratory viruses like SARS (10%) and MERS (30%).

 

Vaccine for COVID 19: Where do we stand???

Several countries around the world have already started their vaccine trials. But it is not rational to introduce a vaccine without adequate safety trials. The Oxford Group leads the race with their vaccine edging towards the late stages of human trials.

 

When will the pandemic end??

The pandemic might end with the attainment of natural immunity after infection by majority of people  along with the introduction of vaccine.

 

World has seen more deadly pandemics in the past and mankind has survived worse kind of threats. So this is not the time to lose hope or be depressed. Make use of your time, help others and stay united.

Stay safe, stay healthy