Category: Covid-19

●      What is hydroxychloroquine?

This medicine is used to treat malaria caused by infected female mosquito bites. It is sold under the brand name Plaquenil. It is also used in the treatment of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It is generally consumed by mouth for treatment.

●      What role does it play in preventing Covid-19?

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is considered as the most effective drug in preventing Covid-19. Malaria patients in India primarily consume it.

It boosts the immune system of the human body and helps it to prevent from contracting the coronavirus. This drug can be used by medical staff, doctors, and other front line workers who are being exposed to the infected person under their treatment. It is advised to consume one dose per week for at least three weeks to be used as a preventive measure.

Many reports and studies have been initiated by several labs to ensure the safety of humans by the consumption of this drug, and some have noted its side effects. In China, preliminary reports have shown that hydroxychloroquine shortens the duration of cough, cold, and fever. It also promotes the recovery time and absorbs pneumonia while it shows a significant improvement in the patient’s body, followed by mild sickness.

•     What are the side effects of hydroxychloroquine?

If drugs have their benefits, then they also come with their side effects.

Side effects can occur with a prolonged dosage of this drug without any supervision. Some minor, side effects may include like dizziness, headache, and stomach ache or cramps. Some serious consequences of this antiviral drug consist of vision changes, muscle weakness, swelling of the skin, and heart rhythm problems.

Before consuming this antiviral drug, one should consult their doctor, as it is crucial that you should not consume this drug if you are dealing with heart problems. That is why it is strongly advised to take proper advice and prescription from a doctor.

Source: https://theprint.in/health/hcq-breakthrough-icmr-finds-its-effective-in-preventing-coronavirus-expands-its-use/427583/

Good news for COVID- 19 patients!

Moderna, a biotech company, working towards creating clinical therapeutics and vaccines, announced positive interim results for its phase 1 data of mRNA-1273, which is its revolutionary vaccine for curing coronavirus (Covid-19). The data, as of now, is accessible for 25ug and 100ug levels for ages 18 to 55. In light of the interval Phase 1 information, the Moderna-drove Phase 2 investigation will be corrected to examine two portion levels, 50 µg, and 100 µg, with the point of choosing a portion for vital examinations. 

If the company combines the medicine that is responsible for preventing similar infection of the lungs at a portion that showed the same level of antibodies, then the data can easily materialize the fact that mRNA can be used to treat and prevent the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) and can help in advancing the chances of creating a successful vaccine for the virus. The team has been able to focus on starting the study for the next phase to file a BLA. 

Moderna is a biotech firm that uses mRNA technology to cater to transformative vaccines for patients. The staff at Moderna has been successful in designing vaccines that are prophylactic and were used to treat many infectious diseases. Around 14000 candidates were enrolled for the company’s clinical studies for vaccines. The benefits of involving mRNA approach for these prophylactic vaccines is their ability to include variable mRNAs into a particular vaccine and then aid recovery to fight pandemic diseases, as well as to produce alertness to the platform. Moderna has developed a well-integrated manufacturing factory.

Moderna has been able to manifest in nine developments of vaccines currently. They include vaccines for infections in the respiratory system, vaccines for delivery transmitted infections from mother to baby, and vaccines for viral infections that are highly prevalent.

Due to the vigorous spreading of this novel coronavirus throughout the world, there is an urgent need to find the vaccine for it. Many scientists and young medical students are engaged in the laboratories in researching the vaccine by using scraps of the previous vaccines of the cold and the flu. Others are developing the vaccine through thorough studies of the disease. It can take several years to produce such a vaccine whenever a new virus emerges, and a vaccine needs to be developed.

Many preliminary results are reported from trials, results of which suggestions by scientists were for a 10-day course of vaccine for coronavirus. A trial conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious disease (NIAID) situated in the United States has discovered a remdesivir course with their broad investigation that can expedite recovery in the body of infected COVID-19 patients. The reports are very encouraging as it raises a hope among the public. The report also states that the 10-days of remedesivir were much more effective than placebo treatment among COVID-19 patients. The recovery mortality among patients of remedesivir of 14 days was 7.1%, and in placebo treatment was 11.9%.

Remdesivir treatment has previously been used during the treatment of the Ebola virus disease. It has shown positive effects in curing Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory System, as coronaviruses also cause these. This drug has been under specific observations and testing to ensure its safety after entering in the body of COVID-19 patients with fewer side effects. There are six major trials taking place for remedesivir, which includes solidarity trials under the World Health Organization (WHO), which will be used on Indian patients.

Many other clinical trials are going on for other drugs as well. We have to patiently wait for some positive reports of these trials while taking care of our safety, meanwhile.

