In case you have additional queries, please ask them here: https://t.me/CovidMedHelp.

Vaccination queries

Last year my father tested positive for covid, and he also suffered from pulmonary embolism (blood clots in lungs). This year first dose of the vaccine has been administered. Seeing the reports of blood clots in our cases, should we go ahead with a second dose for him?
Yes, he can take the vaccine. The risk of blood clots from the vaccine is much lower than the risk of blood clots from the covid infection itself. Hence it is definitely an acceptable risk and is advisable to get the vaccine.

My wife is pregnant. Can she take the vaccine?
This is still a matter of consideration. As per the latest CDC guidelines overseas, they are advising pregnant women to get vaccinated. But such an advisory has not been issued in India. Keeping this in mind, we would advise a wait and watch policy as of now.

I am a senior citizen, and I have to take a second vaccine after 6-8 weeks. If two or three days are over 8 weeks, can I take the second vaccine, or do I have to repeat the course?
You can take the second dose—no need to start a repeat vaccination course if you are a few days late.

Both my son and daughter-in-law were Covid 19 +ve two weeks ago, and they have recovered well. What would you suggest apart from taking covid precaution? Also need advice on vaccination for them (both are 28/29 years old).
Covid routine precautions are still to be practiced. And for vaccination, our ministry of health says that after 14 days of recovery from covid, one can take the vaccine. Recovering from COVID -19 confers natural immunity to an individual for a median of 3-6 months. You can delay vaccination by a month or two for them now. However, it is advisable to give them the vaccine a month or so after full recovery.

My mother is on arthritis medication right now. Can she take the vaccine?
She can take the vaccine, some of the drugs used in arthritis might decrease the vaccine efficiency, but it’s still much better to get the vaccine.

Can I take the covid vaccine? I’m taking dutasteride 0.5mg daily for my prostate.
Yes, you can take the vaccine.

I have one query regarding the behavior of the vaccine. Does the first dose of vaccine increase any sort of immunity? Or we need both doses to get things to work.
The first dose may give a small degree of immunity, but as per the trials, you will need to take both doses to get maximum protection from the shot for most vaccines.

Hello, my mother-in-law had a mild stroke in 2018. Since then, she is on blood thinners (Ecosprin75/Atrova40). She also has diabetes and has a high-pressure problem. We are not sure if she can be vaccinated. Please advise.
She can be vaccinated. Ecosprin is not a higher category blood thinner. Patients on other drugs like warfarin, action, rivaroxaban, apixaban, etc., may need to seek the advice of their healthcare provider before taking the vaccine. But those on lower potency blood thinners like Ecosprin may not worry.

My wife undergone angioplasty in 2012 takes aspirin 75 per day. Can we take a vaccine with such a low dose of ecosprin?
Yes, you can take the vaccine.

My father is asthmatic for the past 30 years. Is it safe to get the vaccine?
Yes, it is safe to take the vaccine.

Can you please guide me on whether a feeding mother gets COVID vaccination or not? My wife is a mother of 3 months old baby.
Yes. It is still being studied, but, as such, there is a low risk of anything happening to the baby.

Can women on their periods take the vaccine?
Women on periods can get vaccines. Nothing to worry about that. It is completely safe.

My father is under treatment for diabetes. Can he take the vaccine or not? His age is around 60.
Yes, he can take the vaccine.

Can a person with 1st dose of vaccine get infected?
Yes. Even a patient who has taken both doses of vaccine can also get infected. Vaccines help to reduce the severity of infection. Do not hesitate to get vaccinated. Vaccination does not mean that there is guaranteed protection against infection. It helps in preventing death and adverse effects of the infection. But there are always remote chances of anything happening even after getting the vaccine. So please take all precautions and use masks, follow social distancing, etc., even if you are vaccinated.

My father is 50 years old, is a smoker, and has hypertension. Is it safe for him to take the vaccine?
Yes, it is safe to take the vaccine.

Can a patient with MVP – mitral valve propose condition of the heart get vaccinated?
Yes, it is safe to take the vaccine.

If someone tests positive after the first dose, do they have to take the second dose?
Yes, both doses of the vaccine have to be taken. Take the second dose 14 days after recovering from the current infection.

Can vaccines cause infection? Can they worsen a person’s condition if they were infected in the past?
No. Vaccines act by inducing an immune response and producing antibodies against the virus. It cannot make a contracted infection more severe. Make a note of this; Vaccine only saves lives. Any hesitation against vaccines can prove costly.

My 2nd vaccine dose is coming up. I am anxious to go out. Is it safe to take the vaccine now?
Yes, take the vaccine. Wear an n95 mask or double mask if you’re feeling apprehensive.

If a person of age above 18 years is COVID positive, how long should they wait for getting vaccinated?
As per MoHFW guidelines, one can take the vaccine 14 days after recovering from a covid infection.

