Dr Vikas Sharma and Saiyana Sharma
Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the highly contagious infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has had a catastrophic effect on the world’s demographics resulting in more than 2.9 million deaths worldwide, emerging as the most consequential global health crisis since the era of the influenza pandemic of 1918. Coronaviruses (CoVs) are positive-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) viruses with a crown-like appearance under an electron microscope (coronam is the Latin term for crown) due to the presence of spike glycoproteins on the envelope with subfamily Orthocoronavirinae of the Coronaviridae family (order Nidovirales).
After the first cases of this predominantly respiratory viral illness were first reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in late December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 rapidly disseminated across the world in a short span of time, compelling the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it as a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Since being declared a global pandemic, COVID-19 has ravaged many countries worldwide, overwhelming many healthcare systems. The pandemic has also resulted in the loss of livelihoods due to prolonged shutdowns, which have had a rippling effect on the global economy. Even though substantial progress in clinical research has led to a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 and the management of COVID-19, limiting the continuing spread of this virus has become an issue of increasing concern, as SARS-CoV-2 continues to wreak havoc across the world, with many countries enduring a second or third wave of outbreaks of this viral illness attributed mainly due to the emergence of mutant variants of the virus. Like other RNA viruses, SARS-CoV-2, while adapting to their new human hosts, is prone to genetic evolution with the development of mutations over time, resulting in variants that may have different characteristics than its ancestral strains.
Several variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been described during the course of this pandemic, among which only a few are considered variants of concern (VOCs), given their impact on public health. The B.1.1.7 lineage (or VOC 202012) variant was the first VOC described in the United Kingdom (UK) in late December 2020, and subsequently, the B.1.351 lineage (or 501Y.V2) was reported in South Africa. A third VOC, B.1.1.248/B1.1.28/P1 (or 501Y.V3), was reported in Brazil in early January 2021, the B.1.617 lineage was reported in India and more recently, the B.1.427/B.1.429 lineage was identified in California. Despite the unprecedented speed of vaccine development against the prevention of COVID-19 and robust global mass vaccination efforts, the emergence of these new SARS-CoV-2 variants threatens to overturn the significant progress made so far in limiting the transmission of this virus.
TREATMENT AT HOME: If you’re ill with COVID-19
If you’re ill with COVID-19, you can prevent the spread of infection with the COVID-19 virus at home:
• Take zinc, zinc has become one of the most popular suggestions for reducing symptoms of coronavirus, zinc does have antiviral properties and was shown in a laboratory study to inhibit the replication of coronaviruses in cells.
• Take Vitamin C, It supports the activity of our immune cells, especially when they work more than they should during outbreaks
• Take herbal remedies like turmeric and ginger, as both have incredible anti-inflammatory properties and also very high in antioxidants, ginger is full of chemicals that fight off cold and relieves stomach-related problems. Turmeric also has hundreds of active chemicals and is a great pain reliever.
• Drink fluids, you lose more water when you’re sick and dehydration can make symptoms worse and cause other health problems.
• Stay isolated in one room, away from your family and other people, as much as possible. This includes eating in your room. Open windows to keep air circulating. Use a separate bathroom, if possible.
• Avoid shared space in your home as much as possible. When using shared spaces, limit your movements. Keep your kitchen and other shared spaces well ventilated. Stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) away from your family members.
• Clean often-touched surfaces in your separate room and bathroom, such as doorknobs, light switches, electronics and counters, every day.
• Avoid sharing personal household items, such as dishes, towels, bedding and electronics.
• Wear a face mask when near others. Change the face mask each day. If wearing a face mask isn’t possible, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or elbow when coughing or sneezing. Afterward, throw away the tissue or wash the handkerchief.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• Take rest, it can make you feel better and may speed your recovery. Stay home, don’t go to work, school or public places.
• Keep a thermometer & oximeter, If you suspect you have a mild case of COVID-19, you’ll need a thermometer to check your temperature twice a day. Monitor yourself, use oximeter to check amount of oxygen in blood. If your symptoms get worse, call your doctor right away. Don’t go to their office without calling first. Ask your doctor about over-the-counter medicines that may help, like acetaminophen to lower your fever.
TREATMENT AT HOME: If other person is sick:
• Be careful with laundry, don’t shake dirty laundry. Use regular detergent to wash the sick person’s laundry. Use the warmest setting you can. Wash your hands after putting clothes in the dryer. Thoroughly dry clothes. If you are handling clothing that has been used by the sick person, wear disposable gloves and keep the items away from your body. Wash your hands after removing the gloves. Place dirty gloves and masks in a waste bin with a lid in the sick person’s room.
• Be careful with dishes, wear gloves when handling dishes, cups or utensils used by the sick person. Wash the items with soap and hot water or in the dishwasher. Clean your hands after taking off the gloves or handling used items.
• Avoid direct contact with the sick person’s bodily fluids, wear disposable gloves and a face mask when providing oral and respiratory care and when handling stool, urine or other waste. Wash your hands before and after removing your gloves and mask. Don’t reuse your mask or gloves.
• Avoid having unnecessary visitors in your home, don’t allow visitors until the sick person has completely recovered and has no signs or symptoms of COVID-19.
• Keep your hands clean and away from your face, frequently wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after being in close contact or in the same room as the sick person. If soap and water aren’t available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Wear a face mask, If you need to be in the same room with the person who is ill and he or she isn’t able to wear a face mask, wear a face mask. Stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) away from the ill person. Don’t touch or handle your mask while you are using it. If your mask gets wet or dirty, replace it with a clean, dry mask. Throw away the used mask and wash your hands.
• Clean your home frequently, every day, use household cleaning sprays or wipes to clean surfaces that are often touched, including counters, tabletops and doorknobs. Avoid cleaning the sick person’s separate room and bathroom. Set aside bedding and utensils for the sick person only to use. |
