As time passes in a pandemic there’s a greater chance of survival
for those getting infected 3 months later like June 2020 than those who
got infected 3 months earlier say February 2020. The reason for this is
that Doctors and scientists know more about Covid-19 now than 3 months
ago and hence are able to treat patients better. I will list *5
important things* that we know now that we didn’t know in February 2020
for your understanding.
1. COVID-19 was initially thought to
cause deaths due to *pneumonia- a lung infection*- and so Ventilators
were thought to be the best way to treat sick patients who couldn’t
breathe. *Now we are realising that the virus
causes blood clots in the blood vessels of the lungs* and other parts
of the body and this causes the reduced oxygenation . Now we know that
just providing oxygen by ventilators will not help but we have to
prevent and dissolve the micro clots in the lungs. This is why we are
using drugs like *Asprin and Heparin ( blood thinners that prevents
clotting) as protocol in treatment regimens in June 2020. *
2.
Previously patients used to drop dead on the road or even before
reaching a hospital due to reduced oxygen in their blood- OXYGEN
SATURATION. This was because of *HAPPY HYPOXIA*- where even though the
oxygen saturation was gradually reducing the COVID-19 patients did not
have symptoms until it became critically less, like sometimes even 70%.
**Normally we become breathless if oxygen saturation reduces below 90%.
**This breathlessness is not triggered in Covid patients and so we we’re
getting the sick patients very late to the hospitals in February 2020.
Now since knowing about happy hypoxia we are monitoring oxygen
saturation of all covid patients *with a simple home use pulse oxymeter
and getting them to hospital if their oxygen saturation drops to 93% or
less*. This gives more time for doctors to correct the oxygen deficiency
in the blood and a better survival chance in June 2020.
3. We did not have drugs to fight the corona virus
in February 2020. We were only treating the complications caused by
it... hypoxia. Hence most patients became severely infected.
```**Now we have 2 important medicines
FAVIPIRAVIR & REMDESIVIR**```
Which are ANTIVIRALS that can kill the corona virus .
By using these two medicines we can prevent patients from becoming
severely infected and therefore cure them BEFORE THEY GO TO HYPOXIA.
This knowledge we have in JUNE 2020... not in February 2020.
4. Many Covid-19 patients die not just because of the virus but also due the patients own immune system responding In an exaggerated manner called *CYTOKINE STROM*. This stormy strong immune response not only kills the virus
but also kills the patients. In February 2020 we didn’t know how to
prevent it from happening. Now in June 2020, we know that *easily
available medicines called Steroids,* that doctors around the world have
been using for almost 80 years *can be used to prevent the cytokine
storm in some patients*.
5. Now we also know that people with
hypoxia became better just by making them lie down on their belly- known
as prone position. Apart from this a few days ago Israeli scientists
have discovered that a chemical known as Alpha Defensin produced by the
patients White blood cells can cause the micro clots in blood vessels of
the lungs and this could possibly be prevented by a drug called
Cholcicine used over many decades in the treatment of Gout.
So
now we know for sure that patients have a better chance at surviving the
COVID-19 infection now in June 2020 than in February 2020 for sure.
Going forward there’s nothing to panic about Covid-19 if we remember
that a person who gets infected later has a better chance at survival
than one who got infected early.
Let’s all follow simple precautions like
-6 feet distancing from others
-Wear proper masks
-Work from home whenever possible
-Order delivery and take away of food groceries and vegetables
- Stay at home during lockdown
- Hand wash & hygiene
With this we can beat the virus .
If someone tells you every one is going to get infected, tell them that
you are willing to n can afford to wait a bit longer.... as each day
passes we understand more about COVID infection.