Is it alright for a person with high sugar levels to take the vaccine? My relative is afraid to take vaccination out of fear that she may face a reaction or complications.
One need not wait for control of sugar to take the vaccine. Take the vaccine while simultaneously focusing on controlling diabetes. Those with diabetes are in the high-risk group concerning Covid19, and they should get vaccinated on a priority basis.

Can I take the vaccine for covid19? I am facing an allergic reaction when I took penicillin and antibiotics.
In case you have a history of severe life-threatening allergies, avoid taking the vaccine for now. If you have a history of mild allergic reactions, you may take the vaccine after getting a test dose as per protocol. Inform the staff at the vaccination center about your history of allergies when you go to get vaccinated. Patients with mild allergies should not delay getting vaccinated out of fear of allergic reaction. Such a patient can be closely monitored for adverse reactions after being administered the vaccine.

Medical queries

Our family tested positive in September; now again, we have slight symptoms like headache, body pains, fever (99.6F), but we tested negative in the rapid test; please suggest the appropriate steps to take.
Book an RTPCR just to be on the safe side. Isolate yourselves till you get the report. Take multivitamins with Zinc and vitamin C and vitamin D daily. Take paracetamol 650mg for fever and body pain and monitor your blood oxygen levels as long as oxygen saturation stays in the normal range (96-100%); no need to worry.

I tested positive on 4th Nov and negative on 14th Nov. Can I donate plasma now?
I would recommend against it as it has been more than 3 months now, so the level of antibodies in your plasma will not be enough to make a difference. You can donate convalescent plasma 14 to 90 days after recovering from the virus as a general rule. It is best to donate plasma as soon as you are eligible, as the level of antibodies slowly goes down over time.

From last night, I felt that my smelling sense is going. No other problem. Could it be covid symptoms? If yes so what should I do?
Sudden loss of sense of smell is not a common thing. The only common cause right now is covid-19. Isolate yourself, monitor your pulse and oxygen saturation and get RT-PCR and rapid test done.

I got infected on the 13th of April. Experienced loss of smell, loss of taste, fever, and loss of appetite, Now I regained all, but the mild cough is there. What should I do?
The cough will resolve over time. You can do steam inhalation and gargles with turmeric & salty water thrice a day for now, as you are already on the road to recovery. You will need to stay in isolation for 14 days and then gradually go back to your routine; some dry cough and fatigue might continue for a few days.

Is Fabiflu (Favipiravir) recommend to a covid+ve person?
The drug regulatory authorities have permitted it for use in trial mode. As of now, its effectiveness is still under investigation, but many doctors are prescribing it for the treatment of mild-moderate infections.

My brother’s oxygen level is 89 to 90%, and no hospital is ready to take him in; what should I do?
Please make him lie in the prone position and keep monitoring oxygen saturation. Try to consult a doctor in person and arrange a bed or at least oxygen at home as per your local physician’s advice.

Hello, doctor. For the last two days, I am getting fever body pains and stopping them again coming the next day; this is Corona or viral fever.
Kindly self isolates yourself and monitor your symptoms closely. If they persist, get an RT-PCR and an antigen test done. In the meanwhile, you may take tablet paracetamol 500 as needed for controlling the fever.

Dear doctors, my father is diabetic. His antigen test is negative. His SPO2 level is 86. Please suggest what we should do.
If SpO2 is 86% persistently, plan to get an HRCT done and take him to a hospital. Meanwhile, ask him to lie on his stomach in a prone position as long as possible.

Is 96% oxygen saturation good for my father? He is 55 and is diabetic.
Yes, it is normal

Can CT scan be used as a diagnostic tool for Covid19?
Your doctor can decide upon a CT scan along with symptoms and other lab reports for hospitalization. Consult a doctor so they can use a combination of clinical signs, symptoms, and tests to make the diagnosis

Is it safe to get a CT scan? Do they allow wearing masks and clothes while doing so?
Yes. They allow wearing masks and clothes while doing CT scans. However, please know that a CT scan also brings some radiation that can have harmful side effects in the long term. Many physicians and patients are insisting on getting early CT scans these days. Please get a CT only if it is clinically indicated.

Hello doctor, I have had a cough, fever for the last 3 days, suspecting covid. RT-PCR facility is not available in my town, but HRCT is available. After how many days from the first symptom, should I get HRCT done for myself?
CT scan is not mandatory if RT PCR is not available. Given the current pandemic, these symptoms should be treated as presumptive COVID unless proven otherwise. At least try getting the basic lab investigations like CBC with ESR, CRP, D dimer, serum creatinine, serum bilirubin, and SGOT done. Also, most importantly, please isolate yourself and make sure you do not transmit the infection to your loved ones. Keep a watch on oxygen saturation, pulse, blood pressure, and temperature.

