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Thursday, March 26, 2020
How to Overcome with stress during the Covid-19 outbreak
The better way to stay at home during 2019-nCov lockdown by spending time with family, friends also if get extra time try to brush up your skills.
Talk to Friends, Relatives - It is normal to feel sad, stressed, confused, scared or angry during a crisis.
Talking to people you trust can help. Contact your friends and family. Just call daily choosing from your phone contact list and best way start from alphabet wise first call to name start from A-alphabet and so on.
Eat Healthy Stay Healthy - If you must stay at home, maintain a healthy lifestyle including proper diet, eat veggies, salads, nuts, pulses, take proper eight-hour sleep.
Avoid Alcohol and Smoking - If you're planning to quit drinking and smoking in the past but for some unknown reason you're unable to make a decision but during the lockdown, you can avoid alcohol and smoking and spend quality time with family.
Acquire Skills and spend Hobbies - Draw on skills you have used in the past that have helped you to manage previous life’s adversities and use those skills to help you manage your emotions during
the challenging time of this outbreak.
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| Stay at Home - 2019-Cov |
Talk to Friends, Relatives - It is normal to feel sad, stressed, confused, scared or angry during a crisis.
Talking to people you trust can help. Contact your friends and family. Just call daily choosing from your phone contact list and best way start from alphabet wise first call to name start from A-alphabet and so on.
Eat Healthy Stay Healthy - If you must stay at home, maintain a healthy lifestyle including proper diet, eat veggies, salads, nuts, pulses, take proper eight-hour sleep.
Avoid Alcohol and Smoking - If you're planning to quit drinking and smoking in the past but for some unknown reason you're unable to make a decision but during the lockdown, you can avoid alcohol and smoking and spend quality time with family.
Acquire Skills and spend Hobbies - Draw on skills you have used in the past that have helped you to manage previous life’s adversities and use those skills to help you manage your emotions during
the challenging time of this outbreak.
How to Overcome with stress during the Covid-19 outbreak
Talk to Friends, Relatives - It is normal to feel sad, stressed, confused, scared or angry during a crisis.
Talking to people you trust can help. Contact your friends and family.
Just call daily choosing from your phone contact list and best way start from alphabet wise first call to name start from A-alphabet and so on.
Eat Healthy Stay Healthy - If you must stay at home, maintain a healthy lifestyle including proper diet, eat veggies, salads, nuts, pulses, take proper eight-hour sleep.
Avoid Alcohol and Smoking - If you're planning to quit drinking and smoking in the past but for some unknown reason you're unable to make a decision but during lockdown due Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Talking to people you trust can help. Contact your friends and family.
Just call daily choosing from your phone contact list and best way start from alphabet wise first call to name start from A-alphabet and so on.
Eat Healthy Stay Healthy - If you must stay at home, maintain a healthy lifestyle including proper diet, eat veggies, salads, nuts, pulses, take proper eight-hour sleep.
Avoid Alcohol and Smoking - If you're planning to quit drinking and smoking in the past but for some unknown reason you're unable to make a decision but during lockdown due Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
5 Surfaces that Coronavirus (COVID-19) Will Last On
As per the report of National Institutes of Health that on five Surfaces that Coronavirus (COVID-19) will last on for more than one hour.
1. Air (3 hours)
2. Copper (4 hours)
3. Cardboard (24 hours)
4. Stainless Steel (2-3 days)
5. Plastics (3 days)
Coronavirus Covid-19 is a fast-evolving pandemic, On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) office in China received a report of 29 pneumonia cases of unknown aetiology in Wuhan city in Hubei province, central China. Within 1 week it became clear that the initial cases were associated with a seafood market where live poultry and wild animals were also sold. The virus was quickly identified as a novel beta-coronavirus and the genetic sequence was shared on 12 January 2020. The infection is now officially termed COVID-19 and the virus SARS-CoV-2. News of this outbreak gave many public health officials an involuntary shudder as they recalled the parallels with the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak that arose in China in November 2002. That outbreak was also caused by a novel coronavirus spilling over from an animal reservoir and transmitted by respiratory droplets. SARS spread to many parts of the world through international air travel, caused more than 8000 cases and 774 deaths and cost in the region US$20 billion to control.
Within less than a month COVID-19 had spread throughout China and to neighbouring countries, even to the USA and Europe. It became clear that the new virus was highly transmissible from person to person but was considerably less virulent, with less than 20% of cases being classified as severe. It has the clinical features of atypical pneumonia with fever, dry cough, fatigue, dyspnoea and myalgia and is more often severe in those with comorbidities and the elderly. Since there are no specific therapies or vaccines available, standard public health measures appropriate for a virus spread by droplets, close contact and on environmental surfaces were instituted. The Chinese authorities conducted active case finding and testing, contact tracing and quarantining of cases and contacts. The public was advised to stay at home if sick, in an effort to control the spread of the virus. On 30 January 2020 the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, their highest level of severity, at a time when there were almost 10 000 confirmed cases, more than 200 deaths and it had spread to 20 countries.
The Chinese authorities had by then instituted highly stringent control measures, including stopping flights and public transport in Wuhan and other major cities, closing animal wet markets, extending the New Year holiday period in an effort to prevent mass travel, reducing movements within cities, minimizing mass gatherings, keeping schools closed, staggering office and factory working hours and restricting movement on the streets. The wearing of face masks became compulsory and, in effect, the population of Hubei province, more than 50 million people, were in quarantine. The authorities also built two new hospitals with more than 2500 beds within 2 weeks to cope with the surge in demand for medical care.
By the middle of March, less than 3 months into the epidemic, there had been more than 200 000 cases confirmed worldwide with more than 8000 deaths, vastly surpassing the SARS epidemic. The number of cases reported has been highest in China, although cases have now been reported in 159 countries and territories on six continents. Over 70 countries have instituted travel restrictions. The main initial battle to control this epidemic has been in China, where heroic public health measures have bought the rest of the world time and may have reduced the effective reproduction number to close to 1, thereby bringing the epidemic under control. However, the rest of the world needs to maintain high vigilance, as this virus is highly transmissible and can cause severe disease and death, as has been seen in countries such as South Korea, Iran and Italy. Indeed, the number of new cases is now highest in Europe. Containment through case finding and isolation and contact tracing and social distancing remain the key public health approaches to controlling the epidemic in all parts of the world.
Source: Jimmy Whitworth Professor of International Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar
1. Air (3 hours)
2. Copper (4 hours)
3. Cardboard (24 hours)
4. Stainless Steel (2-3 days)
5. Plastics (3 days)
Coronavirus Covid-19 is a fast-evolving pandemic, On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) office in China received a report of 29 pneumonia cases of unknown aetiology in Wuhan city in Hubei province, central China. Within 1 week it became clear that the initial cases were associated with a seafood market where live poultry and wild animals were also sold. The virus was quickly identified as a novel beta-coronavirus and the genetic sequence was shared on 12 January 2020. The infection is now officially termed COVID-19 and the virus SARS-CoV-2. News of this outbreak gave many public health officials an involuntary shudder as they recalled the parallels with the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak that arose in China in November 2002. That outbreak was also caused by a novel coronavirus spilling over from an animal reservoir and transmitted by respiratory droplets. SARS spread to many parts of the world through international air travel, caused more than 8000 cases and 774 deaths and cost in the region US$20 billion to control.
Within less than a month COVID-19 had spread throughout China and to neighbouring countries, even to the USA and Europe. It became clear that the new virus was highly transmissible from person to person but was considerably less virulent, with less than 20% of cases being classified as severe. It has the clinical features of atypical pneumonia with fever, dry cough, fatigue, dyspnoea and myalgia and is more often severe in those with comorbidities and the elderly. Since there are no specific therapies or vaccines available, standard public health measures appropriate for a virus spread by droplets, close contact and on environmental surfaces were instituted. The Chinese authorities conducted active case finding and testing, contact tracing and quarantining of cases and contacts. The public was advised to stay at home if sick, in an effort to control the spread of the virus. On 30 January 2020 the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, their highest level of severity, at a time when there were almost 10 000 confirmed cases, more than 200 deaths and it had spread to 20 countries.
