[cataclysm]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

A small query to the doctor's here.

Is it safe to go out for solo runs/ bicycling? Considering these are intensive exercises, with heavy breathing, what kind of mask should I wear, considering I would only be passing by people without any interaction( I try to pass them while holding my breath).

Not a doctor, but a runner. I wear a surgical mask, but I lower it and keep it on my chin. I raise it to my mouth and nose only when I am passing people.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by drrajasaravanan

Hi,
Most of them needed stenting for their heart and blood thinners for their brain stroke. All of them had underlying medical conditions. Having said that, this subgroup reached hospital for optimal care, I don't know of people who did not have access to medical help.

Then there could possibly be some connection between actor Vivek's vaccination the previous day and cardiac arrest / passing away the next day?

[vivek95]

Originally Posted by GTO

Simply put, if I go out today (with the antibodies in me) and meet someone with Covid, can I still carry the virus back to my family members?

Thank you so much .

The chances of you carrying the back the virus and further transmitting it, in this case are extremely minimal. You are asymptomatic, so you won't shed the virus. Ensure to wear a mask at home while interacting with other family members (if not all the time), leaving no scope for the virus to get transmitted.

Talking from my own experience - I visited my parents back in my hometown Belgaum, Karnataka for 5 times in the last one year while continuously being exposed to Covid positive patients in my ICU in Mumbai. I had significant titres of antibodies, plus I was asymptomatic and followed some bit of Covid appropriate behaviour at home whenever required. I just used to maintain good distance while talking to Mum-Dad. Wore a mask all the time while I drove them around in car to long distances like Mysore, Bangalore, Manipal, Goa etc. By God's grace, they have been absolutely symptom free all this while till date.

--Dr.Vivek

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by cataclysm

Not a doctor, but a runner. I wear a surgical mask, but I lower it and keep it on my chin. I raise it to my mouth and nose only when I am passing people.

Seriously, Is that okay to do that? What if he is asymptomatic and exhaling the droplets into the atmosphere and some one else walking past picks it up. Not pointed at you, but just another question, per se.

Something that just came by:

[Thad E Ginathom]

I am very pro-vaccine. I've had my two doses, and I encourage all to do the same. And, what's more, I'll take whatever new-variant, supplementary, didn't-get-it-quite-right-first-time vaccine comes around and is available. I'll take the best available without expecting it to be perfect.

That said, I am disappointed with this downward management of our vaccine expectations. It might be me that got it wrong, but I understood that there were two reasons for vaccination. 1, to give a good degree of personal immunity to the disease, subject to the limits of the vaccine's efficacy, and 2, to contribute to herd immunity by increasing the numbers of people who could not pass on the disease.

But now, after vaccination we might still get the disease, albeit mildly, and we might still be able to pass it on. It's all better than nothing, but not nearly as good as hoped.

In GB, though, mass vaccination is heralding normal life, so maybe the above is simply worst-case stuff. Hoping so. Hoping vaxxed does not lead to vexed!

[giri1.8]

Just when I thought things can't get any worse, there has been few cases of "Black fungus" disease being reported. Seems to be spreading due to lack of immunity as a result of Covid treatment and few other conditions.

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by cataclysm

Not a doctor, but a runner. I wear a surgical mask, but I lower it and keep it on my chin. I raise it to my mouth and nose only when I am passing people.

Coronavirus is airborne according to latest research. US CDC has also changed the classification recently. The particles stay in the air for a significant amount of time. So you could potentially be spreading it or you could also be inhaling the particles that linger in the air.

That said, outdoor transmission risk is significantly lower than indoor.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

Just when I thought things can't get any worse

That's exactly what I thought.

there has been few cases of "Black fungus" disease being reported. Seems to be spreading due to lack of immunity as a result of Covid treatment and few other conditions.

Reading about this literally made me shaky for a few minutes.