Url source- https://indianexpress.com/article/india/large-remdesivir-clinical-trial-in-us-shows-new-promise-6424429/

According to the current status of COVID 19, Maharashtra alone has around 55,000 confirmed cases, whereas, in Kerala, there are about 700 cases. Initially, Kerala had thousands of cases, but now it is reducing every day even before we answer the question of “why,” let us understand the problems faced by Maharashtra in dealing with COVID 19.

Firstly, the population needs to be considered. The population in Maharashtra is 12.49 Crore. This is a huge number. There are a lot of people traveling day and night, 24/7 all of the time. One main reason is that it is a metropolitan city. It becomes tough for government officials to handle such a massive crowd. Management is tough because a lot of manpower is required for this, and coronavirus can also affect them. So many people cannot be appointed as volunteers.

In contrast, Kerala has a total population of 3.47 Crore, which is quite less than Maharashtra’s but of many other states. A smaller population makes it easier to manage. Secondly, there is the idea of unity. This is somehow related to the population and the government. Under this crisis, everyone needs to abide by the rules imposed by the government. Thirdly are medicines. Kerala did not wait for the central government to release an allopathic medicine. They started their research and discovered what could temporarily cure their people and applied for the medicine immediately. This cured a lot of people.

In contrast, Maharashtra did not take such a huge step. Lastly are the schemes that were applied. Kerala took very strict measures to control the pandemic in their area. The Health Minister of Kerala, K K Shailaja, took a step forward, did everything she had to, and declared strict lockdowns and policies. Although lockdown was declared in Maharashtra, strict policies were not imposed. This is continuing to lead to an increased number of cases, even now in Maharashtra.

Coronavirus has brought many changes to our daily lifestyle. We now have indulged in an assortment of new habits of maintaining cleanliness, social distancing, staying indoors, for example. The whole world is in the lockdown, and hardly anyone is venturing out. There is very little interaction with society, and we are all with our families trying to be as safe as possible. So many precautions are being taken so that we are away from the deadliest disease ever. Taking all of these precautions not only keeps coronavirus away but all the other diseases because cleanliness is maintained and we are isolated. 

According to studies conducted by scientists, it can be that most diseases today are caused due to bacterial infections and viruses, and are spread from person to person. Another main reason for such diseases is the lack of cleanliness. Now that we are all careful about these factors and maintaining it, there are lesser chances of any other diseases affecting us. 

Quarantine has also forced us to eat more home-cooked food, which also promises a healthier lifestyle. Also, home workouts are the best. It helps you rest well and exercise at your convenience. We are less involved in eating junk foods and are attempting to improve our immunity to stay well. The use of masks and gloves during any activity we do is also a part of us now and is helping us amazingly in improving our health. Apart from this, car traffic has been significantly reduced because there are fewer carbon emissions in the air as there is less car driving. We can breathe fresher air. This has also helped the earth adapt to a healthier environment and helped recover the ozone layer just as it was before. 

Coronavirus has created a pandemic situation in the world. It has already shown its deadly capabilities to make the whole world suffer. Recently, it was discovered that this virus is capable of mutation and I will discuss about that in this article.

Researchers in UK and US have identified that there are hundreds of Coronavirus mutations that can cause COVID-19. However, it has not yet been determined how this mutation will affect the spread of the virus and how a vaccine can affect it. Every virus mutates and same goes for Coronavirus. Hence, scientists and medical experts must examine whether this mutation can cause severe damage or not. Researchers in the US have revealed that there is one notable mutation in the Coronavirus known as D614G that is becoming dominant and is capable of making the disease much more infectious. Researchers in New Mexico are accurately tracking the changes in the “spike” of the Coronavirus that gives it its special shape. This is done by using the database known as the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID). They have found that this particular mutation makes the virus grow at a much faster rate, but the consequences are yet unknown.

Some patients from Sheffield who are carrying this mutated Coronavirus have been tested and it was found that though the amount of the virus is more in their samples, there is no report of them becoming more sick or staying in hospital longer than normal Coronavirus patients.

The mutation in the virus is not dangerous until it causes deadly effects on patients. It is also considered that this mutation can actually help in creating the vaccines against this deadly Coronavirus.

INTRODUCTION

The entire world is fighting with the deadly pandemic, i.e. coronavirus, by staying at home. The whole world is waiting for the peaceful day when it would be said that now we have a vaccine for the coronavirus. As we all know, there is no vaccine for the COVID-19 yet, but the research is still being done. The latest updates on the coronavirus vaccine say that the world is approximately 12-18 months away from having access to it. On the other hand, there is still the hope that we can successfully overcome this global pandemic.

VACCINE UPDATES

In the story of coronavirus, different possibilities have been seen, i.e. get a strong immune system for fighting the disease.  The second is a drug. A drug which is capable of containing the disease and the third one is the vaccine. It has been said that there are approximately 100 groups of researchers all around the world who are trying to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. Research is being done in different stages from developmental to clinical trials.

