GARUD SAARATHI
ST ALOYSIUS COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS), MANGALURU
COVID-19 GENERAL AWARENESS
As we all know about COVID-19 is caused by a new strain of coronavirus. Formally, this disease was referred to as ‘2019 novel coronavirus’. Coronavirus are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. This virus mainly spread by droplets produced as a result of coughing and sneezing by an infected person. These droplets survive on surfaces and clothes for many days. Therefore, touching one’s mouth, noes or eyes leads the virus to enter the body.
PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES:
HOW TO STAY SAFE AT OUR HOMES –
1. Keep cleaning your hands frequently with soap or sanitizer.
2. When cough or sneeze unexpectedly, use tissue and discard after use or cover your mouth and nose with flexed elbow if you don’t have tissue or handkerchief
3. If you experience any difficulty in breathing, immediately contact your health care facility.
4. Avoid unnecessary exposures to the ill person and to be on the safer side do use your own daily needs such as plates, towels, masks etc.
5. Ensure you take nutritious food and drink plenty of water.
HOW TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND OTHERS FROM INFECTION –
1. Avoid close contact with people who have travelled from the areas experiencing an outbreak or those who show cold or flu symptoms.
2. Do carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer wherever you go, apply it when required.
3. If you become sick while travelling, inform crew or port health officer and seek medical care immediately.
4. If you choose to wear a mask, make sure it fits tightly and covers your mouth and nose. Avoid touching mask once it’s on.
5. Avoid close contact with people suffering from fever and cough.
6. Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth and also eating food that has not been cooked thoroughly.
Also The following actions help prevent the spread of COVID-19
· Wear a face mask.
· Maintain at least six feet of distance between yourself and others.
· Avoid large gatherings.
· Socialize outdoors.
· Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
· Minimize touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
· Stay home when you are sick.
· Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
· Clean frequently touched objects and surfaces regularly.
· Wash your hands often with soap and water.
· Get vaccinated as soon as you are eligible.
By following these precautionary measures we can stop the spread of this deadly virus.
Important Information
1 Blood Pressure
👉 120 / 80 -- Normal
👉 130 / 85 -- Normal (Control)
👉 140 / 90 -- High
👉 150 / 95 -- Very High
2 Oxygen Level
Check Through Oximeter
👉 94 - Normal
👉 95 To 100 - Good Oxygen Level
👉 94 To 90- Low Oxygen Level
👉 Below 90- Very Low Oxygen Level...
(To Be Hospitalised For Oxygen Support)
3 PULSE PR
👉 72 Per Minute (Standard)
👉 60 -- 80 P.M. (Normal)
👉 90 / 120 Pulse - Increased (High)
4 TEMPERATURE
👉 92 - 98.6 F - (Normal)
👉 99.0 F - Normal Fever
👉 100 .F / 102 F High Fever
5 HRCT Means CT SCAN Through Checking Of Corona Infection
👉 HRCT Score: 0 - 8 (Mild Infection).
👉 HRCT Score: 9 - 18 (Moderate Infection).
👉 HRCT Score: 19 - 25 (Severe Infection)
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PLASMA DONATIONS IN VIEW OF COVID-19
For the past couple of months we have been looking on the term plasma more often in social media platforms and some of us might be wondering How is donating plasma going to help a Covid Patient. Well the definition of plasma is ‘clear, straw-colored liquid portion of blood that remains after red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and other cellular components are removed. It is the single largest component of human blood, comprising about 55 percent, and contains water, salts, enzymes, antibodies and other proteins’.
So the main part, Importance of Plasma Donation:
If you have fully recovered from COVID-19, you may be able to help patients currently fighting the infection by donating your plasma.Because you fought the infection, your plasma now contains COVID-19 antibodies. These antibodies provided one way for your immune system to fight the virus when you were sick, so your plasma may be able to be used to help others fight off the disease.
I Have Fully Recovered From COVID-19. Am I Eligible to Donate Plasma?
People who have fully recovered from COVID-19 for at least two weeks are encouraged to consider donating plasma, which may help save the lives of other patients. COVID-19 convalescent plasma must only be collected from recovered individuals if they are eligible to donate blood. Individuals must have had a prior diagnosis of COVID-19 documented by a laboratory test and meet other donor qualifications. Individuals must have complete resolution of symptoms for at least 14 days prior to donation. A negative lab test for active COVID-19 disease is not necessary to qualify for donation.
Who can donate plasma for COVID-19?
In order to donate plasma, a person must meet several criteria. They have to have tested positive for COVID-19, recovered, have no symptoms for 14 days, currently test negative for COVID-19, and have high enough antibody levels in their plasma. A donor and patient must also have compatible blood types. Once plasma is donated, it is screened for other infectious diseases, such as HIV. Each donor produces enough plasma to treat one to three patients. Donating plasma should not weaken the donor's immune system, nor make the donor more susceptible to getting reinfected with the virus.
Treating COVID-19 with donated plasma
One early pilot study conducted in China evaluated the impact of convalescent plasma in ten patients who had been hospitalized with severe COVID-19. The study found that clinical symptoms of COVID-19 were significantly reduced in all patients, with fever, breathlessness, cough, and chest pain especially improved. Inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein also appeared reduced after transfusion.As in earlier studies, better results were observed in those who received plasma with higher antibody levels within 14 days of infection. Overall, the group showed a much-improved health status when compared to a recent historic control group. No serious adverse events were reported following transfusion in the plasma therapy group. The authors concluded that plasma therapy could offer a low-risk therapeutic treatment option but conceded that more rigorous, randomized controlled studies were needed.
Subsequently, several observational case studies were published and reported associations between convalescent plasma and reduced viral load, improvement in clinical symptoms and reduced mortality.
The takeaway
Whole blood, plasma, and platelet donations are always in high need at hospitals and other treatment facilities. Ask your doctor to make sure that you’re healthy and able to donate before you decide to do so.
[All Facts and points of this article have been sourced from
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-often-can-you-donate-plasma
]
STAY SAFE, STAY HOME...