India has one of the highest burdens of tuberculosis (TB) in the world, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed for India to end tuberculosis by 2025 at the One World TB Summit in March this year. Against this urgency of collective action against TB, a noted medial expert from GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences & Research (GIMSR), Visakhapatnam has been awarded a research grant from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to design an effective programme in alignment with the national objective of eliminating Tuberculosis (TB) among the tribal population of the country.

An Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Medicine at GIMSR, Dr Rajyalakshmi, MBBS, MD (Community Medicine), has been sanctioned Rs 31 Lakh to lead the programme on ‘Comprehensive Tribal Management for Decentralized TB Care Services’ for a period of two years. The ICMR funding is for a year for the entire project.

As the Principal Investigator for this project — that has already started — Dr Rajyalakshmi coordinates with the various tribal authorities at various levels such as the Institutional Ethics Committee, district DMHO, concerned tribal authorities, the gram panchayat officials and forest officers and charts out actions to manage the project’s scientific and programmatic aspects.

She is also in charge of micro-planning, project progress etc. apart from ensuring the integrity and safeguarding of obtained data while ensuring the completion, accuracy, and timeliness of the project.

The Comprehensive Tribal TB Management Program for Decentralised TB Care Services project is a multi-centric study involving the tribal population and will be carried out simultaneously in different parts of the country, including Visakhapatnam and Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh) as well as Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha, and Meghalaya.

Notably, Andhra Pradesh consists of 33 tribal groups with a population of approximately 4.2 million. The project has so far covered three mandals of Paderu tribal area of Visakhapatnam. The co-investigators in the project are Dr. Subbarayudu Boda, Dr. Chaitanya Gujjarlapudi, Dr.  N.G.Nagamani, Dr. Kuppli Sai Sushma and Dr. Vennam Bodhi Sri Vidya.

For this project, GIMSR installed an INR-7-lakh TruNAAT machine at Hukumpeta Mandal (Paderu) for intensified case finding through camps. GIMSR also deployed a Mobile X-ray machine for the outreach population to take chest X-rays as a part of diagnosis of TB and recruited six local tribal people.

The Indian government under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare already has a National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP), which is a centrally sponsored programme being implemented under the aegis of the National Health Mission (NHM) with resource sharing between the State Governments and the Central Government.

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Children’s cancers are not always treated like adult cancers. Paediatric oncology is a medical speciality focused on the care of children with cancer. It’s important to know that this expertise exists and that there are effective treatments for many childhood cancers. The alarming signs are an unusual lump or swelling, unexplained paleness and loss of energy, easy bruising or bleeding, an ongoing pain in one area of the body, limping, unexplained fever or illness that doesn’t go away, frequent headache, often with vomiting, sudden eye or vision changes, sudden unexplained weight loss.

There are many types of cancer treatment. The types of treatment that a child with cancer receives will depend on the type of cancer and how advanced it is. Common treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and stem cell transplant.

Before any new treatment can be made widely available to patients, it must be studied in clinical trials (research studies) and found to be safe and effective in treating disease. Clinical trials for children and adolescents with cancer are generally designed to compare potentially better therapy with therapy that is currently accepted as standard. Most of the progress made in identifying curative therapies for childhood cancers has been achieved through clinical trials.

Children face unique issues during their treatment for cancer, after the completion of treatment, and as survivors of cancer. For example, they may receive more intense treatments, cancer and its treatments have different effects on growing bodies than adult bodies, and they may respond differently to drugs that control symptoms in adults.

The impact of molecular biology, human genetics, immunology and chemistry on pediatric haematology and oncology, has been extraordinary. It is now commonplace to anticipate that the entire genome of every child with cancer or a blood disorder will be determined going forward based on the expectation that a full genetic profile will lead to personalized and more effective treatment.

An overall approach is very crucial and involves all sub-specialities like paediatric oncologists/haematologists, paediatric surgical specialists, radiation oncologists, BMT specialists’ rehabilitation specialists, paediatric nurse specialists, social workers, nutritionists and psychologists.