But... Yes, it is bad, very bad indeed for the victims, but it is not a simple lack of immunity thing. It is (I read; I'm not a doctor) specifically a danger to diabetics whose blood sugar is not properly controlled and who are treated with steroids.

[deetee]

I had been thinking that high glucose availability in blood stream is fueling the progression of coronavirus and black fungus in many patients. The general thought process among our people is to 'eat well' to support the body fight off the virus. However, that 'eat well' philosophy itself is mostly skewed. Our Indian concept of 'eating well' means, good amount of rice/roti/chappati with assorted curries and some desert/sweet. This kind of food contains large amounts of carbs, which eventually gets converted to glucose and released into blood stream.
Increased availability of glucose in blood fuels inflammation and viral/fungal growth. For the same reason, diabetics are more vulnerable to covid and black fungus. Their elevated blood glucose fuels the infection and its progression.
Non diabetic covid patients should alter their diet to avoid excess carb/sugar intake and instead replace them with slow burning, nutrient dense foods like nuts and legumes. Limited carb intake can cut down high glucose availability in blood and there by constraining spread of infection as well.

An excerpt from an article that supports this theory:
Link: https://theconversation.com/blood-su...tective-136592

The new coronavirus infects cells by attaching to the surface through a receptor called the angiotensin converting enzyme 2, or ACE2. Both the ACE2 and the virus need sugar molecules bound to their protein for this to work properly.
My idea, which I have described in a peer-reviewed article in the Journal of Medical Virology, is that COVID-19 infection and its severity is influenced by the concentration of sugar-coated virus and the concentration of sugar-coated ACE2 receptors in the lung tissues. The degree and control of the lungs’ immune response may also depend on how much sugar is attached to virus’s spike protein approximately eight to 10 days after symptoms start, which may vary depending on your age and sex
Researchers already know that people with diabetes are more vulnerable to COVID-19. What is unusual is that when I talked to physicians around the country taking care of COVID-19 patients, they told me that a lot of their patients in the hospital not only had diabetes and prediabetes but others had high blood sugar, without being aware of it. There is a recent report from Wuhan, China, that finds that is true there as well. COVID-19 patients with Type 2 diabetes have poor glucose control.
People with SARS - which is related to the new coronavirus – seem to get high blood sugar temporarily when they get infected as well.
This makes sense because there are a lot of ACE2 receptors on the so-called islet cells of the pancreas. These are the cells that make insulin – which is critical for controlling blood sugar. If the virus infects these cells, then they stop making insulin and you can get a temporary diabetes with COVID-19.
High blood sugar increases the number of sugar-coated ACE2 receptors in the lungs of diabetic mice. So not only are the number of receptors greater, but also there are more sugars attached to them. This makes it easier for the virus to infect cells. When there is more insulin, or through diet or exercise, there is less sugar, so there are fewer ACE2 receptors and less sugar on each one, and this may reduce the amount of virus getting into the cell.

Another article that explains relation between Cytokine storm and glucose metabolism: https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...bly-covid-191/

Finally, the scientists analyzed blood collected from flu patients and healthy individuals in Wuhan, China, between 2018 and 2019. They found that the flu-infected subjects’ blood had higher glucose levels—and correspondingly higher levels of immune system signaling molecules—than that of the healthy patients. That result further supports the idea that glucose metabolism plays a role in flu infection.
The findings suggest that interfering with this pathway could be one way to prevent the cytokine storm seen in flu and other viral infections.

[Gokuljayaraj]

Looking for some help for a friend folks.

So, friend’s wife was supposed to get admitted for labour today (about 2 weeks short of 10 months) in Chennai. They did a pre admission COVID test on the wife which unfortunately turned out to be positive. She is asymptotic and no family members have any symptoms. Now the hospital is refusing admission owing to that. Any leads would be appreciated on how to handle this scenario? Do we look for normal COVID bed or do we have some separate beds earmarked by the government for such cases. He was expecting his wife to go into labour this weekend before all this transpired today. And are there any risks associated with childbirth while being COVID positive? He’s extremely worried and I’m trying to comfort him saying that it’ll be alright since they have absolutely zero symptoms.