The Chinese authorities had by then instituted highly stringent control measures, including stopping flights and public transport in Wuhan and other major cities, closing animal wet markets, extending the New Year holiday period in an effort to prevent mass travel, reducing movements within cities, minimizing mass gatherings, keeping schools closed, staggering office and factory working hours and restricting movement on the streets. The wearing of face masks became compulsory and, in effect, the population of Hubei province, more than 50 million people, were in quarantine. The authorities also built two new hospitals with more than 2500 beds within 2 weeks to cope with the surge in demand for medical care.
By the middle of March, less than 3 months into the epidemic, there had been more than 200 000 cases confirmed worldwide with more than 8000 deaths, vastly surpassing the SARS epidemic. The number of cases reported has been highest in China, although cases have now been reported in 159 countries and territories on six continents. Over 70 countries have instituted travel restrictions. The main initial battle to control this epidemic has been in China, where heroic public health measures have bought the rest of the world time and may have reduced the effective reproduction number to close to 1, thereby bringing the epidemic under control. However, the rest of the world needs to maintain high vigilance, as this virus is highly transmissible and can cause severe disease and death, as has been seen in countries such as South Korea, Iran and Italy. Indeed, the number of new cases is now highest in Europe. Containment through case finding and isolation and contact tracing and social distancing remain the key public health approaches to controlling the epidemic in all parts of the world.
Source: Jimmy Whitworth Professor of International Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar
Common Coronavirus Diseases (COVID-19) Myths Busted and Get Away with It
As per the WHO report, it is advisable to the common public about how coronavirus harms your body and some of the myth which is viral on the internet that can save you from COVID-19.
1. COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climates - From the evidence so far, the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in ALL AREAS, including areas with hot and humid weather.
2. Cold weather and snow CANNOT kill the new coronavirus.
3. Taking a hot bath does not prevent the new coronavirus disease.
4. The new coronavirus CANNOT be transmitted through mosquito bites.
5. Even hand dryers are not effective in killing the new coronavirus (COVID-19).
6. The new coronavirus CANNOT be transmitted through mosquito bites.
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| Coronavirus (COVID-19) |
1. COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climates - From the evidence so far, the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in ALL AREAS, including areas with hot and humid weather.
2. Cold weather and snow CANNOT kill the new coronavirus.
3. Taking a hot bath does not prevent the new coronavirus disease.
4. The new coronavirus CANNOT be transmitted through mosquito bites.
5. Even hand dryers are not effective in killing the new coronavirus (COVID-19).
6. The new coronavirus CANNOT be transmitted through mosquito bites.
Can spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body kill the new coronavirus?
The myth of spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body kill the new coronavirus?
As per WHO, No. Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will not kill viruses that have already entered your body. Spraying such substances can be harmful to clothes or mucous membranes (i.e. eyes, mouth). Be aware that both alcohol and chlorine can be useful to disinfect surfaces, but they need to be used under appropriate recommendations.
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| Alcohol |
What's the Difference between Hand Washing and using a Hand Sanitizer?
What's the Difference between Hand Washing and using a Hand Sanitizer?
These two are not the same, and priority should be placed on handwashing overusing a hand sanitizer. Handwashing with soap and water should be prioritized over the use of hand sanitizer.
It can be really helpful knowing when to wash your hands or rubbing a hand sanitizer. This can help you respond effectively to the widespread coronavirus and other illnesses such as the seasonal flu
and the common cold.
The CDC recommends you only turn to a hand sanitizer when soap and water aren't around.
However, how effective can you wash your hands?
And in doing so,
Finally, don't forget to take your hand sanitizer in a little bottle along with you should there be a need to use it? Encourage good hygiene in your home. Keep everywhere clean, and stay and safe.
These two are not the same, and priority should be placed on handwashing overusing a hand sanitizer. Handwashing with soap and water should be prioritized over the use of hand sanitizer.
It can be really helpful knowing when to wash your hands or rubbing a hand sanitizer. This can help you respond effectively to the widespread coronavirus and other illnesses such as the seasonal flu
and the common cold.
 |
| Source: Dettol Hand-Sanitizers |
The CDC recommends you only turn to a hand sanitizer when soap and water aren't around.
However, how effective can you wash your hands?
- do it after coming out of the bathroom.
- do it after sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose.
- do it before eating.
- do it after rubbing your hands on surfaces that might be contaminated.
And in doing so,
- use clean and running, warm, or cold water.
- first of all, wet your hand with the water, turn it off, rub soap for over 20 minutes and then wash your hands.
- don't forget to scrub the back and between fingers.
- cut your nails or make sure you can wash underneath it very well.
- rinse your hands well, air dry, or use a tissue or clean towel.
Finally, don't forget to take your hand sanitizer in a little bottle along with you should there be a need to use it? Encourage good hygiene in your home. Keep everywhere clean, and stay and safe.
How to Produce a Hand Sanitizer?
Step by step direction to produce a Hand Sanitizer:
1. Turn all the required ingredients into a clean bowl. A bowl with a pouring spout is most recommended.
2. Mix with a turning stick to blend everything together.
3. Turn the mixture into an airtight bottle or an old sanitizer container, but remember to remove the original label from the container. You can then label it "My home-made hand sanitizer" or ignore labeling it.
A similar formula was also shared by Jagdish Khubchandani, Ph.D of Ball State University.
Find his composition below.
1. Ethanol or isopropyl alcohol (two parts) (91% to 99% alcohol).
2. Aloe vera gel (one part).
3. Clove / eucalyptus / peppermint
essential oil.
1. Turn all the required ingredients into a clean bowl. A bowl with a pouring spout is most recommended.
2. Mix with a turning stick to blend everything together.
3. Turn the mixture into an airtight bottle or an old sanitizer container, but remember to remove the original label from the container. You can then label it "My home-made hand sanitizer" or ignore labeling it.
A similar formula was also shared by Jagdish Khubchandani, Ph.D of Ball State University.
Find his composition below.
1. Ethanol or isopropyl alcohol (two parts) (91% to 99% alcohol).
2. Aloe vera gel (one part).
3. Clove / eucalyptus / peppermint
essential oil.
Ingredients to Prepare a Hand Sanitizer
Essential Ingredients to Prepare a Hand Sanitizer
Making a hand sanitizer at home does not require much, but just a few ingredients that can be sourced locally or online (e.g., Amazon).
The following ingredients can be used to produce a perfect hand sanitizer that can disinfect surfaces and kill most germs.
1. Alcohol (Isopropyl) (up to 99% alcohol volume).
2. Aloe vera gel.
3. Tea tree/lavender essential oil.
4. Lemon.
The minimum amount of alcohol needed to kill most germs is 60%, and this can only be achieved by mixing a 2:1 alcohol to Aloe vera ratio. This ratio would produce an effective, germ-killing sanitizer.
This is a recommendation coming from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). This material follows a standard recommendation by health practitioners on how to go about producing an effective hand sanitizer.
Making a hand sanitizer at home does not require much, but just a few ingredients that can be sourced locally or online (e.g., Amazon).
The following ingredients can be used to produce a perfect hand sanitizer that can disinfect surfaces and kill most germs.
1. Alcohol (Isopropyl) (up to 99% alcohol volume).
2. Aloe vera gel.
3. Tea tree/lavender essential oil.
4. Lemon.
The minimum amount of alcohol needed to kill most germs is 60%, and this can only be achieved by mixing a 2:1 alcohol to Aloe vera ratio. This ratio would produce an effective, germ-killing sanitizer.
This is a recommendation coming from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). This material follows a standard recommendation by health practitioners on how to go about producing an effective hand sanitizer.
Monday, March 23, 2020
Coronavirus in India: Total lockdown in 30 states/UTs; curfew pass needed to enter Delhi
As most of India went into shutdown in a mega effort to stop the spread of Covid-19 — complete lockdowns were announced in 30 states/ UTs and a total of 548 districts
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India to spend $1.3 billion to boost pharmaceutical production
The program includes spending on infrastructure for drug manufacturing centers, and financial incentives of up to 20% of incremental sales value over the next eight years, according to a government statement.
