COVID is unpredictable, following SOPs vital

Principal Director of DoHFW urges following all basic preventive protocols

Morung Express News
Kohima | May 21

After a year of the pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has acknowledged that the Coronavirus can be airborne, and can spread in poorly ventilated or crowded settings.

Principal Director, Health & Family Welfare, Dr Neikhrielie Khimiao during an interaction with The Morung Express said “since the virus is now spread through the medium of air—the fastest way of spreading,” despite taking all safety and preventive measures, it is difficult to predict exactly to what extent transmission of the virus can be prevented.

Following the laid down COVID protocols like social distancing and vaccination are the only ways to tackle this pandemic.

Although the symptoms of COVID-19 may vary from person to person, Dr Khimiao said in majority of the cases; the person may remain asymptomatic.

Some may have slight symptoms of mild throat irritation and cough and loss of smell and taste (may disappear in the process).

When the actual manifestation of the virus shows up, the person may have fever, headache, bodyache, joint pains, chills, fever, backache, throat irritation, cough and general sense of weakness and loss of appetite, said Dr Khimiao.

“In a classical Corona patient, a person will have off and on fever in between chills and fever with backache and headache which may continue for days together and may last for about seven days” he explained. He stated that during that time period, the person may not have the complaint of breathlessness, but when the fever recedes and other symptoms subside, the breathlessness may come into play.

Why breathlessness?
Dr Khimiao informed that “breathlessness takes place because the main attack of the virus takes place in the lungs and damages the alveola (or air sac)—the end part of the air and blood exchange point, where the oxygen goes down and the blood takes in the oxygen which circulates in the whole system.”

“In a Coronavirus attack, the alveola gets damaged, infected and becomes fibrotic and until the healing takes place, the air exchange is affected badly” he explained. He stated that when the tissues in the body are not receiving enough oxygen, then the blood saturation of oxygen in the body goes down.

Dr Khimiao further said that for patients suffering from breathlessness due to COVID-19, “oxygen support therapy remains the mainstay treatment to keep the patient alive till the time when the virus attack dies down.”

“The more the infection in the lungs, breathlessness will show more and more and during this time, unless oxygen is given, the patient has less chance of survival” said Dr Khimiao.

Treatment
While the main stay of treatment is oxygen, Dr Khimiao said because of the infection in the lungs, antibiotics are given to prevent secondary infections; steroids are given to check the inflammatory process; and antiviral drugs to prevent virus infections. Although there is a big role of steroids in the treatment of severely affected patients, he also cautioned that usage of huge amounts of steroids can have complications in the system and increase the blood sugar, even in non diabetic patient leading to secondary infection. Asu such, he advocated the judicious usage of steroids.

Till today, since there is no particular medicine to cure the virus, he said “since this virus is so peculiar, what are thought to be good is being administered to patients.”

Black Fungus
While there have been numerous reports of ‘Black Fungus’ infections in the country, the State of Nagaland has no reported case as of May 20.

Black fungus, as explained by Dr Khimiao is a fungal infection which takes place due to the “prolonged and exaggerated” use of steroids which lowers the immune system. This, he informed is being treated with anti-fungal drugs.

“Though we have not reported case of any fungal infection among our patients, because of the lack of facilities, we are not able to report such cases but it could be happening as well,” the Principal Director said.

He maintained that the fungal infection could be detected only through a lab investigation, as X-ray and scan may not be able to clearly spell out the infection in a person.

Co-morbidities
With most COVID-19 deaths reportedly associated with co-morbidities, Dr Khimiao said the viral attack will be more severe on those patients who are diabetic, hypertensive, have cardiovascular and kidney problems, cancer etc.

As the Coronavirus attacks all the vital organs in the body, he explained that when the immune system is weak, the viral attack on such patients is more severe and that they will find it more difficult to reshape their system to combat the disease.

The healing process
There is always a healing process that takes place after the acute attack, said Dr Khimiao explaining that the acute attack may last for one or two weeks in severely affected patients.

“When that stage is over, there is always a healing process which takes place. Once the healing starts, the inflammation in the lungs dies down, the body also by its own physiological and defense mechanism, regeneration of tissues takes place and in the process, the alveola will reshape itself and the patient will recover” said Dr Khimiao.

“It is unpredictable and there is no cent percent proof that this virus will not be spread. No person can be spared, unless we take precautions following all basic protocols being laid down,” he advised.

Source: https://morungexpress.com/covid-is-unpredictable-following-sops-vital