Something has gone terribly wrong in India. The country has reported 346,786 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, killing 2,624 people worldwide. the highest daily toll since the pandemic began last year. Overall, nearly 190,000 people have died from COVID in the country, while more than 16.6 million have been infected.
So serious is the new outbreak in India that hospitals are running out of oxygen and beds and many people who are sick are being pushed back.
New Zealand, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and the US have banned direct flights to or from India or advised citizens to travel in full; and the list may be longer.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson, who is keen to secure a trade agreement with the country after Brexit, has been forced. cancel the planned trip to India next week and instead plans to almost meet with President Narendra Modi.
For a country where COVID numbers seemed to be dropping significantly a few weeks ago, what happened so badly in India?
The Indian variant, known as B.1.617, appears causing disaster in the country. Since April 15, India has reported more than 200,000 coronavirus cases every day and the capital Delhi has recently announced a one-week shutdown after the increase in cases there. he aggravated the health system.
“If we set up the blockade now, we would be in greater disarray,” said Delhi Prime Minister Arvind Kejriwal as he addressed the city on April 19 on Indian television. oxygen supply to hospitals they seem to be stretched out, sick patients are discharged from hospitals, and social media feeds, which are of concern to family members, allow them to access health care that their loved ones cannot afford.
This Wednesday, as the COVID toll was rising, the Delhi Supreme Court took an unusual step to publicly criticize the central government and its approach to managing the country’s oxygen crisis. The court was hearing a request from Max Hospital to seek urgent help to address its oxygen shortage at six hospitals in the capital. “Human lives are not that important to the State that means them. We are shocked and appalled that the government does not seem to have an urgent need for medical oxygen, “the bank said. [if oxygen is not supplied]”Cursing words for the government in times of crisis.
It is not entirely clear why this rise occurred in India, but it is likely to be due to the crowded events planned ahead of the election. President Modi himself attended the election rallies in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. March 30 when the rise in cases began. Large groups and gatherings at religious festivals have also played a role, as well as the reopening of public spaces and the easing of blockade measures during 2020, when the restrictions were finally “unlocked” in December 2020.
There is also great concern about the emergence of new variants of the coronavirus in India. It is now believed that the main strain in the country is the variant that was first identified in the UK and has been shown to be transmitted by up to 60 per cent among humans.
On March 25, it was also announced a a new variant of the “double mutant.” It was discovered in India, now known as the “Indian variant”. This development is what other countries have sparked.
The Indian authorities do not believe that this new variant has yet become the main strain of COVID in the country, but it is likely to contribute to the growing number.
The genome sequence of the new variant has been shown to have two important mutations:
1. E484Q mutation: It is similar to the E484K mutation identified in Brazilian and South African variants, which has also been reported in recent months. The concern is that this mutation may alter coronavirus protein points. The tip protein is part of the outer layer of the coronavirus and is what the virus uses to interact with human cells. Once in contact, the coronavirus uses the vertebral protein to bind to, enter, and infect human cells. The immune response stimulated by vaccines produces antibodies that specifically target the virus’s apex protein. Therefore, it is of concern that if a mutation significantly alters the shape of the spinal protein, then the antibodies will not be able to effectively recognize and neutralize the virus, even in those who have been vaccinated. Scientists are studying whether this may also be the case for the E484Q mutation.
2. L452R mutation: It has also been found in a variant believed to be responsible for California outbreaks. This variant increases the ability of pike proteins to bind to human host cells and thus increase their contamination. The study of the mutation also suggests that the virus may help prevent neutralizing antibodies that can cause vaccines and previous infections, although they are still being studied.
This new wave in India has been devastating for the country. A coordinated response is needed between India’s states and the central government to manage the supply of oxygen and essential medicines if the number of COVID-related deaths is to be brought under control. There is a concern for us too I don’t know the actual number of deaths With COVID, some people died at home before arriving at the hospital and many others in India, especially in rural areas, have had difficulty accessing testing facilities.
The pressure must be urgently removed from the health system and the only way to do this is to increase the vaccination program, strengthen social distance procedures and reintroduce blockade measures.
In doctor’s surgery: teaching medical students in a pandemic
One of my passions as a doctor is to share my knowledge with the doctors of tomorrow. I have been a full professor for two years in two UK universities.
A big part of the teaching I do is my students talk and analyze with patients. This has been a challenge for the past 12 months, as it has been too dangerous to see patients undergoing surgery, and to reduce the chances of catching patients who were usually protected from the diseases they were supposed to see. COVID-19.
Medical students have provided support to hospitals destroyed by COVID around the world, and have received a lot of support from them. But we also need to prepare them for a world that goes beyond COVID and, in the limited time we have with them, make sure they are prepared for a variety of physical to mental illnesses. But how can we do this if patients are not able to see it normally?
Technology has been the answer. In Bradford, in the north of England, the surgery we work as a family doctor is lucky enough to have a laboratory of clinical skills for students to learn. It is a room with “model” body parts that students can use for study purposes. .
Students can have surgery and initially make telephone consultations with patients by talking to real patients who are concerned about their ailments. Students record medical history by talking to patients and try to make a management plan that can then be approved before me or another doctor.
Since students are unable to physically examine patients, we will make a list of the tests that students would perform and, once the clinical list is complete, we will move on to the clinical skills lab. Then I ask them to practice the study they would do on the models. This can include a breast exam, a rectal exam, or a vaginal exam. Models can be adapted so that each student uses them to make different exam findings, such as a new lump or abnormal breathing sounds. It’s really clear.
Although it will never replace the real one, this method has allowed us to maintain medical education during the pandemic – something that has been challenged by medical schools around the world.
[Illustration by Muaz Kory/Al Jazeera]And now, some good news: Exercise can reduce the risks of COVID
New examination The University of Glasgow Caledonian in Scotland has shown that exercising can reduce the risk of infections such as COVID-19 by up to 37 per cent. The researchers conducted a systematic review of 16,698 epidemiological studies from around the world with 16,698 epidemiological studies from around the world published between January 1980 and April 2020, along with renowned immunologists and epidemiologists from around the world, London College University (UCL) and Ghent University (UGent) in Belgium. Physical exercise and sports scientist at the University of Cádiz and NHS Lanarkshire (NHSL) public health consultant in the UK.
They found that exercising for 30 minutes takes your breath away and that strengthening your sweat five times a week strengthens your immune response to infectious diseases. Exercise is thought to increase the number of immune cells in the body that act on the first line of defense, the mucosal layer of antibodies. These cells are responsible for identifying foreign agents or “germs” in the body without depressing the rest of the immune system, so it’s completely safe and protects you from infectious diseases.
We have long known the benefits that physical exercise can have on a person’s overall physical and mental health. Now, during COVID, it has been shown to help strengthen your immune system as well. So the message is clear; go outside and do exercise if you can or if the gym meets your local COVID guidelines. If both of these aren’t possible, your kitchen or living room is perfect for 30-minute dancing, jumping, or floating on your boat!
Reader’s question: Is it safe to go to a hospital appointment in a pandemic?
For the past 12 months, people have been repeatedly told that the safest place for them is home and that hospitals work with COVID-19 patients. While this is true, it is important to remember that other diseases have not gone away.
I have found that many of my patients do not attend appointments for other appointments because they are concerned about catching COVID or because they believe that their disease is not as important as the coronavirus. Hospitals and medical surgeries around the world have made every effort to ensure that large parts of their buildings are free of KOBID. This means that they can be used for services unrelated to COVID and that staff working there will not cross over to cover COVID rooms or clinics. So if you get an appointment to go to a clinic or hospital service, it’s very important to go.
