Thread by @sakie339

If anyone has queries on Covid19, please message. Will try to share as much info as possible.

Covid is a NEW virus, which means we have very little natural immunity to it. This is why the spread and severity of the virus is high. If we had been exposed to the virus earlier, or if it had been around for sometime, some amount of immunity would have been present (1)

Having said that, our body often has an inbuilt system to fight infections. So if 100 people are exposed to the virus, all 100 WONT get the infection. Our skin, mucosa and immune system are often the first line of defence against many infections(2)

The way to keep your immune system strong and active is to have a healthy diet and lead a balanced lifestyle. Too much of smoking, drinking, junk food/ lack of sleep/repeated infections etc. can weaken our immunity and make us less likely to handle any infection (3)

Covid 19 is a virus spread mainly by contact with an infected person and with objects contaminated by their respiratory droplets. At this point in time, we have to assume that all people are POTENTIALLY infected. (4)

So we have to take precautions assuming people around us are potentially infected. For this, avoid being too close to people (as much as you can), wash hands frequently (at least once in half hour if there are people around you) or once in an hour. (5)

Dont touch your face with your hands. Masks dont prevent us from getting infections. Tjey have to be used by people who are coughing and likely to infect others, and by health care providers. There is no need to wear a mask if you are not symptomatic. (6)

Important to remember - even if you get symptoms of a respiratory illness (Cough, fever, sore throat) - it could be a common respiratory illness for which the treatment is paracetamol and bed rest (with plenty of fluids), or Covid 19. (7)

For most cases of Covid 19, the treatment is the same as any other upper respiratory illness - bed rest, paracetamol, plenty of fluids. So do that instead of panicking. Most cases (80%) will recover completely. However, keep this in mind (8)

YOU may recover since your immunity is good, but your grandmother,or parent or immunocompromised person in your house may not be so lucky,and YOU may be the one spreading the infection to them. You may also spread it to others if you dont stay at home (Quarantine) yourself (9)

During the course of illness,if a person develops breathlessness, chest pain, confusion call the helpline number. If that doesnt work, go to a hospital. You will mostly be admitted. Of those admitted, the recovery is good. However 3-4% infected may die of respiratory failure(10)

3-4% fatality rate isnt a lot, but in India, in terms of absolute numbers it is a LOT. Also even the 80% who can recover at home, out of sheer panic, will rush to the hospitals. Firstly, our hospitals are not equipped to deal with ANY emergency or disaster, leave alone covid(11)

Secondly, even if 20% patients access hospital care, it will lead to extreme over-crowding and we do not have the human, lab, drug, ventilator, ICU, Doctor, nurse, bed resources to handle even 20% sick patients, leave alone if everyone else starts crowding the health system (12)

Thirdly even if 20% access care, staff are not adequately trained to handle it. There is no guarantee that all hospitals across the country will follow standard protocols. Antibiotics are being bought in large numbers, but antibiotics work against bacteria, not viruses (13)

Quarantine is a good way to cut spread of infection within people you care about and general public. Quarantine is a choice you make for yourself. However, for quarantine to be really effective, it has to happen at a community level. People should generally reduce going out (14)

However this is where our social responsibility and govt resp. kicks in. A govt cannot issue a quarantine order without addressing people's basic needs of food/shelter. The government has not made any effort to address the situation of lakhs of daily wage workers (15)

If you as a parent, have no food at home you WILL GO out looking for it. The only way the govt can ensure that people stay in their homes is to ensure that food supplies are not disrupted. It should also provide income support for people who are daily wage workers. (16)

If elite corporate people can sit at home and earn an income, why shouldnt a daily wage worker? This is where the elitism of quarantine comes in. It is important that the government is held accountable for the food security (17)

As well as income security, irrespective of class, caste, gender, religion, social status. If everyone wants to be safe, then everyone has to be looked after, by each other and by the government. This is therefore physical distancing with a social consciousness (18)

People are going ballistic over the lack of testing. India doesnt have adequate testing for most diseases, not just Covid 19. testing facilities are only available in a few cities. Demanding testing will force people from across the state to travel to centralised labs (19)

Testing is not required for diagnosis, it is only required for treatment. A person who has respiratory symptoms still has to stay at home and take paracetamol whether its Covid or not, so testing is not mandatory now.
So dont burden the system by rushing for tests. (20)

Testing is required for a person with complications, so appropriate treatment can be initiated. For eg.if a person with respiratory symptoms, develops breathlessness,tests will show if its Covid, a bacterial pneumonia or something else. Appropriate treatment can be initiated(21)

Intafen, Sugafen, Tabalon, Alfam, Bren, Brufen, Febrilix, Ibugesic, Ibuflamar, Vicoprofen, Xylon 10, Ibudone, Reprexain, Duexis, Advil Allergy Sinus -any IBUPROFEN alone or in combination can aggravate the negative outcomes of Covid 19, so dont take these even if prescribed (22)

Average age of those who died due to Covid 19 is 75-78 years and average age of those infected is 63.
More than 98% people who died from Covid 19 had at least one pre-existing condition. These can be asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, smokers with chronic bronchitis,(23)

Other pre-existing risk conditions - Diabetes Type 2, hypertension, coronary heart disease.
There is no data on people with HIV and Covid 19, but a low CD4 and not being on treatment increases a person's chance of contracting ANY infection/illness (24)

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If a person develops a cough, use a triple layer mask. The N95 respirators should be reserved for health care staff.
The triple layer mask has to be changed every 4-5 hours otherwise it can get moist and start transmitting the virus.