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DCGI to fast-track approval for Covid-19 drug, vaccine
The DCGI has offered seven measures for speeding up the process, from giving fast-track approval for repurposed drug to waiving animal study and offering flexible pathways which earlier would have taken months. It said applications from companies will be given “high priority” and that it will assist the companies in speeding up their research.
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Sunday, March 22, 2020
World ramps up restrictions as virus cases top 300,000
The pandemic has sparked fears of a global recession, prompting governments to unleash gigantic emergency measures to avoid an economic meltdown.
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Coronavirus in India: 3 deaths, 68 new cases as total infected count hits 400
On Sunday, 68 new cases were reported by 14 states in all, the second highest for a single day after 77 cases reported on Saturday.
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New story in Health from Time: What Astronauts Can Teach Us About Isolation and Quarantine
It’s not hard to practice social distancing at Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome. Once you get away from the hangars and launch pad and the railroad line that connects them, the place is practically bucolic—a large, leafy compound of low-slung buildings, less a space complex than a sort of Camp David in Kazakhstan. That’s a very good thing for a crew preparing to take off for the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a Soyuz spacecraft, since they spend their last two weeks before launch in medical quarantine, living together, along with their back-up crew, in bungalow-like quarters. Baikonur staffers who come into contact with them are gowned, gloved and masked like surgeons, all in an effort to make sure no illnesses are carried to the ISS.
One thing astronauts who are not actually in space at the moment have on the rest of us is that, given their experience with quarantine and isolation, they’re far less likely than we are to go stir-crazy while stuck at home during the corona crisis. As a result, they have a lot to teach us. One thing we share with them is that staying occupied always helps.
“The amount of time Shuttle astronauts were isolated [missions averaged two weeks in length] was less than what our current shelter in place is going to be and the most important difference is we were ragged busy!” wrote retired astronaut Marsha Ivins, a veteran of five shuttle missions, in an email to TIME. “We were working 18-hour days before, during and after the mission.”
That kind of schedule-filling helps during the long-term isolation of three-, six-, and 12-month rotations aboard the space station too.
“The key to any successful expedition is to keep the crew busy,” says former NASA astronaut and space station veteran Terry Virts. “A busy crew is a happy crew—and a bored crew is a disaster. This is a great time for people to do the things they’ve been delaying for years—organize the house, start writing that novel, organize your family photos and scan the old photo albums, come up with a financial plan once the economy turns somewhat normal again—and it will.”
Then too there is the matter of the people you live with in such close quarters—whether on the ground or aboard the station. While sheltering in place might seem especially challenging for people living alone—an arrangement that describes 28% of American households, according to the U.S. Census Bureau—there is something wearying about coming face to face with the same faces every day.
“I remember many of the long-duration crews mentioning that seeing a new crew after two or three months was great because it was suddenly people who weren’t them,” says Ivins. “On my relatively short flights I was also happy in a few mission cases to be done with people who were us.”
Keep up to date with our daily coronavirus newsletter by clicking here.
The lesson for people isolating now is not so much to have some new faces over, since that defeats the whole point of social distancing, but to have time apart from the ones in your household. That might mean taking a walk or even deliberately splitting up—someone going into the backyard while someone heads for the front yard and someone else gets the den.
None of that works as well as it could, of course, if there are contrarians in the brood, and every family has them—people inclined toward short tempers or crankiness under stress. While it is the responsibility of those more-snappish folks to keep their worst tendencies in harness, it helps if the rest of the family strives for greater tolerance.
Perhaps the most grueling of all space-isolation experiments was the 1965 Gemini 7 mission. It lasted just two weeks, but they were two miserable weeks. Astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell were squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder in airline-coach-sized seats, with a wall on both sides (no aisle seats here) and the ceiling barely three inches above their heads. Borman and Lovell ate, slept and took care of other bodily business in those conditions for a full fortnight. Both astronauts came to describe the mission as “two weeks in a men’s room.”
They survived it all because NASA knew its astronauts well and was very adept at pairing up personalities. Borman was and remains an agreeable sort, but he was also an exceedingly serious, by-the-book astronaut. Lovell was and remains looser, easily among the most affable astronauts in the old corps. “If you can’t get along with Lovell,” Borman told me in 2015 when I was writing a book on Apollo 8, another mission they flew together, “you can’t get a long with anyone.” The combination of the strict Borman and the looser Lovell made for both a tight ship and a minimum of friction.
For all the deep experience Ivins, Virts, Lovell and Borman share, however, there might be no one better able to help terrestrial humans through the challenges of isolation than the veterans of the first three successful lunar landings. They not only went into medical quarantine before each mission, then flew the mission all alone together, they also spent three more weeks in lockdown after they came home, just in case they were carrying any lunar pathogens.
In a delightful story just published in Ars Technica, Apollo 11’s Buzz Aldrin shared the secret of how he’s passing the time while trying to stay safe from coronavirus: “Lying on my ass and locking the door,” he said simply.
Intended or not, Buzz’s message is a little like Virts’s words on the economy: Relax. This will get better; these times will pass. Viruses and bacteria have had their way with humanity since we emerged on the savannah, and we have had our way right back at them—first via our immune systems, later by acquired knowledge of social distancing and good hygiene, and later still by advanced science, vaccinating and medicating the pathogens into submission.
COVID-19 is, in some ways, Apollo 13: It blindsided us, it’s challenging us, and for now it feels like it’s defeating us. But we’re smarter and nimbler than an insensible virus and there should be no doubt who will win in the end. See y’all at splashdown.
A version of this article was originally published in TIME’s Space newsletter. Click here to sign up to receive these stories early.
What to Do If You Are Sick With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
What to Do If You Are Sick With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
If you develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or shortness of breath, within 14 days after travel from China, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your recent travel or close contact. If you have had close contact2 with someone showing these symptoms who has recently traveled from this area, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your close contact and their recent travel. Your healthcare professional will work with your state’s public health department and CDC to determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19.
Steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 if you are sick
If you are sick with COVID-19 or suspect you are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, follow the steps below to help prevent the disease from spreading to people in your home and community.
Stay home except to get medical care:
You should restrict activities outside your home, except for getting medical care. Do not go to work, school, or public areas. Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.
Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home:
People: As much as possible, you should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. Also, you should use a separate bathroom, if available.
Animals: You should restrict contact with pets and other animals while you are sick with COVID-19, just like you would around other people. Although there have not been reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people sick with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus. When possible, have another member of your household care for your animals while you are sick. If you are sick with COVID-19, avoid contact with your pet, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food. If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wash your hands before and after you interact with pets and wear a facemask.
Call ahead before visiting your doctor:
If you have a medical appointment, call the healthcare provider and tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.
Wear a facemask:
You should wear a facemask when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) or pets and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office. If you are not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then people who live with you should not stay in the same room with you, or they should wear a facemask if they enter your room.
Cover your coughs and sneezes:
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw used tissues in a lined trash can; immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 to 95% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty.
Clean your hands often:
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 to 95% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid sharing personal household items:
You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home. After using these items, they should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.
Clean all “high-touch” surfaces every day
High touch surfaces include counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables. Also, clean any surfaces that may have blood, stool, or body fluids on them. Use a household cleaning spray or wipe, according to the label instructions. Labels contain instructions for safe and effective use of the cleaning product including precautions you should take when applying the product, such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product
If you develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or shortness of breath, within 14 days after travel from China, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your recent travel or close contact. If you have had close contact2 with someone showing these symptoms who has recently traveled from this area, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your close contact and their recent travel. Your healthcare professional will work with your state’s public health department and CDC to determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19.
Steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 if you are sick
If you are sick with COVID-19 or suspect you are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, follow the steps below to help prevent the disease from spreading to people in your home and community.
Stay home except to get medical care:
You should restrict activities outside your home, except for getting medical care. Do not go to work, school, or public areas. Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.
Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home:
People: As much as possible, you should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. Also, you should use a separate bathroom, if available.
Animals: You should restrict contact with pets and other animals while you are sick with COVID-19, just like you would around other people. Although there have not been reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people sick with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus. When possible, have another member of your household care for your animals while you are sick. If you are sick with COVID-19, avoid contact with your pet, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food. If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wash your hands before and after you interact with pets and wear a facemask.
