10 Questions 10 Answers About Covid Pandemic And Vaccination
Dhanalakshmi P(I.A. PIB Mumbai)
New Delhi, 10 May 2021: Why? Why not? When? Is it true? Can I?… there is no end to the questions that arise in our minds about the Pandemic and the Vaccination. PIB has curated 10 common/repeated questions and answers by experts and doctors.
We have only one question. Will you read and share the message with your near and dear ones?
- As the virus is mutating rapidly, are there any new symptoms we need to be aware of in the second surge?
The COVID Symptoms are similar in both the waves. Common symptoms are tiredness, fever, sore throat, dry cough, aches and pains, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, headache, loss of taste or smell, difficulty in breathing.
Constantly monitor your health. You should not miss out even mild symptoms. As soon as you experience any of the above symptoms, call up the doctor or medical professional immediately. Get RT-PCR done if you are absolutely symptomatic.
Source:https://www.indiascience.in/videos/question-hour-lets-talk-vaccine-03-dot-05-dot-2021
- Can vaccination really help us fight the Pandemic?
Vaccination is an added weapon to prevent infection among the population. We need to ensure every one of us gets vaccinated so that we can defeat the virus and the pandemic. We should be careful to prevent the infection by strictly following COVID protocols, Physical distancing, maintaining hand hygiene, wearing masks.
- News reports say a majority of all COVID-19 deaths in the country are taking place in the age group of 45 years and above. Why is it so?
This is the age group with higher proportion of people with co-morbidities. We should get tested, and also isolate ourselves immediately after spotting any COVID symptoms. People in this age group should constantly monitor their health and be in touch with healthcare professional so that the oxygen saturation level does not fall drastically.
Most patients with mild or moderate disease slip into severe cases because, they don’t even report till the first four days. Instead, they take medicines on their own and when it fails, they rush to hospital as the condition gets severe.
People with comorbidities should be constantly in touch with health care professional and strictly follow the protocols to avoid any last-minute emergency. They can even avail the telemedicine services for consultation.
Source:https://www.indiascience.in/videos/question-hour-lets-talk-vaccine-03-dot-05-dot-2021
- Isn’t a single dose of Vaccine enough? Why it’s important to take the second dose?
The first dose is just a sensitization of your immune system to the covid antigen. The second dose becomes a booster dose which establishes a proper immunity. Getting both doses maximizes our body’s ability to receive immunity from the vaccine. Receiving only one dose does not provide you with full protection or effectiveness of the vaccine
- Can cancer patients take the vaccine?
They are the people who should proactively take the vaccine as they are comorbid and come under high-risk category.
However, patients on Chemotherapy must wait until therapy is over to get Vaccinated. Also, if one suffers from long time immunosuppressive, like arthritis patients, get vaccinated, they should inform their doctors and follow the instructions of doctors on continuing with their regular medicines.
- How long one should wait to take the dose after becoming COVID + ve?
If you are yet to take the Vaccine but got COVID +ve, you should delay Vaccination by 3 to 4 weeks. If you get COVID +ve, after the first dose, wait until you become COVID-ve. Take the second dose, four weeks after resolution of symptoms.
- If I have a lung infection, what should I do? Should I use oxygen concentrator or oxygen cylinder?
It should be strictly decided by your physician or COVID Care doctors. It is not advisable to take these without Doctors’ advice since it may lead to other complications.
- What should we citizens do to get out of the current Pandemic situation?
The incubation period of coronavirus is 2 to 14 days. The number of infective cases or chances of transmission is high during these seven days. Once you get tested positive or experience any symptoms you should isolate yourself immediately. By doing this you are protecting yourself and everyone around you.
24% of infections are transmitted via patients who don’t develop symptoms whereas patients who are yet to develop symptoms transmit 35% of COVID infection. We have to be very careful up to 14 days after appearance of COVID-19 symptoms since infection can spread till then.
Also, currently there is no drug for the virus. We have antibiotics, we still don’t have an anti-viral therapy in use. With these, we can only decrease the viral load but cannot eliminate the load. To actively keep the virus away, our body immunity has to respond to this virus. We need to give some time to respond to this virus. At the same time, we should keep ourselves healthy. That is the only way to boost immunity – exercise, proper diet, good mental health.
- Is there a third wave?
We should never lower the guard and vaccination is the solution to control this and future waves. This along with COVID Appropriate Behaviours can largely control any future waves. It is our responsibility to prevent the infection by strictly following COVID protocols, Physical distancing, maintaining hand hygiene, wearing masks.
Here is Health Ministry’s illustrative guide on COVID Appropriate Behaviours ➡
https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/Illustrativeguidelineupdate.pdf
- What is the role of Remdesivir in the treatment of COVID-19?
Remdesivir is useful only in moderate to severe cases, that is 5th to 7th day when your Oxygen saturation level starts falling. It has no use in mild cases and will have no benefit if given in the beginning. Using it in the first or second day amounts to misuse, and can cause side effects too.
Remdesivir has not shown benefit in reducing mortality. If it is used beyond 7 days where a patient is already on ventilator, Remdesivir is not going to change anything.
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