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The team set out to understand how the spike proteins (which enables the coronavirus to penetrate human cells and cause Covid-19) of these different virus strains are interacting with the ACE2 receptors of human cells and how this interaction is affecting their transmission potential and severity of the disease

‘SARS-CoV’ can be considered a ‘sibling’ of the subfamily beta coronavirus ‘SARS-CoV-2.’ The ‘NL63’ belongs to sub-family alpha coronavirus can be considered as a ‘cousin’ of SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV is more severe than SARS-CoV-2 whereas NL63 shows milder symptoms than SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2.

The scientists set out to find the reason behind the mildness and severity of disease caused by these viruses. From the previous studies, it was realized that all three viruses gain entry to the human cell via ACE2 receptors which are present on human cells.

The research findings of this study have been published in the reputed peer-reviewed international journal Proteins: Structure, Function, Bioinformatics.

What did the IIT Madras research team find?

Using various computational tools, the team found that the interaction area between spike protein and ACE2, surrounding hydrophobicity and interaction energy play a key role in deciding the severity and transmission potential of coronaviruses.

The team also found that the distant cousin NL63 has unique ACE2 binding sites compared to SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2.

However, some of the binding site regions are conserved and any change in these regions is evolutionarily prohibited.

Further, they found that less interaction area, surrounding hydrophobicity and interaction energy for the interface residues are the main reasons for the mild severity of NL63 coronavirus.

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By Kamlesh D Patel (Daaji), Global Guide of Heartfulness Institute

One of the most important things we can do for our children is to help them cultivate two qualities
– observation and interest – which are inter-related. Taking interest often comes first; the more
interest you take, the more you will observe. But there is also a positive feedback loop, as the more
you observe the more interest you generate.
Here is a stepwise progression of simple activities to encourage children to take interest and
observe:
1. Be a role model: Children take interest when you are interested – especially small children.
They catch your interest and start to observe, and this indirect interest creates a destiny. When
they are older, it’s a different matter; they take interest based on their own inner voice.
2. Exercise their senses by asking them questions: From the age of two onwards, encourage
them to listen. Sit quietly with your little ones, and ask them to observe what is happening
around them: “Do you hear birds?” “How many birds do you hear?” “Close your eyes and listen
again: What else do you hear?” You can also ask, “What do you see around you?”
Help them develop a sense of direction. When I take my two-and-a-half-year-old
granddaughter for a walk, at every crossroads I ask her, “Should I go this way or that way?” She
chooses the correct direction every time. This keeps her mind very alert.
Sometimes I take her to the terrace and ask, “Is it morning or evening?” Initially I made two
lines: When the sun is on one side it is morning, and when the sun is on the other side it is
evening. Now, she doesn’t use the lines anymore. She is able to say, “The sun will rise on this
side,” and “The sun will set on this side.” Her sense of direction has developed from a very early
age.
When you visit friends, afterwards, ask your children questions like, “What did you see?” “From
which direction did we enter, from the east or the north?” “How many sofas did you see? What
colours were they?” “What was the colour of the wall and ceiling?” “What were the family
members wearing?” “What were their children talking about?” Take interest in the meaning of
conversations.
When you out walking, invite your little ones to smell the flowers along the way, without
plucking them. Let them experience the different fragrances of various flowers. Let them touch
the different leaves in the garden, as well as the fabrics in your home – curtains, towels, clothes
etc. Encourage them to feel, so that they learn to differentiate through their sense of touch.
This also helps in the development of their brain. Their senses will be refined.
3. Encourage creativity and originality: When children are really happy they often make up songs.
Ask them, “Tell me about this song. Why is it so funny? Is it funny, or are you funny?” Some
children like to draw, paint, or make things. Every child is different.