Call ahead before visiting your doctor:
If you have a medical appointment, call the healthcare provider and tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.
Wear a facemask:
You should wear a facemask when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) or pets and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office. If you are not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then people who live with you should not stay in the same room with you, or they should wear a facemask if they enter your room.
Cover your coughs and sneezes:
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw used tissues in a lined trash can; immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 to 95% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty.
Clean your hands often:
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 to 95% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid sharing personal household items:
You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home. After using these items, they should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.
Clean all “high-touch” surfaces every day
High touch surfaces include counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables. Also, clean any surfaces that may have blood, stool, or body fluids on them. Use a household cleaning spray or wipe, according to the label instructions. Labels contain instructions for safe and effective use of the cleaning product including precautions you should take when applying the product, such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product
How to prevent Coronavirus (Covid-19) infection in public places?
How to prevent Coronavirus (Covid-19) infection in public places?
During an epidemic outbreak, try to avoid visits to public spaces, especially places with large crowds and poor ventilation like cinemas. Wear a face mask if visits to public spaces are required. Cough or sneeze into tissues completely covering the nose and mouth. Seal used tissues in a plastic bag before discarding immediately in a closed bin labeled “residual waste” or “medical waste” to prevent the virus from spreading. Operators of public spaces should maintain a hygienic indoor environment, ensure regular ventilation and sterilization every day.
During an epidemic outbreak, try to avoid visits to public spaces, especially places with large crowds and poor ventilation like cinemas. Wear a face mask if visits to public spaces are required. Cough or sneeze into tissues completely covering the nose and mouth. Seal used tissues in a plastic bag before discarding immediately in a closed bin labeled “residual waste” or “medical waste” to prevent the virus from spreading. Operators of public spaces should maintain a hygienic indoor environment, ensure regular ventilation and sterilization every day.
How to get mentally prepared during the outbreak of COVID-19?
How to get mentally prepared during the outbreak of COVID-19?
(1) Adjust your attitudes and view COVID-19 from a scientific perspective. During the early days of the outbreak, limited knowledge on the risks and prevention of COVID-19 might cause a sense of anxiety and panic among the public, which was exacerbated by rumors. Have confidence in the authoritative efforts for prevention and control and trust scientific research findings of the disease. Adjust your attitudes, act with caution and stay away from fear.
(2) Acknowledge your anxiety and fear. Faced with an unknown epidemic, few people can stay calm. The increased number of confirmed cases would lead to the assumption that the new virus is present everywhere and is unpreventable, causing anxiety and fear. That is natural. Accept the status and avoid excessive self-blame for feeling such emotions.
(3) Maintain a regular and healthy lifestyle: adequate sleep, a healthy balanced diet of diverse food groups, a regular work routine which may help distract ourselves from the epidemic, and a moderate exercise regimen.
(4) Allow yourself to let off steam when you feel necessary. Occasional laughing, crying, shouting, exercising, singing, speaking, chatting, writing, or drawing can help release anger and anxiety, divert your attention, and calm down effectively. Watching TV or listening to music at home also helps to ease anxiety.
(5) Relax and cope with your emotions. Relaxation techniques can help you release your negative emotions such as tension, depression, and anxiety. There are many ways of relaxation and the key to successful relaxation is to understand the basic principles of the techniques and practice.
• Relaxation through visualization. Maintain a slow, steady and deep breath during the whole process, and feel warm energy flowing through your body with visualization.
• Muscle relaxation. Relax your arms, head, trunk and legs successively. Keep the environment quiet, dim the light and minimize sensory stimuli. A simple five-step relaxation cycle consists of: focusing your attention → tensing your muscles → maintaining the tension → releasing the tension → relaxing your muscles.
• Relaxation through deep breathing: this is the easiest way to relax that can be used in any situation where you feel nervous. Steps: stand up straight, put your shoulders down naturally, slightly close your eyes, and then inhale deeply and exhale slowly. It usually takes just a few minutes to feel relaxed.
(6) Seek professional support. Seek counseling or medical treatment for unresolved tension, anxiety, fear, anger, sleep disorder, physical reactions, etc. On a different note, when a quarantined or suspected patient manifests extreme emotions and behaviors, prevention and control professionals should consider the possible onset of psychiatric disorders, and send the person in case to mental health institutions and personnel. Such extreme emotions and behaviors include: anxiety, depression, delusion, restlessness, uncontrollable and improper speech or actions, or even violent refusal or evasion of quarantine, and suicidal ideation
(1) Adjust your attitudes and view COVID-19 from a scientific perspective. During the early days of the outbreak, limited knowledge on the risks and prevention of COVID-19 might cause a sense of anxiety and panic among the public, which was exacerbated by rumors. Have confidence in the authoritative efforts for prevention and control and trust scientific research findings of the disease. Adjust your attitudes, act with caution and stay away from fear.
(2) Acknowledge your anxiety and fear. Faced with an unknown epidemic, few people can stay calm. The increased number of confirmed cases would lead to the assumption that the new virus is present everywhere and is unpreventable, causing anxiety and fear. That is natural. Accept the status and avoid excessive self-blame for feeling such emotions.
(3) Maintain a regular and healthy lifestyle: adequate sleep, a healthy balanced diet of diverse food groups, a regular work routine which may help distract ourselves from the epidemic, and a moderate exercise regimen.
(4) Allow yourself to let off steam when you feel necessary. Occasional laughing, crying, shouting, exercising, singing, speaking, chatting, writing, or drawing can help release anger and anxiety, divert your attention, and calm down effectively. Watching TV or listening to music at home also helps to ease anxiety.
(5) Relax and cope with your emotions. Relaxation techniques can help you release your negative emotions such as tension, depression, and anxiety. There are many ways of relaxation and the key to successful relaxation is to understand the basic principles of the techniques and practice.
• Relaxation through visualization. Maintain a slow, steady and deep breath during the whole process, and feel warm energy flowing through your body with visualization.
• Muscle relaxation. Relax your arms, head, trunk and legs successively. Keep the environment quiet, dim the light and minimize sensory stimuli. A simple five-step relaxation cycle consists of: focusing your attention → tensing your muscles → maintaining the tension → releasing the tension → relaxing your muscles.
• Relaxation through deep breathing: this is the easiest way to relax that can be used in any situation where you feel nervous. Steps: stand up straight, put your shoulders down naturally, slightly close your eyes, and then inhale deeply and exhale slowly. It usually takes just a few minutes to feel relaxed.
(6) Seek professional support. Seek counseling or medical treatment for unresolved tension, anxiety, fear, anger, sleep disorder, physical reactions, etc. On a different note, when a quarantined or suspected patient manifests extreme emotions and behaviors, prevention and control professionals should consider the possible onset of psychiatric disorders, and send the person in case to mental health institutions and personnel. Such extreme emotions and behaviors include: anxiety, depression, delusion, restlessness, uncontrollable and improper speech or actions, or even violent refusal or evasion of quarantine, and suicidal ideation
What lifestyle is recommended amid the outbreak of COVID-19?
What lifestyle is recommended amid the outbreak of COVID-19?
(1) Eat high-protein foods daily including fish, meat, eggs, milk, legumes, and nuts, keep an adequate intake based on the daily diet. Do not eat wild animal meats.
(2) Eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day, and increase the intake based on the daily diet.
(3) Drink no less than 1500 mL of water per day.
(4) Have a varied, diverse diet of different types, colors, and sources. Eat more than 20 kinds of food every day. Eat a balanced diet of animal- and plant-based foods.
(5) Ensure enough intake of nutrition based on the regular diet.
(6) Undernourished, elderly people and patients with chronic wasting diseases are recommended to supplement with commercial enteral nutrition solutions (foods for special medical purposes), and supplement no less than an extra 2100 kJ daily (500 kcal).
(7) Do not fast or go on a diet during an epidemic of COVID-19.
(8) Ensure regular rest and a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each day.
(9) Start a personal exercise regimen with no less than 1 hour of exercise per day. Do not participate in group exercises.
(10) During an epidemic of COVID-19, it is recommended to supplement with multi-vitamins, minerals, and deep-sea fish oi
(1) Eat high-protein foods daily including fish, meat, eggs, milk, legumes, and nuts, keep an adequate intake based on the daily diet. Do not eat wild animal meats.