[Zen2001]

Originally Posted by GTO

I currently have antibodies, but lets say hypothetically on 1st June, the driver of the TD car I meet has Covid and he passes it on to me. While my antibodies will protect me, will I still carry the virus back to my family members?
Simply put, if I go out today (with the antibodies in me) and meet someone with Covid, can I still carry the virus back to my family members?

Having "marker" antibody is one thing; having neutralising antibodies is quite another. This is a highly grey zone - the duration of protection conferred by infection. You're at a risk of re-infection from the same or variant strain, depending on YOUR immunity (not just measurable by antibody titres - T cells also have a significant role), and hence just as likely to transmit the infection to others, even if you remain asymptomatic.

Originally Posted by Turbohead

Is it safe to go out for solo runs/ bicycling? Considering these are intensive exercises, with heavy breathing, what kind of mask should I wear, considering I would only be passing by people without any interaction( I try to pass them while holding my breath).

As long as you're solo or with someone you live with, it's absolutely safe - for you and others around you, who may momentarily pass you by. Infact masks are not recommended at all during outdoor exercise activities with adequate physical distancing. Exercise is also meant to relieve stress - overthinking or being hypochondriac defeats this purpose anyway. This is the medical answer. The other answers are based on your personal choice and the restrictions imposed by law (& it's convenient misinterpretation).

Originally Posted by Gansan

Then there could possibly be some connection between actor Vivek's vaccination the previous day and cardiac arrest / passing away the next day?

Within 24 hours - highly unlikely. At least not on an immunological basis. Severe allergic reactions are possible within minutes to hours, but extremely rare - and lead to anaphylactic shock.

Originally Posted by vivek95

The chances of you carrying the back the virus and further transmitting it, in this case are extremely minimal. You are asymptomatic, so you won't shed the virus. Ensure to wear a mask at home while interacting with other family members (if not all the time), leaving no scope for the virus to get transmitted.

He won't be shedding viable virus post infection and unlikely to infect anyone else in that sense. However, he may get re infected (I hope not) and transmit the new viable virus even without developing symptoms himself, especially if protected by antibodies. So - hands, face, space - to continue.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

It might be me that got it wrong, but I understood that there were two reasons for vaccination. 1, to give a good degree of personal immunity to the disease, subject to the limits of the vaccine's efficacy, and 2, to contribute to herd immunity by increasing the numbers of people who could not pass on the disease.
But now, after vaccination we might still get the disease, albeit mildly, and we might still be able to pass it on. It's all better than nothing, but not nearly as good as hoped.

If there were herd immunity for a respiratory virus, why would anyone need annual/seasonal flu vaccination? The answer is mutations. As long as there are mutations, there is no hope for herd immunity, unless the same vaccine confers equally protective immunity against all prevalent strains in the population at that given time I think, the UK, US and some other EU nations (much like India in Jan 21) might be celebrating the "defeat of covid" a bit too prematurely. Once the world opens up, it doesn't take much time for mutations to spread. And let's face it; the whole world is not going to be vaccinated against all prevalent, emerging and yet to appear variant strains atleast in the next few years. We just have to live with this.

Originally Posted by giri1.8

Just when I thought things can't get any worse, there has been few cases of "Black fungus" disease being reported. Seems to be spreading due to lack of immunity as a result of Covid treatment and few other conditions.

Few thousands actually. One highly suspect reason is that probably people have been overdosing and even self medicating (during the current wave), given that this condition was never reported last year despite the same use of steroids (although strictly used that time only in the ICU/hospital setting) and majority of affected elderly population, who were more likely diabetic than the current young population being affected. This is the opinion of the treating doctors who extracted this history from such patients.

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

Coronavirus is airborne according to latest research. US CDC has also changed the classification recently. The particles stay in the air for a significant amount of time. So you could potentially be spreading it or you could also be inhaling...
That said, outdoor transmission risk is significantly lower than indoor.