4. Inner observation to explore feelings, emotions and moods: Expose children at an early age to
their emotions and moods. Gradually, the patterns will emerge from inside – all the moods that
colour everyday life. Some emotions affect them to the extent of physically making them tired.
For example, when they cry, afterwards they may realize, “I feel very tired.” By asking them,
you are highlighting these moods.
Help them to focus on their inner state: “Are you feeling peaceful, calm, still, happy, joyful or
blissful?” This is a spectrum of feelings. Most adults don’t differentiate between happiness, joy
and bliss, but the difference helps us understand our inner evolution. And they are easily leant
through interest and observation. Children will learn that bliss is lighter, happiness is heavier,
and joy is somewhere in between. Similarly, when they are sad, help them to discover the
spectrum of sadness.
Mastering awareness of their feelings is the direction we want to go. When they are tired and
you ask, “Are you tired?”, they will answer “Yes.” They will know the feeling of tiredness and be
able to express it. When they are fresh and happy and you ask, “How does it feel to feel really
fresh?” it also registers with their inner trans-sensory faculties. Asking a specific question at the
right time hits the mark.
5. Observe breathing and energy patterns: With teenagers, ask them to observe their breathing
patterns: “Are you breathing fast or slow?” “What is the pattern of your breathing when you
are happy?” “And when you are angry?” “Which nostril is dominant at various times of the
day?” Don’t give answers; let them observe and note it in their journal. They can then study the
patterns.
Next, they can learn to observe whether they are radiating or absorbing energy at any given
moment, especially once they meditate. This is a subtler thing again.
6. Go deeper within, become aware of emptiness: When they have learnt to meditate, ask them,
“As you go deeper, observe the emptiness within you. How empty are you?” At this stage they
are transcending feelings.
In essence, let’s see how we can inspire them to take interest in various aspects of life. When they
take interest, they will observe, and through observation they will finally conclude.

The post Encouraging Interest and Observation in Children: A Set of Simple Activities appeared first on Higher Education Plus.

With Sporting Activities and Life-style being affected during the Lockdown period, following impact has been noticed:

Mental Health on being indoors:

• The prolonged lockdown restricted Physical Movement and Social Distancing. This made a big impact on billions with a sudden change in their daily routine all over the globe. With closed offices, educational institutions and social outlets remaining closed the impact was on human beings. This resulted in metabolic changes and inconsistence body parameters.
• With supports staff like domestic helps – cooks and maids, maintenance staff, gardeners, guards at premises and all helps with vendors in the market sitting at home, jobless, had experienced a frustrating period due to lack of money to meet their daily needs. This impacted them psychologically.
• Hospitals and Health Service Providers were busy attending on Corona infected populations and there was a fear in society regarding sick and elderly population that needed medical attention constantly. This was again a cause of concern to people.
• The anticipatory stress affected mental health and quality of lifestyle leading to disruption of routine eating, digestion and sleep disorders. Many families also experienced undesired conflicts as well.

Impact on Educational System:

School Administration, Sports Academies, State Governments and other authorities could not help during the lockdown period owing to advisories from the Government. Wish there was some space available for the students who desired more physically active days.

Within the scenario and anticipating such situations in future, suitable curricula may be determined at the institution level and align with District/State/National policies on development of sports with following guidelines:

• Curriculum models can cover instruction, fitness education and sport education.
• The approach must be shifted from inner attitude to a focus on the function and application of each movement.
• The intent of movement education must be based on movement concepts in three domains of learning i.e., cognitive, psychomotor and affective.
• The standards may be set for children to know basic movement concepts and be able to perform basic patterns.
• It is essential to have knowledge on motor body movements to provide a basic skill of specifics sports that build movement in students and allow them to engage in various forms of games, sports and other physical activities.
• To educate students to be players in the fullest sense and help development into their being competent, literate and enthusiastic sportspersons.
• To evolve as a pattern for children to play multiple roles as a player, captain/leader, coach, referee and a statistician.
• Children must be taught the science behind the need to be physically active in their lives around the health-related components of cardio respiratory fitness, muscular strengthening, flexibility, agility, endurance and how to control excess calories with activities and in their diet.
• Regular seminars and talks may be held with experts, professionals and celebrities in their respective sports.
• Theory and Practical may be introduced under Home Science for minimum education to come good in situations of medical attention covering paramedical training.

How sports are also mandatory in education and can be a profession:

Initial advantages of Sports:

• Sports are a very important part of our life. It is in fact the most technical part in giving us our identity.
• With initial interest in sports, a person gains in Shaping and toning body muscles and keeping strong bones.
• Staying active physically with better reflexes and being swift. It also reduces chances of being obese thereby avoiding undesired ailments.
• Reducing levels of stress and anxiety and adding mental toughness.