I am 4 months pregnant. My husband tested COVID positive 4 days back. And I have had a fever, cough, body ache for two days. I am self-isolating currently. Please advise me what to do?
Please remain in isolation and consult your obstetrician as well. Monitor your symptoms and vital signs like oxygen saturation closely, get blood tests done as advised by your physician and obstetrician, and do breathing exercises, steam inhalation, etc., in the meanwhile.

What is a cytokine storm?
Many infections, including covid-19, cause an immune system reaction.

Hello doctor. If one has been diagnosed positive in RT PCR, does he need to have a CT Scan?
You don’t need to get HRCT just because you are positive. Getting a CT scan should be taken if the patient is at high risk of not maintaining oxygen saturation. In some cases, HRCT is also used to rule out false negatives, but that is a clinical judgment that a doctor should make after examining the specific patient.

I have had a fever for the last 4 days, with no other symptoms except body ache. SpO2, pulse rate is normal. Should I go for a test or not?
Yes, please get an RTPCR test. Please isolate yourself at home till the test results come. Consult a doctor if symptoms increase over time.

My fever is going away in the morning. But in the evening it’s coming back again up to 99.5. The report has not come yet. But the smell is gone. What should I do?
Fever is a common symptom of covid-19 infection. You can take tablet paracetamol 500 as needed to bring down the fever. Isolate yourself till you get the results. Monitor your pulse, BP, and oxygen saturation, and consult a doctor if you start having additional symptoms.

I had a fever yesterday. I had taken Dolo – 650, Azithromycin-500 & B Complex. No fever since then till now. I got a tiny cough. But nothing else I have. Any suggestions on what should I do?
Kindly self isolates and gets an RT-PCR test done. Monitor your oxygen saturation and get checked by a doctor in person if your symptoms worsen.

My 6-year-old brother is suffering from 101 fever and cough since yesterday. Can he be at risk?
Yes, fever and cough are part of the symptoms of covid-19 infection. Please don’t ignore fever in children, as they can deteriorate rapidly. Consult a pediatrician.

My wife, who is 9 months pregnant, is Covid positive. She has a heavy dry cough and fever. What can be done?
Give steam inhalation. Make sure a physician and a gynecologist check her if her symptoms worsen. Monitor pulse, blood pressure, and saturation, and if saturation falls below 92%, please take her to a hospital.

My husband is 46 years old. He has covid, now the fever is normal, but oxygen level goes down till 85, generally in the night or in the morning. When he is doing pruning, it will increase to 95,96, and also, he is having pain in the chest. Does he need to be hospitalized?
Saturation of 85% is not healthy. Please get this patient checked by a doctor in person. He may need to be administered oxygen, inhaled corticosteroids, and other medications, depending on his condition as judged by the attending doctor. In the meanwhile, please ask him to maintain a prone position.

Post Recovery

How long does it take to recover from covid fully? Been 18 days now for me, and I have a body and joint aches in my entire body. Plus, weakness is crazy; focusing anywhere is a challenge.
Depends on severity, some symptoms may go on for weeks. A few patients report having symptoms months after the infection, which is known as Long Covid syndrome. Such a patient may not be infective but may have persistent, low-grade symptoms. There is no specific treatment for this, except taking symptomatic medication like paracetamol, cough syrup as needed, breathing exercises, etc. Recovery takes time. Check oxygen saturation, and if it’s normal, then no need to worry. The body takes some time to recover from infection.

When do we consider someone recovered from Covid?
Consider the patient to be recovered around 14 days after the diagnosis is made.

I have tested negative for covid now, but I have still not recovered my sense of taste and smell. Is it normal?
Yes, it is normal. You should get your sense of smell and taste back slowly over a period of time.

Is an RT-PCR test required after 14 days of home isolation and recovery?
As per protocol no need to repeat RT-PCR after 14 days of home isolation.

I want to know what are the signs of recovery from COVID. I am on my 6th day of isolation, with no fever, no cough, but lost smell/taste. O2 level is 98-99
Generally, if you are without any symptoms for 3 continuous days, with normal oxygen saturation, no difficulty walking for three minutes without dropping saturation, you are on the path to a good recovery. 10 days from the onset of symptoms, your infectivity decreases to minimal—two weeks from the onset of symptoms, you are considered recovered and can move out of isolation.

Is it normal to have an occasional cough, even after 2 weeks of testing positive for Covid19?
Some symptoms might persist for a few days or weeks depending upon how severe the disease one had, but if oxygen saturation is maintained above 92%, there’s no need to worry.