(2) Eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day, and increase the intake based on the daily diet.
(3) Drink no less than 1500 mL of water per day.
(4) Have a varied, diverse diet of different types, colors, and sources. Eat more than 20 kinds of food every day. Eat a balanced diet of animal- and plant-based foods.
(5) Ensure enough intake of nutrition based on the regular diet.
(6) Undernourished, elderly people and patients with chronic wasting diseases are recommended to supplement with commercial enteral nutrition solutions (foods for special medical purposes), and supplement no less than an extra 2100 kJ daily (500 kcal).
(7) Do not fast or go on a diet during an epidemic of COVID-19.
(8) Ensure regular rest and a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each day.
(9) Start a personal exercise regimen with no less than 1 hour of exercise per day. Do not participate in group exercises.
(10) During an epidemic of COVID-19, it is recommended to supplement with multi-vitamins, minerals, and deep-sea fish oi
What should I do amid a close contact with a COVID-19 patient?
Monitoring close contacts: All persons (including medical professionals) who may have been in contact with a suspected case should have a 14-day medical observation. The observation starts from the last day of contact with the patient. Seek medical help as soon as you experience any symptoms, especially fever, respiratory symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, or diarrhea. During the observation, contacts should keep in touch with medical professionals.
Medical professionals should inform the contacts in advance, if symptoms present, where they can seek medical help, the most suggested transportation, when and where to enter a designated hospital, and what infection control measures to take. Specific instructions are as follows:
(1) Notify the hospital in advance and inform them that contact with symptoms is going to the hospital.
(2) Wear a surgical mask on the way to the hospital.
(3) Avoid taking public transportation to the hospital. Call an ambulance or use a private vehicle, and try to keep the windows open on the road.
(4) Close contacts of patients should maintain respiratory hygiene at all time and wash their hands frequently. Stay far away from other people (> 1 m) while standing or sitting on the road to or at the hospital.
(5) Contacts of patients and their caregivers should wash their hands properly.
(6) Any surfaces contaminated with respiratory secretions or bodily fluids on the way to the hospital should be cleaned and disinfected with ordinary household disinfectants containing diluted bleach.
Medical professionals should inform the contacts in advance, if symptoms present, where they can seek medical help, the most suggested transportation, when and where to enter a designated hospital, and what infection control measures to take. Specific instructions are as follows:
(1) Notify the hospital in advance and inform them that contact with symptoms is going to the hospital.
(2) Wear a surgical mask on the way to the hospital.
(3) Avoid taking public transportation to the hospital. Call an ambulance or use a private vehicle, and try to keep the windows open on the road.
(4) Close contacts of patients should maintain respiratory hygiene at all time and wash their hands frequently. Stay far away from other people (> 1 m) while standing or sitting on the road to or at the hospital.
(5) Contacts of patients and their caregivers should wash their hands properly.
(6) Any surfaces contaminated with respiratory secretions or bodily fluids on the way to the hospital should be cleaned and disinfected with ordinary household disinfectants containing diluted bleach.
What are the key moments for hand hygiene in daily life?
What are the key moments for hand hygiene in daily life to protect from Covid-19?
(1) When you cover a cough or a sneeze with your hand.
(2) After caring for a patient.
(3) Before, during, and after preparing food.
(4) Before eating.
(5) After going to the toilet.
(6) After touching animals.
(7) After touching elevator buttons and door handles or knobs.
(8) After coming home from outside.
(1) When you cover a cough or a sneeze with your hand.
(2) After caring for a patient.
(3) Before, during, and after preparing food.
(4) Before eating.
(5) After going to the toilet.
(6) After touching animals.
(7) After touching elevator buttons and door handles or knobs.
(8) After coming home from outside.
Does handwashing with soap and clean water work against coronaviruses?
Does handwashing with soap and clean water work against coronaviruses?
Yes, it does. Frequent hand washing is one of the effective measures to prevent viral infection such as rhinovirus and coronavirus. Rubbing hands with soap and water can effectively remove dirt and microorganisms on the skin, and rinsing out the soap under running water can also relieve irritation to the skin. Therefore, authoritative organizations such as the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all recommend washing hands thoroughly with soap and running water.
How to wash your hands correctly?
Step 1: Apply soap to hands and scrub palm to palm with fingers interlaced.
Step 2: Put one palm on the back of another hand and scrub your fingers. Change hands.
Step 3: Scrub between your fingers.
Step 4: Rub the back of your fingers against your palms. Do the same with the other hand.
Step 5: Scrub your thumb using the other hand. Do the same with the other thumb.
Step 6: Rub the tips of your fingers on the palm of the other hand
Step 7: Rub the wrist of one hand with the other hand while rotating it. Do the same with the other hand.
In each of the above steps, do each step no fewer than 5 times, and finally, rinse your hands under running water.
How to clean hands if clean water is not available?
You can clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Coronaviruses are not resistant to acid or alkali but are sensitive to organic solvents and disinfectants. 75% alcohol can inactivate the virus, so alcohol-containing disinfection products of an absolute (100%) concentration can be used as an alternative to washing hands with soap and running water
What are the features of masks for different purposes?
Major types of masks: N95/KN95 respirators, surgical face masks, and cotton face masks.
N95/KN95 respirators can filter 95% of particles with an aerodynamic diameter greater than or equal to 0.3 μm, and block viruses. They can help prevent airborne diseases.
Disposable surgical face masks have 3 layers. The outer layer is hydrophobic non-woven layer that prevents droplets from entering the mask; the middle layer has a filter to block 90% of particles with a diameter greater than 5μm; and the inner layer in contact with the nose and mouth absorbs moisture. They are typically for sterile medical operations and be used to prevent airborne diseases.
Cotton face masks are heavy, stuffy, and do not fit closely to the face, and thus not effective against viruses
How to keep yourself away from the novel coronavirus?
How to keep yourself away from the novel coronavirus?
(1) 2019-nCoV is mainly transmitted by droplets and contacts, therefore medical surgical masks must be worn properly.
(2) When sneezing or coughing, do not cover nose and mouth with bare hands but use a tissue or a mask instead.
(3) Wash hands properly and frequently. Even if there are viruses present on hands, washing hands can block the viruses from entering respiratory tract through nose or mouth.
(4) Boost your immunity, and avoid going to crowded and enclosed places. Exercise more and have a regular sleep schedule. Boosting your immunity is the most important way to avoid being infected.
(5) Be sure to wear the mask always! Just in case you come in contact with an infected person, wearing a mask can prevent you from inhaling virus-carrying droplets directly.
Can a mask block such small coronaviruses?
The masks are effective. Because the purpose of wearing the mask is to block the ‘carrier’ by which the virus is transmitted, rather than directly blocking the viruses. Common routes for transmission of respiratory viruses include close contact over a short distance and aerosol transmission over a long distance. Aerosols which people usually come in contact with refer to respiratory droplets from patients. Wearing a mask properly can effectively block respiratory droplets and therefore prevent the virus from directly entering the body.
Please be reminded that it is not necessary to wear a KN95 or N95 respirator. Regular surgical masks can block most virus-carrying droplets from entering the respiratory tract.
(1) 2019-nCoV is mainly transmitted by droplets and contacts, therefore medical surgical masks must be worn properly.
(2) When sneezing or coughing, do not cover nose and mouth with bare hands but use a tissue or a mask instead.
(3) Wash hands properly and frequently. Even if there are viruses present on hands, washing hands can block the viruses from entering respiratory tract through nose or mouth.
(4) Boost your immunity, and avoid going to crowded and enclosed places. Exercise more and have a regular sleep schedule. Boosting your immunity is the most important way to avoid being infected.
(5) Be sure to wear the mask always! Just in case you come in contact with an infected person, wearing a mask can prevent you from inhaling virus-carrying droplets directly.
Can a mask block such small coronaviruses?
The masks are effective. Because the purpose of wearing the mask is to block the ‘carrier’ by which the virus is transmitted, rather than directly blocking the viruses. Common routes for transmission of respiratory viruses include close contact over a short distance and aerosol transmission over a long distance. Aerosols which people usually come in contact with refer to respiratory droplets from patients. Wearing a mask properly can effectively block respiratory droplets and therefore prevent the virus from directly entering the body.
