Medicines that are mostly using for COVID-19 in 2020

 


As many as COVID-19 treatment drugs have either been given a go-ahead from the government to treat coronavirus infected patients in India or are in the final stages of the trial being carried out. Few medicines have already been approved by the DGCI while remaining are in the final trial stages. Coronavirus cases in India are mounting day by day. 

Here is a list of all drugs used in India

Hydroxychloroquine

Favipiravir

Remdesivir

Itolizumab (only preliminary results available)

Tocilizumab

Dexamethasone (Steroid)

Methylprednisolone (Anti-inflammatory drug)

Low molecular weight Heparin (To prevent blood clots & thrombogenic response)

Antibiotics - Azithromycin, Ivermectin, Doxycycline

bronchodilators: Acebrophylline (Make breathing easier by relaxing the muscles in the lungs)

Convalescent Plasma Therapy

Approved as an “off-label” therapy and works best when given early on in the treatment cycle


Boosting the immune system with vitamin supplements

Vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, 

and an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish, 

docosahexaenoic acid, also known as DHA, are critical for immune function.

Several clinical nutritionists have also recommended consuming adequate amounts of Vitamin C and D. 

Zinc is proven to be effective at slowing the rate that similar viruses such as SARS and common cold replicate in the body.


Source: miscellaneous web sources

Published by: Snehith

Coronavirus COVID-19 Treatment

To date, there are no specific vaccines or medicines for COVID-19. Treatments are under investigation and will be tested through clinical trials. World Health Organization

Self-care

If you feel sick you should rest, drink plenty of fluid, and eat nutritious food. Stay in a separate room from other family members, and use a dedicated bathroom if possible. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

Everyone should keep a healthy lifestyle at home. Maintain a healthy diet, sleep, stay active, and make social contact with loved ones through the phone or the internet. Children need extra love and attention from adults during difficult times. Keep to regular routines and schedules as much as possible.

It is normal to feel sad, stressed, or confused during a crisis. Talking to people you trust, such as friends and family, can help. If you feel overwhelmed, talk to a health worker or counselor

Medical treatments

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, coughing, and breathing problems. Unless you have severe symptoms, you can most likely treat them at home, the way you would for a cold or the flu. Most people recover from COVID-19 without the need for hospital care. Call your doctor to ask about whether you should stay home or get medical care in person.

Scientists are trying to make new medicines and test some existing drugs to see whether they can treat COVID-19. In the meantime, there are a number of things that can relieve symptoms, both at home and at the hospital.

At-Home Coronavirus Treatment

If your symptoms are mild enough that you can recover at home, you should:

Rest. It can make you feel better and may speed your recovery.

Stay home. Don't go to work, school, or public places.

Drink fluids. You lose more water when you're sick. Dehydration can make symptoms worse and cause other health problems.

Monitor. If your symptoms get worse, call your doctor right away. Don't go to their office without calling first. They might tell you to stay home, or they may need to take extra steps to protect staff and other patients.

Ask your doctor about over-the-counter medicines that may help, like acetaminophen to lower your fever.

The most important thing to do is to avoid infecting other people, especially those who are over 65 or who have other health problems.


That means:

Try to stay in one place in your home. Use a separate bedroom and bathroom if you can.

Tell others you're sick so they keep their distance.

Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow.

Wear a mask over your nose and mouth if you can.

Wash regularly, especially your hands.

Don't share dishes, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with anyone else.

Clean and disinfect common surfaces like doorknobs, counters, and tabletops.

What to expect

Symptoms begin 2 to 14 days after you come into contact with the virus. Early studies show that many people who have mild infections recover within 2 weeks. More severe cases tend to last 3 to 6 weeks.


Source: Webmd , liveMint

Published by: Snehith


Are you using mask? If yes, Which Type of Mask is more effective?




We have different types of Mask standards that can be confusing like N95, FFP1, P2, or surgical mask. So, a quick run cover the type and their effectiveness in filtering the particles
Generally, we are commonly used disposable masks, with that we have 3 more certified mask types (i.e., Single use face mask, surgical masks, and respirators).



Mask Standards and their Effectiveness

1. Single-use masks are normally one layer, very thin and only effective at capturing larger dust particles, but can do so fairly well.
2. Surgical masks have higher ability to capturing the virus-sized (0.1 micron) particles, however they differ by region.
3. Pollution masks or respirators are typically captures less than 90% of virus-sized particles. You can use the rating system in the table above to see the exact proportion each certification requires.


Each country has it’s their own standard certification for each mask type it varies a little from country to country however they are broadly similar. For example, Europe uses the EN 14683 standard for surgical masks, whereas China uses the YY 0469 standard.