Doctor, I am in the middle of covid-19 recovery; it has been 7 days since I am in isolation, taking medicine. Is it common to feel weakness with a slight sensation of fever during the 6th-7th days of isolation? I did not feel this during the initial days of isolation. Now I feel tired and feel like sleeping all the time.
Yes, it is normal to feel weak as the body recovers from the infection. Keep monitoring your symptoms and take prescribed medicines. Keep a watch on your pulse, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation, and maintain good hydration.

What can be hospitalized COVID patients be given for dehydration? The hospital allows us to send eatable/drinkable as the patient is very dehydrated, but what is safe?
Home-cooked fresh food. Vegetables and fruits. Fresh juices. Lemonade with sugar and salt. All this can be given to ensure good hydration.

Personal care

I got Covid19 earlier. If I get the infection again, will it be more severe?
There are a few reports of reinfection, but there is no indication if reinfection will be mild or severe. And with the existence of multiple variants and the constant evolution of the virus, there is no way to predict for sure. There is an old credo: Prevention is the best cure. It is best to take all precautions to ensure that you are not infected again and use masks properly, distancing, and sanitizers.

Have a small query can we take any medicine even though we don’t have any symptoms? As a matter of precaution?
You can take multivitamins with Zinc and vitamin C and vitamin D for precautionary measures. You can wear an n95 mask in public, practice physical distancing, and frequent handwashing with soap or sanitizer. Prevention is the best cure.

Can we take Fabiflu (Favipiravir) per day as safety measures?
No. All medicines have side effects. Favipiravir only has emergency approval for covid because there are few alternatives. It is not advisable to take experimental medicines like this by yourself.

How can we isolate someone at home?
Confine them to a dedicated room and bathroom, they should not come out and interact with others at home, give food and water to the person in the room without coming into direct contact, like by keeping it near the door, give them a pulse oximeter to monitor, if a person is elderly and can’t take care of themselves, or have difficulty doing so, a dedicated caregiver with an N95 mask, distancing as much as possible, and frequently sanitizing hands may look after them.

What precautions do you need to take if someone in your building has come positive and has a common pathway to go in and out of the building?
Wear a mask (preferably an N95 mask) properly at all times while in the public areas. Avoid touching common surfaces unnecessarily, washing hands with soap, or sanitizing them with alcohol-based sanitizer after contacting such surfaces.

Should eating egg and fish be avoided during Covid19 recovery?
Any home-cooked food can be given.

A Covid +ve person is not eating properly. What can be done?
Adequate food and water intake are necessary for the body to be able to fight any infection. If the patient is not tolerating solid food, they can be given semi-solid food like dal-rice, mashed vegetables, etc. Take care to see that the patient has adequate water intake. You can give them some lemonade with salt and sugar in it as well. Keep a watch on their food intake; it doesn’t improve, take them to the nearest hospital. Monitor pulse, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation.

If one of our family members is positive, but the rest of us haven’t tested positive… what precautions must we take?
Please keep the family member who tested positive in isolation. Others should take appropriate precautions – maintain distance from each other, wear a mask inside the home, and monitor symptoms/saturation. Go for a test if anyone develops symptoms.

If an older adult above 70 years is showing symptoms, what things should he eat to keep himself fit and healthy?
If anyone is showing symptoms of covid, please get them tested with RT-PCR and rapid tests. Other than that, there are no covid specific foods. The patient should be given normal home-cooked food along with fresh fruits and vegetables. They should maintain adequate water intake to ensure good hydration.

Can I do betadine (2% povidone-iodine) gargles to maintain throat hygiene? How many times a day can betadine gargle be used, and for how many days? Can we do it regularly for a few months to prevent covid?
Betadine is not recommended for the prevention of covid. Gargles with turmeric and saltwater can be done for normal hygiene purposes. But there is no evidence that these gargles can prevent covid infection.

Are there any medicines for children which can be given as a preventive measure/immunity booster to protect from coronavirus, which can be given before they catch covid?
There are no such preventive medicines. Take home-cooked food, fresh fruits and vegetables, and good hydration. Maintain appropriate hygiene. Kindly follow all the covid related precautions. Please feed the child home-cooked food, a balanced diet of grains, green leafy vegetables, fruits, and protein sources like dal, eggs, chicken, etc. No additional multivitamins will be required if this is done.

I have a 1.5-year-old kid. My wife is isolated due to symptoms. Is it safe to breastfeed the kid in this scenario?
Yes, you can breastfeed but need to follow all the precautions carefully – washing hands and wearing masks, etc., as it does not spread through milk but by contact. Wash hands properly before feeding. Try to minimize contact time. You can also try expressed/extracted milk if feeding is necessary.

A big thank you to all the healthcare workers, frontline workers, and volunteer initiatives who are helping each other out.
Regards,
Team covid19india.org

 

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) 12 October 2020 | Q&A

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/question-and-answers-hub/q-a-detail/coronavirus-disease-covid-19

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