Please be reminded that it is not necessary to wear a KN95 or N95 respirator. Regular surgical masks can block most virus-carrying droplets from entering the respiratory tract.
What are the clinical criteria for quarantine release and discharge?
(1) The condition of the patient is stable and fever has subsided.
(2) Lung imaging shows a significant improvement with no sign of organ dysfunction.
(3) The patient has had stable breathing, clear consciousness, unimpaired speech, normal diet and body temperature for more than 3 days. Respiratory symptoms have improved significantly, and two consecutive tests for respiratory pathogenic nucleic acid have been negative (at least one day in-between tests).
How to treat COVID-19?
How to treat COVID-19?
(1) Put patients to bed rest, provide with supportive care, maintain good hydration and electrolyte balance, internal homeostatis, and closely monitor vital signs and oxygen saturation.
(2) Monitor routine blood and urine test results, C-reactive protein (CRP), biochemical indicators (liver enzyme, myocardial enzyme, renal function, etc.), and coagulation function accordingly. Perform an arterial blood gas analysis when needed, and regularly review chest X-ray images.
(3) According to the changes in oxygen saturation, provide timely effective oxygen therapy, including nasal catheter, oxygen mask, transnasal high-flow oxygen therapy, and noninvasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, etc.
(4) Antiviral therapy: There are currently no antiviral drugs with good efficacy.
(5) Apply antibacterial drug treatment: strengthen bacteriological monitoring, and start antibacterial treatment when there is evidence of secondary bacterial infect
How to choose a medical institution for treatment?
Isolation and treatment should be performed in a hospital with proper conditions for isolation and protection. Critical cases should be admitted to an ICU as soon as possible.
Are there any drugs or vaccines against COVID-19?
At present, there are no specific antiviral treatments against COVID-19. Patients generally receive supportive care to relieve symptoms. Avoid irresponsible or inappropriate antimicrobial treatment, especially in combination with broad-spectrum antimicrobials.
There is currently no vaccine against the new disease. Developing a new vaccine may take a whil
What should I do if I am possibly infected with COVID-19?
What should I do if I am possibly infected with COVID-19?
Promptly go to the local designated medical institution for evaluation, diagnosis and treatment. When a seeking medical attention for a possible infection of 2019-nCoV, you should inform your doctor about your recent travel and residence history, especially if you’ve been to the epidemic areas recently, and any history of contact with pneumonia patients or suspected 2019-nCoV cases, and animals. It is extra important to note that surgical masks should be worn throughout the visit to protect yourself and others
Promptly go to the local designated medical institution for evaluation, diagnosis and treatment. When a seeking medical attention for a possible infection of 2019-nCoV, you should inform your doctor about your recent travel and residence history, especially if you’ve been to the epidemic areas recently, and any history of contact with pneumonia patients or suspected 2019-nCoV cases, and animals. It is extra important to note that surgical masks should be worn throughout the visit to protect yourself and others
What is the difference between COVID-19 and other pneumonia?
(1) Bacterial pneumonia. Common symptoms include coughing, coughing up sputum, or exacerbation of the original respiratory symptoms, with purulent or bloody sputum, with or without chest pain. It is generally not considered a contagious disease.
(2) SARS/MERS. Although the novel coronavirus is in the same family as SARS and MERS coronaviruses, a genetic evolution analysis shows that it belongs to a different branch of the same subgroup. It is neither a SARS nor a MERS virus, based on the viral genomic sequences. Due to the similarities between COVID-19-and SARS/MERS-caused pneumonia, it is challenging to distinguish them with clinical manifestations and imaging results. Therefore, a pathogen identification test by rRT-PCR is needed.
(3) Other viral pneumonia. Pneumonia caused by influenza virus, rhinovirus, adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial virus and other coronaviruses.
India observes Janata curfew, millions stay indoors
As the 14-hour 'Janata curfew' got underway at 7 am, people kept themselves indoors as part of the social distancing exercise to help stop the spread of the virus. All markets and establishments except those dealing in essential goods and services are closed for the day. The 'Janata curfew' will end at 9 pm.
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Saturday, March 21, 2020
Govt okays Rs 14K healthcare package to boost domestic manufacturing of bulk drugs
In a big boost to domestic manufacturing of bulk drug in the country, the government on Saturday announced a Rs 14,000-crore package that would incentivise production of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and medical devices in the country and reduce dependence on import for critical healthcare needs.
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KOLKATA : Man with no travel history tests +ve, state count at 4
A 57-year-old man with no foreign-travel history and a 23-year-old woman who returned from Scotland tested positive for Covid-19 within 24 hours in Bengal, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the state to four.
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New story in Health from Time: Gov. Cuomo Plans to Address Mental Health After Announcing More Than 10,000 Coronavirus Cases in New York State
In a press conference on Saturday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the state is working to set up a network in which people can speak to mental health professionals about the emotional toll of the COVID-19 crisis.
He asked the professional mental health community — including psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists — to volunteer their time to get the network up and running. Sessions would be held over the phone or on over video chat, he explained. He said that if they get enough volunteers, New York state will set up a Mental Health Electronic Help Center.
The initiative is the first move by a U.S. state government to try to address the mental health consequences that have arisen from the COVID-19 crisis.
“We talk about the economic consequences, but we also need to talk about the social consequences,” he said. “But the stress, the anxiety, the emotions that are provoked by this crisis are truly significant, and people are struggling with the emotions as much as they are struggling with the economics.”
“They’re nervous, they’re anxious, they’re isolated. It can bring all sorts of emotions and feelings to the surface,” he continued. “When you’re isolated you don’t have people to talk to.”
On Friday, Cuomo issued an executive order telling New Yorkers to stay home unless for essential travel. Schools, businesses and religious centers — which can often function as emotional support systems — have all closed to help stem the spread of virus. A recent Reuters/Ipso poll found that 48% of Americans feel that the coronavirus is an “imminent threat” to the United State, 20 points more than in a March 2-3 poll.
According to MIT Technology Review, use of mental health apps and tele-therapy has skyrocketed since the coronavirus crisis began. While some have released their contents for free, most charge patrons for speaking with a professional. The New York state network would be free to the public, according to Cuomo.
During the same press conference, Cuomo also announced that there are now at least 10,356 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in the state. He also said about 15% of those cases have needed hospitalization.
Cuomo also told the public not to listen to rumors about how the government is responding to the crisis. He urged New Yorkers to to coronavirus.health.ny.gov to submit questions to his team, which he said his team will respond to.
“Yeah, we have a problem. Yes we will will deal with it. Yes we will overcome it,” he said. “But let’s find out better selves in doing it. And let New York lead the way.”
Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance commits to help fight Covid-19
"We are closely monitoring orders and inventories. With an adequate stock of active pharma ingredients, finished product formulations and channel availability, we'd be able to sustain the supply of medicines for the coming months. We are not aware of any medicines shortage, to date," the alliance said.
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Coronavirus outbreak: 627 die in Italy in 24 hrs, global toll crosses 10,000
The peril posed by the twin scourges of pestilence and material ruin brought on by the swift advance of the coronavirus deepened on Friday as the global death toll hit 10,000 and jobless numbers soared.
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Friday, March 20, 2020
Finland is again world's happiest country: UN
Good cheer may feel in short supply as the world reels under a global pandemic, but experts at the United Nations on Friday declared Finland to be the world's happiest nation for the third year running.
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New story in Health from Time: Coughing, Fainting, Breathing Problems: Stranded Cruise Ship Passengers Describe Chaotic Flight Home to U.S.
(ATLANTA) — On a chaotic flight home, some passengers who had been stranded for days aboard a cruise ship after being exposed to the coronavirus suffered breathing problems, many coughed and several fainted with no food or medical personnel provided, travelers said Friday
“It was a suicide mission,” said passenger Jenny Harrell, of Fredericksburg, Virginia. “It was a mass triage with absolutely no direction and the crew going, ‘What should we do now?’” Decisions were left up to the passengers, said Harrell, who had some emergency medical training in the past and helped a physician who was also among the passengers.