Which respiratory infection is not "airborne"? What a ridiculous discovery by the CDC!
All respiratory pathogens are aerosolized during expiration (normal and forced - talking, coughing, sneezing) and remain suspended within "droplets" - once dry, they no longer remain viable. The size of droplets determines the distance of spread - smaller droplets will travel further, but ALSO will dry earlier and be non infective by then as compared to larger droplets at a closer distance. That's exactly the reason why outdoor transmission is significantly lower than indoor.


And finally on India's "exclusive" vaccination policy. Compare this with our own pulse polio campaign wherein millions of under 5 children used to be vaccinated over just 2 days, with the vaccine (also stored between 2 -6°C) was actually brought to their doorstep (or many convenient "polio booths") without any issue of pre registration. It's clear that every effort is being made to slow down the speed of vaccination to hide the lack of planning and foresight (& the vaccine itself) necessary and expected to conduct such a mass public campaign.
Firstpost: CoWIN app quirks show just how Phase 4 of Indias vaccination programme excludes entire class of Indians.
https://www.firstpost.com/india/cowi...s-9606911.html

[drrajasaravanan]

Originally Posted by Gokuljayaraj

Looking for some help for a friend folks.

So, friend’s wife was supposed to get admitted for labour today (about 2 weeks short of 10 months) in Chennai. They did a pre admission COVID test on the wife which unfortunately turned out to be positive. She is asymptotic and no family members have any symptoms. Now the hospital is refusing admission owing to that. .

Hi,
Could not PM you. If you still have not sorted out the issue share your number and will try for safe confinement. We had quite a lot of COVID positive mothers in term recovering without a issue and the new born hale and healthy. In all likelihood she would not have a problem but she needs to be under supervision and care with appropriate support.

[Gokuljayaraj]

Originally Posted by drrajasaravanan

Hi,
Could not PM you. If you still have not sorted out the issue share your number and will try for safe confinement. We had quite a lot of COVID positive mothers in term recovering without a issue and the new born hale and healthy. In all likelihood she would not have a problem but she needs to be under supervision and care with appropriate support.

Hi Doctor,

Appreciate your response. She’s been admitted in Savita Hospital in the outskirts of Chennai. She’s in a double bedroom with another patient who is currently on oxygen support and quite serious. I understand that the situation is dire and hospitals are overwhelmed but my friend finds it very hard to console his wife who is worried about being in the same room as someone serious. There hasn’t been a visit from a doctor yet, so that isn’t helpful either. She couldn’t sleep last night due to the other patient crying.
My friend is not allowed in due to it being a COVID ward. Unfortunately I can’t PM you either most probably since I’m still relatively new here. Do you think it’s wiser to stick it out at the current hospital or keep looking to see if we can get a private bed elsewhere ?

[PearlJam]

A question to doctors: What are the exact set of (Ig?) antibodies to test for, to check if you have, er, Covid antibodies already? What are the reading value thresholds above/below which vaccination is not required? Basically, does it make sense in general for everybody to do this test first, before vaccination, so that your immune system doesn't go on an overdrive (if at all there's such a thing)?

And, does this apply to the second dose too?

Thanks!

[Dr.Vikas]

Originally Posted by Gokuljayaraj

Hi Doctor,
Do you think it’s wiser to stick it out at the current hospital or keep looking to see if we can get a private bed elsewhere ?

Hi,
Hopefully, the patient is admitted with an Obstetrician. If so, I would rather suggest you to have a discussion with the Dr in charge first.
Unless & until the Dr advices to shift the patient for some or the other reason, it is not wise to take the patient to any other place.

Secondly, if your friend still needs to shift the patient, then you've to search a centre first where there is proper set up to take all required care of the patient.

Have faith, once the patient is being admitted, the Dr would be having regular follow up with her progress & would also be providing proper treatment sticking to the Covid protocol.
Don't make any kind of panic decision.
Hope, this helps.