WHICH COUNTRIES ARE DEVELOPING THE CORONAVIRUS VACCINE?

The United States, Germany, China, India, and the United Kingdom are working to develop a coronavirus vaccine.

Per the news, the University of Oxford is doing research on whether a vaccine that was originally invented for MERS can appear as a boon for the whole world? They are researching whether that vaccine can be used for the treatment of coronavirus or not. A vaccine named chAdOx1 nCoV-19 can help the human body in recognizing the spikes of the coronavirus which are made up of protein. Since this vaccine was already made for MERS, the vaccine passed the initial stages. Currently, it is in the clinical trial phase. Along with this, a vaccine in Germany named BNT162 is also in the clinical trial phase.

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, life after lockdown will be totally different from the past years. We don’t have reliable data to analyze when this pandemic could end, and we are learning to live with the situation.

In the industrial sector, even after the end of the lockdown, companies and factories have to maintain proper sanitation, ensure social distancing and follow stringent measures to prevent this virus from spreading among people working in their premises.

In the medical sector, there is great pressure to prepare the vaccine as soon as possible so that the infected population can be cured and gain control over this disease.

While visiting most places after the lockdown, there will probably be temperature sensors in public, and we may still need to follow measures such as social distancing during our normal activities. In all workplaces, there will be quarantine measures to detect infection.

There could be a sudden hike in train and air fares to prevent people from traveling more and get infected from exposure to the disease. A good thing post lockdown would be that migrant workers would be able to earn a living again for their starving families.

Lockdowns have definitely given us some lessons in unity. If everyone living in this country or the world unites to stop something they can do it. But for that, they must have patience and faith in the procedures instituted by governments, as any decision taken by the government would always be in the favor of the public so, instead of opposing them at this crucial time, we should support them.

The world is still fighting with the coronavirus pandemic. It is well-understood that diseases like the coronavirus do not appear suddenly. A very large community of viruses have been around the world for a very long time. Such viruses infect people and cause them to cough as well as have the sniffles. It has been said that before the SARS-CoV-2 happened, COVID was supposed to cause normal respiratory infections and not the severe ones.

The new one, i.e. COVID-19, is causing severe respiratory infections in human beings. It is said that coronavirus is also detected in animals as well for some period of time. Along with this, some scientists are also saying that coronavirus has spread from animals to human beings. According to many professionals, it is not a new virus to the entire world but new to human beings. When doctors noticed that people were getting ill in the year 2019, then the disease was named as coronavirus.

TYPES OF HUMAN CORONAVIRUS

Professionals have categorized the coronaviruses in four groups named as alpha, gamma, beta, and delta. The four most communal viruses of these groups are listed below:

• 229E (alpha)
• NL63 (alpha)
• OC43 (beta)
• HKU1 (beta)

Three viruses are also listed below which are not so communal:

• MERS-CoV: This is a beta virus which generally creates Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
• SARS-CoV-2: This caused COVID-19.
• SARS-CoV: This is also a beta virus which makes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS.)

WHY DOES THE VIRUS CHANGE?

All the genetic material of the coronavirus is present in the RNA, which is also known as ribonucleic acid. There are some similarities between RNA and DNA, but they definitely are not completely the same. When a virus infects a person, they get attached to the nails. Through the nails, they enter into the body and make replications of the RNA. If they are mistaken in multiplying themselves, then this makes the RNA change.

As we all should know, the novel coronavirus has infected more than 4.4 million people worldwide in such a short period, leading to 300,000 deaths. The most affected countries by this virus are Italy, Spain, the US, and France.

To survive through this pandemic, every country has had to shut down its working economy for the safety of its population and declared lockdown to various extensions. But what will happen to the condition of this virus after reopening the lockdown?

Everyone wants to know the answer to this question; if the virus spreads more vigorously and leads to more deaths, we will have to start learning to live with this virus eventually. After the lockdown is over, all people will be advised to practice social distancing, wear masks everywhere possible, and maintain proper sanitization. After reopening of lockdown, coronavirus might spread actively due to more crowds assembling at one place, which transmits the virus from an infected person to average person. All the institutions, schools, colleges, factories will be sanitized several times to avoid any possibility of spreading disease, and everyone will be advised to avoid contact with each other. 

There is a good chance of an increase in cases of this virus as soon as the lockdown ends, due to the rise of exposure at a time. As for now, the lockdown has controlled the cases by limiting the people’s exposure to openly crowded areas. Some positive effects of this lockdown have been seen, such as the declining rate of positive cases, healing of the infected population, healing of atmosphere and nature, which leads to fresh air in the surroundings, reduction in the number of vehicles on the road nowadays. Most importantly, people who were very busy with their routine life before lockdown now have more free time to spend their time with their family.