The jet carrying 359 people, including hundreds of American and Canadian passengers from a Costa Cruises ship flying home from France, landed at Atlanta’s international airport as emergency responders, and health and customs officials deployed to screen them for the coronavirus.
Three people on the flight tested positive for the coronavirus before landing but had no symptoms, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Thirteen others were sick but hadn’t been tested, and one passenger was sent to a local hospital.
Harrell, 51, said she isolated two other passengers who were having breathing problems. One had a chronic lung disease and needed to be hooked to a ventilator, she said. Another passenger had an asthma attack and several others fainted, apparently from low blood sugar levels. Harrell said many travelers were coughing and she helped treat people who had a fever.
“There should have been medical personnel on that flight,” Harrell said.
Costa Luminosa passengers also complained they were given no food other than orange juice and crackers in more than 24 hours — the time it took to disembark in Marseille, France, to fly to Atlanta, and be cleared by officials.
At one point, Harrell said, the flight attendants handed her the cabin microphone. “I basically took over the plane,” she said. “I couldn’t even make this up for a movie.”
In another instance, the co-pilot asked her and others whether they should land in Bermuda, instead of continuing all the way to Atlanta.
“We didn’t have a choice. We had been turned away for the last eight days,” Harrell said.
Read more: Understanding the Coronavirus Pandemic, in Five Charts
For many, the flight was a culmination of an already harrowing journey that began on March 5 in Fort Lauderdale. Some passengers said they wanted to cancel the trans-Atlantic cruise, but the company refused to give them a refund, assuring them it was safe to go three days before the U.S. State Department issued a warning for U.S. citizens not to travel on cruise ships.
On March 8, an Italian woman disembarked in Puerto Rico with breathing problems. She and her husband, who also got off the boat, were hospitalized and tested positive for the new coronavirus. Since the new cases came to light, the Costa Luminosa was denied entry to several countries.
The 1,400 passenger ship was finally allowed permission to dock in Marseille, France, under strict quarantine conditions. The local administration for the Marseille region said in a statement that 36 people have tested positive for the new virus.
The screening process for the passengers who got on the flight to the U.S. isn’t clear, but Harrell said many of the passengers were visibly sick when they boarded the jet. “They just wanted us to get home so we could be taken care of here,” she said. “Everybody, basically, on that flight had medical conditions.”
After the plane landed, Harrell called 911 because CDC officials wanted to start screening, but she demanded food first. She was afraid they would have to wait for a long process before they had anything to eat.
The CDC said all passengers were screened and “three passengers who were reportedly tested previously and found to be positive for COVID-19 were separated from other passengers.” Federal officials are working with Georgia authorities to determine a plan for those passengers.
Harrell said officials measured their temperatures, but only certain passengers were tested for the virus. She was cleared to fly back home to Virginia, where she was told to stay home for 14 days.
___
Gomez Licon reported from Miami.
New story in Health from Time: Pence Staffer Tests Positive for Coronavirus
(WASHINGTON) — The White House says a member of Vice President Mike Pence’s staff has tested positive for coronavirus.
Pence’s spokeswoman Katie Miller said Friday that the staff member, who is not being identified, did not have “close contact” to either the vice president or President Donald Trump.
Read more: Mike Pence’s ‘High Risk’ Coronavirus Response Will Impact His Political Future—and American Lives
Miller said contact tracing, or contacting everyone the individual has been in contact with, is being conducted in accordance with guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Miller says Pence’s office was notified Friday evening of the positive test result.
New story in Health from Time: Can Coronavirus Affect Pregnancy or Newborns? Here’s What the Experts Say
More than 130 million women give birth around the world each year. During pregnancy, changes in the immune system make women generally more susceptible to respiratory infections. And this year, pregnant women also have to worry about COVID-19, a virus that can affect a person’s lungs and airways.
The U.K. government announced on Monday that pregnant women were at an increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19). Speaking at a press conference, Public Health England chief medical officer Chris Whitty said people in the “high risk” category should stay at home for 12 weeks. (That includes people over 70, people with underlying health conditions and pregnant women.) Whitty described the advice to pregnant women as “a precautionary measure” because “we are early in our understanding of this virus and we want to be sure.”
However, this doesn’t square with guidance issued by other public health officials. During a press briefing on March 16, the World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “there is no evidence that pregnant women present with different signs or symptoms or are at higher risk of severe illness.”
According to Dr. Amir Khan, a general practitioner in England’s northern city of Bradford and a senior lecturer at both Leeds and Bradford University, “anyone who is immunocompromised, such as pregnant women, are at an increased risk of developing things like pneumonia and then going into respiratory distress. That’s the real risk.”
Specific demographic data is limited, making it too early to say for certain whether the coronavirus poses a particular threat to pregnant women. “It seems that pregnant women infected with the virus do not have a more severe illness than the general population. However this is based on limited data” says Cynthia DeTata, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. “We know that the seasonal flu, and prior SARS and MERS infections were more severe in pregnant women,” she adds.
On Feb. 28, for example, the World Health Organization (WHO) published an analysis of 147 pregnant women (64 of whom were confirmed to have coronavirus, 82 who were suspected and one who had no symptoms) and found that 8% had a severe condition and 1% were critically ill. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment but one out of every six people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing, according to the WHO.
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Can coronavirus cause complications in pregnancy?
There is currently no evidence that pregnant women infected with coronavirus are at an increased risk of miscarriage or that the virus can pass to a developing fetus while a woman is pregnant, according to advice issued by the U.K.’s Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology on March 18.
A newborn baby tested positive for coronavirus in London last week, according to reports on March 14, the youngest known case of the cvirus. The mother had also tested positive for the virus, with results coming after the birth. However, it is unclear how the disease was transmitted—in the womb, or after birth.
“All the evidence suggests none of the virus can be found in the amniotic fluid or the placenta. But we do know that other types of coronaviruses can be found in the placenta,” Khan says.
One very small study, published in The Lancet on Feb. 12, looked at nine coronavirus-positive pregnant women in their third trimester in the Wuhan region of China—the original epicenter of the outbreak—and found no evidence that the virus was transferred from mother to fetus.
“To date, the main risks for pregnant women are the same for everyone else,” says Denise Jamieson, the chairwoman of gynecology and obstetrics at the Emory University School of Medicine. “If pregnant women were much more severely affected with all the cases worldwide, I would think that we would be getting some indication of that. And we haven’t. But we do need more information.”
What precautions should pregnant women take against coronavirus?
U.S. experts say that, for now, women should comply with the same recommendations that governments have made for other people.
Khan, however, says measures that apply to high risk groups apply to pregnant women. “They’re not the same as the general public. The U.K. recommends that pregnant women should self-isolate for 12 weeks, they should be working from home and minimizing their contact with people.”
The U.K.’s RCOG says women should not miss their appointments and should be in touch with their designated midwife team regarding the best course of action. Some visits may be deferred after appropriate telephone consultations, especially if there is no concern about fetal movements and general maternal wellbeing.
“We’re still advising people to go to their appointments, stick to their birthing plans and not to suddenly make drastic changes like having home births. Last minute changes to birth plans is often where things go wrong,” says Khan. Pregnant women should not be avoiding their prenatal checkups, agrees DeTata.
“Obstetricians, individual obstetric practices and health systems are making decisions about which prenatal care visits can be safely combined and options for telehealth visits,” says Jamieson. “We don’t have evidence that the risks are greater for pregnant women compared to the general population. But pregnant women, just like everyone else, are at risk of the disease. We need to do all we can to protect pregnant women and their babies,” she adds.
The challenge is that prenatal care is very “hands on,” says DeTata, involving “listening to the heart tones of the baby, determining the position of the baby, ultrasounds of the baby and so on. None of this can be done via a phone call.”
There are things that can be done to make hospital visits safer, though. “We can make sure that waiting rooms aren’t crowded, they’re constantly clean, and well and ill women are separated,” says Jamieson.
What are the risks of coronavirus to newborns?