The ratings cover (most importantly for us) the filtration level, among other things..
Rating covers for N95, N99, FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3 Masks bases on the filtration level. You can think of them like G, PG, PG-13, R ratings for movies. The movie ratings cover who can watch them


EN 149:2001+A1:2009 / ASTM F2100 / NIOSH

These are standards for masks. They specify the rules and testing methods companies should follow to rate their masks. These standards define the N95, FFP1, and FFP2 ratings above. Using the movie rating analogy, you can think of it like this: the people reviewing movies and choosing the appropriate movie rating must have a set of rules to decide if the movie is considered PG-13 or R. They’ll follow these rules to rate the movie. These standards are the set of rules for masks.

Standards labelled “EN” are for the EU. ASTM F2100 (NIOSH) is for the US. Many other countries will have their own rating systems too.

Important Tips for Understanding Mask Ratings

1. Three randomized studies have found surgical masks are just as effective as N95 masks at preventing virus transmission. They hypothesize the main reason for this is that any mask can reduce the hand-to-face contact, although we don’t know this for sure.

2. If you’re wearing a mask with a valve, you are protected. The valve does not bring in any outside air into the mask. Fit-test data has found that masks with valves are often among the highest scoring.

However, valves will not protect other people as well. If you are sick, and you breathe out, some of the moisture from your breath can expel through the valve, potentially putting others in danger.

3. Tests have found that DIY masks can filter a percentage of virus-sized particles. While they’re not as effective as surgical or N95 masks at filtering viruses, they can still provide some benefit. They can also reduce hand-to-face contact.



Source: Smart Air Filters

Publised by: Snehith

Modes of transmission of the virus causing COVID-19



According to current evidence, COVID-19 virus is transmitted between people through respiratory droplets and contact routes.

Droplet transmission occurs when a person is in close contact (within 1 m) with someone who has respiratory symptoms (e.g. coughing or sneezing,) and is therefore at risk of having his/her mucosae (mouth and nose) or conjunctiva (eyes) exposed to potentially infective respiratory droplets (which are generally considered to be > 5-10 μm in diameter).
Droplet transmission may also occur through fomites in the immediate environment around the infected person.


Therefore, the transmission of the COVID-19 virus can occur by direct contact with infected people and indirect contact with surfaces in the immediate environment or with objects used on the infected person (e.g. stethoscope or thermometer)

Airborne transmission is different from droplet transmission as it refers to the presence of microbes within droplet nuclei, which are generally considered to be particles < 5μm in diameter, and which result from the evaporation of larger droplets or exist within dust particles. They may remain in the air for long periods of time and be transmitted to others over distances greater than 1 m.


In the context of COVID-19, airborne transmission may be possible in specific circumstances and settings in which procedures that generate aerosols are performed (i.e. endotracheal intubation, bronchoscopy, open suctioning, administration of nebulized treatment, manual ventilation before intubation, turning the patient to the prone position, disconnecting the patient from the ventilator, non-invasive positive-pressure ventilation, tracheostomy, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation). The analysis of 75,465 COVID-19 cases in China, the airborne transmission was not reported.
There is some evidence that COVID-19 infection may lead to intestinal infection and be present in feces. However, to date, only one study has cultured the COVID-19 virus from a single stool specimen. There have been no reports of fecal-oral transmission of the COVID-19 virus to date.

Conclusion

 Based on the available evidence, including the recent publications mentioned above, WHO continues to recommend droplet and contact precautions for those people caring for COVID-19 patients and contact and airborne precautions for circumstances and settings in which aerosol generating procedures are performed.
These recommendations are consistent with other national and international guidelines, including those developed by the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine and Society of Critical Care Medicine13 and those currently used in Australia, Canada, and The United Kingdom.  
At the same time, other countries and organizations, including the US Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, recommend airborne precautions for any situation involving the care of COVID-19 patients, and consider the use of medical masks as an acceptable option in case of shortages of respirators (N95, FFP2 or FFP3).
Current WHO recommendations emphasize the importance of rational and appropriate use of all PPE, not only masks, which requires correct and rigorous behavior from health care workers, particularly in doffing procedures and hand hygiene practices. WHO also recommends staff training on these recommendations, as well as the adequate procurement and availability of the necessary PPE and other supplies and facilities. Finally, WHO continues to emphasize the utmost importance of frequent hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and environmental cleaning and disinfection, as well as the importance of maintaining physical distances and avoidance of close, unprotected contact with people with fever or respiratory symptoms




Source: World Health Organization
https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/modes-of-transmission-of-virus-causing-covid-19-implications-for-ipc-precaution-recommendations

Publised By: Snehith
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)