A year and a half after the coronavirus pandemic ravaged our collective lives, our society continues to grapple with fear and insecurity. As a result, we have seen misinformation spread like wildfire, and many people resort to bizarre and wrong ways of dealing with the virus. With this column, which will be published every Sunday, we aim to address any health or vaccine-related questions that our readers may have. coronavirus global pandemic.
In this week’s column, Dr Surekha Kishor, Executive Director, AIIMS Gorakhpur, addresses concerns about taking flu shots and the COVID-19 vaccine together. She further discusses the role of community medicine in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
How does the antiviral pill that claims to manage COVID 19 and reduce the chances of hospitalization and death?
2-Deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been developed and manufactured in India for the management of COVID-19. It is an analog of glucose, which has emerged as an important COVID-19 drug due to its effect on a glycolytic pathway, anti-inflammatory action and interaction with viral proteins. The COVID-19 virus depends on glycolysis (the breakdown of glucose by cells) for its energy requirements. By inhibiting glycolysis, it inhibits viral replication. Findings from clinical trials suggest that this drug reduces the need for supplemental oxygen and supports the rapid recovery of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Our Regulatory Authority (CDSCO) has granted “Emergency Use Authorization” as adjunctive treatment in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients in a hospital setting.
How has medical training for doctors changed since the pandemic? What new things are they being taught in light of the global health issue?
On the positive side, this pandemic has opened a way for new teaching and training methods. E-learning tools have ensured continuity and safe delivery of medical education to a certain extent. The widespread use of smartphones and laptops has made it possible to deliver interactive lectures through webcasts, podcasts and videoconferencing. His role was underestimated in the pre-COVID era. Telemedicine, teleconsultation, online discussion of cases, virtual examination of patients under faculty supervision have offered some solutions to the problems of medical education.
More emphasis is now being laid on development of skill laboratories for virtual training of physicians before actual practice on patients.
How has the role of community medicine evolved during the pandemic?
Because of its spread in the general population, COVID-19 can be considered a social or community disease. It can be controlled only through preventive and interventional measures at the community level. COVID-19 is the best example of “prevention is better than cure” and “use of epidemiological data to identify priority people”. These are important aspects of teaching in community medicine.
The key principles of COVID management are – 3T (Test-Track-Treat.) Community Medicine can ensure its application. It can help in providing equitable health care to the rural population of our country. As we have seen during the second wave of the pandemic, hospitals were overburdened and could not accommodate all the patients. It is important to identify patients who require hospitalization and who can be treated on outpatient basis or on home isolation basis. It is important to ensure early detection, isolation, treatment and monitoring of patients.
The role of community medicine is to get to the grassroots level of the problem. Early management of the patient at a community level can reduce the burden on tertiary care centres.
Another important role of community medicine is vaccination to prevent the spread and severity of COVID-19. In addition, epidemiological data of strain-wise COVID infection prevalence at a community level can help in prioritizing the region for containment measures.
Is it safe to take COVID vaccine and flu shot together? What is the time gap between the COVID vaccine and the flu shot?
One can take both the COVID vaccine and the flu shot together. Common respiratory viruses can return to their annual form. Simultaneous COVID and flu pandemics can overwhelm health care systems.
Do Indians need booster shots for COVID 19?
Research is going on on this. The need for a booster dose may be influenced by various factors such as age, previous COVID infection, the level of herd immunity in our country, immunological conditions, etc. Data from ongoing research should convey the need for boosters, rather than individual views and opinions. Dosage. However, it is important for all to continue to follow the appropriate COVID treatment when the cases are dwindling and a busy festive season is about to begin from the beginning of this month.
Do vaccine side effects include skin pigmentation?
Skin pigmentation after COVID vaccination should be considered a rare effect. It can also be a co-incident event. This should not be a cause for concern in view of the immense benefits of COVID vaccination.
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