One encouraging fact is that the virus that causes COVID-19 has not been found in breastmilk, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Khan says “if you are feeding a baby and you have no symptoms, hand hygiene is key. If you do have symptoms then you need to pump the breast milk into a bottle and get someone else to feed the baby,” says Khan. “We don’t recommend stopping breast feeding in total if a woman has symptoms because the baby needs the antibodies in the milk, which will give it the best possible chances against getting the virus,” he adds.
Individual guidance, however, may depend on how ill the mother is with the coronavirus. The RCOG says that in any case, a discussion about the risks and benefits of breastfeeding should take place between the mother and her family and the maternity team.
So far, children account for the smallest share of infections identified. A study of 2,143 children with confirmed or suspected cases of the coronavirus in China, published online in the journal Pediatrics on March 16, found that 94.1% of the children were either asymptomatic or had mild or moderate cases, and only 5.9% percent of them had critical or severe cases, much lower than the 18.5% of adult patients in China in the same time period. But of the few children who do develop serious cases, those under the age of 5 are the most at risk while infants under 12 months in most danger, according to the study.
The CDC advises a mother who is symptomatic to take all possible precautions before handling their baby, including washing their hands before touching the baby and wearing a face mask while breastfeeding. If a mother chooses to feed her baby with formula or expressed milk, the RCOG recommends that she strictly follows sterilization guidelines.
Please send any tips, leads, and stories to virus@time.com.
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- How should you self-quarantine if you may have been exposed to coronavirus?
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New story in Health from Time: COVID-19 Testing Is Supposed to Be Free. Here’s Why You Might Still Get Billed
“If I get it and I give it to her, it is unlikely that she would survive,” Starkes says. But, she adds, because she doesn’t have insurance for herself — and can’t afford out-of-pocket hospitalization — her own health is hardly secure either.
“If I get it bad, I would probably just die,” she says. “What if I had to be ventilated? What if I had to pay $300 for a test? I literally could not.”
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Starkes is trying to be careful about social distancing so she doesn’t get her mother sick, but her concerns are real. She owns her own web design business and she can’t afford to pay for an individual insurance plan, and while her mother’s Medicare covers some costs, the co-pays are a strain. “On a normal day, there is no system. There’s no way for me to get to go to a doctor for a reasonable cost,” Starkes says. “We are barely making our rent as it is.”
On March 18, Congress attempted to address some of Starkes’ problems by passing the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. But there are a number of ways the bill fails to protect people like her. It offers limited provisions on paid sick leave and unemployment insurance, but it does not address the cost of actually being treated for the virus. And while it supposedly made getting tested for the coronavirus free, it probably won’t always work out that way.
“That’s nice,” Starkes says of the new law, “but we’re all still in the same boat.”
Here is what you need to know about getting tested for COVID-19.
How much will getting tested cost me?
It’s supposed to be free. The new law mandates that Medicare, Medicaid, other government plans, and most private plans cover COVID-19 testing — and all testing-related services — entirely. That means no co-pays, no deductibles, no co-insurance charges. Free.
But beware. Our health care system is a mess and the law does not explicitly prohibit charging you if you go to an out-of-network provider. It also doesn’t address other “surprise billing” problems.
The law requires insurers to cover testing and doctor’s office, urgent care, telehealth or emergency room visits as long as the services “relate to the furnishing or administration” of a COVID-19 test or “to the evaluation of such individual for purposes of determining the need” of a test. That means that if your visit does not result in a COVID-19 test, if you get tested somewhere that is not in your insurance plan’s network, or if you’re treated in anyway besides just getting a test, you could end up with a bill.
“When your health plan has to cover [testing], that just means the health plan has to cover what it would say is a reasonable charge,” explains Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. “The difference between what your health plan thinks is reasonable and what the provider bills you, that’s on you.”
The law also only covers testing starting the day it was enacted, March 18. So if you got tested before then, this will not apply to those services.
What if I don’t have insurance?
You should theoretically still be able to get tested for free. The March 18 law offers two solutions. The first is that it gives $1 billion to the National Disaster Medical System to reimburse medical providers for testing and diagnosing uninsured patients. That means that medical providers would be able to submit your bill directly to the federal government and get reimbursed without you having to be involved.
The other solution is that the law boosts funding for Medicaid and allows states to choose to cover uninsured residents’ testing for free through that program — meaning you would be temporarily enrolled in your state’s Medicaid program for the purposes of being tested.
People like Starkes should be able to take advantage of these provisions to get a free COVID-19 test, but there’s still the chance that she could end up with charges the government considers not directly related to the test.
Can I sign up for health insurance now?
Before Congress passed the new law, a number of states started acting to cover COVID-19 testing and other services. Many of these measures apply only to people with health insurance, but Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island and Washington have all created “special enrollment periods” that allow people to sign up for insurance mid-year. The Commonwealth Fund, a health care think tank, has a tracker listing each state’s actions to help its residents with the COVID-19 outbreak.
For some portion of the more than 27 million Americans like Starkes, who are uninsured — and the many others who are underinsured — that’s not much of a boon. Starkes says she couldn’t afford to buy health insurance prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Now that the economy is grinding to a halt, she’s in no better position to pony up a large premium every month.
The work for her web design business can largely be done remotely, but as many businesses close amid the pandemic, it may get more difficult to find people to hire her. Starkes’ mother has also stopped earning money from her part-time job with New York City’s Teaching Fellows program since the city shut down its schools due to the virus, and won’t make more unless they figure out a remote learning setup.
“There’s an awful lot of ex-middle class people like me, who have slipped under the radar, who make way too much money to qualify for government assistance, and yet absolutely cannot pay the ‘affordable’ insurance costs every month,” says Starkes. “That sucks. But that’s America. That’s who we are.”
New story in Health from Time: This Italian Photographer Is Documenting Her Life in the Coronavirus Lockdown
Photographer Lucia Buricelli lives alone in a studio apartment in Milan. On March 9, Italy became the first democratic country since the Second World War to impose a nationwide lockdown, extending measures that had already been in place in northern Italy since a day earlier. Buricelli — like most of her 62 million fellow Italians — has stayed home to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. Italy is the epicenter of the outbreak in Europe with more than 41,000 confirmed cases and over 3,400 deaths so far. On Thursday, its death toll overtook China’s.
Italy’s nationwide quarantine has since become a precedent for other countries, including Spain and France. Italy’s ban, which has only left grocery stores, banks, and pharmacies open, is expected to remain in place until April 3, although it may be extended.
Buricelli, a Venice native, has hardly left her home for over a week. (The lockdown allows exceptions for necessities — more food, medicine, or work — if the person has a certified note.)
“It’s not fun for me, but if you have to do it, you do it,” Buricell says, admitting she is bored all by herself. The 25-year-old goes out once a week to buy groceries. Prior to the lockdown, she went to work every day, went out in the evenings and enjoyed making pictures outside. But she reasons that if the doctors can do what they’re doing, the least she can do is stay home and try to help contain the virus.
“In the beginning, everybody took it a bit lightly,” she says. “That’s why we have so many cases.”
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Milan is the capital of Lombardy, the region in Northern Italy that has been at the heart of Italy’s coronavirus outbreak, with almost 2,000 deaths already. Public spaces are bare and residents have been forced to develop new ways of life. Buricelli’s friends are anxious — some have already left the area to be with family, while others simply stay at home in Milan. “I have a friend that lives 10 minutes from me, and she’s not been out for three weeks,” she says. Every day, she has been calling friends to keep in touch, even though she used to dislike talking on the phone.
Buricelli feels healthy, with no symptoms or known contact with a patient. However, since a case was confirmed in her building on Monday, she has grown more wary. She regularly checks on her parents, who are in their sixties and live in Venice. “Today we talked two times,” she said on Tuesday. “I call them because of course I get worried. Coronavirus hits older people [harder].”
She particularly misses her father. “He keeps sending me humorous material about the virus. We all know the situation, you know? He’s just trying to be optimistic about it.” She plans to return to Venice once the travel ban is lifted.
The photographer is trying to stay positive. Since the lockdown, Buricelli has been working with TIME to document her new daily routines, views from her window, as well as herself, turning to photography for creative inspiration during a difficult time. She plans to continue this series until April 3. And if the ban lasts longer? “I don’t want to consider the possibility.”
Please send any tips, leads, and stories to virus@time.com.
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