Progress with active Sports

Once these basic thoughts are engraved in mind, following results start flowing in: 

• Being disciplined.
• Developing value system.
• Sense of friendliness.
• Feeling of togetherness thereby developing team spirit and mutual cooperation.
• Developing leadership quality.
• Achieving higher self esteem and better output in every situation.

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According to the formula, 70 percent locals from the region for the medical colleges and 30 percent for the rest of the state.

Medical Education Minister Amit Deshmukh made the announcement at the state assembly that the admissions will now be based on the results of the students who have appeared for the NEET Examination. He added that instead of the 70:30 quira the admissions will be under ‘One Maharashtra, One Merit’.

Students and parents in the state have since long been demanding that the 70:30 formula must be scrapped for the admissions to the medical colleges. As per this formula, 70 percent of seats are reserved in the medical colleges for the students in their district.

The number of medical colleges in the Marathwada and Vidarbha region is less compared to the other areas in the state because of which the students from these regions have suffered during the admissions to the medical colleges.

The National Testing Agency after postponing the NEET Examinations have now finally decided to conduct the exams on September 13, 2020.

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How pandemic has affected the minds of adolescents?

The pandemic has impacted all of us badly in every way. While we adults can still try to balance it out, it’s painful for kids to adjust to the new normal. No outdoor activities and long study hours on laptop and desktop has added to the stress of life that is difficult to manage for them. It is resulting in anxiety and irritation in school going kids. It is important for parents to devote time, play with them and make them indulge in healthy and good food to keep them at ease.

How stress and anxiety affect your child’s performance?

Anxiety and stress is nothing new for kids, the society keeps on adding that pressure during exam days and it often results in bad result and roots negativity them. It not only demoralizes their confidence but also leads to other mental health problems that can have a detrimental impact on child’s long-term development, especially because their brains are still developing.

Stress affects biological processes, taking its toll on the brain and body. It also affects the fight-or-flight response and causes a shift in hormones — including the release of cortisol and adrenaline — which elevates blood pressure and heart rate at an early age and further spikes with age.

How to tackle the stress of exam postponement in the period of corona?

There is a lot of chaos regarding internal exams in school and colleges and in this time kids need to be in no panic mode. In this parents and teachers can play a key role. They should be motivated to use the time positively and work on their weak points and sharpen skills in the subjects, where they doubt. For this, parents and teachers can add fun element to the subject to develop interest in kids using means of technology and re-structure the study strategy. Also, a daily routine should be followed to utilize time and kids should be promoted to stay away from negative thoughts and should take proper rest and sleep.

What parents can do to help their children to remain stress-free?

From rewarding them with treats and motivation to spending time with them, it’s all upto parents and how they want to nurture their kids. It’s a tough time and the best friend for any kid is his/her parents. They are set a routine for them, talk and play with them. Apart from this cooking and baking are two therapeutic means that parents can use along with pottery and gardening to indulge kids in skillful mental development and keep them away from negativity. In this they can seek help of teachers to understand the need and plan accordingly.

How to utilize the current period at its best?

In this time when schools are closed and no outdoor activities are happening, it’s important for parents to play a key role and help them make the most the time in most innovative way. They can be motivated to engage in indoor extra-curricular activities like painting, sketching, gardening, pottery and more. Also, as a parent you can help them develop interest in a specific activity and boost them to pursue and nurture the skills during unlock duration. Also, encourage less use of desktop and cell phone during leisure time.

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National Test Agency (NTA) has postponed the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). Many students are going to give NEET exam and they are very stressed and worried right now. Due to this Coronavirus outbreak, there are no school or coaching centers that are open in this lockdown, and the only option students are left with is online classes for NEET preparation.

Many teachers are taking online classes to make sure that students complete their courses and prepare well for exams. But many aspirants feel anxious and stressed while preparing for the most important exam of their life. A little nervousness is good for the exam as it pushes you to work hard in exams but if you’re feeling stress excessively that has consequences on your performance is problematic.

In dealing with this stress students often keep themselves awake the whole night and that affects their efficiency. All the students are having exam anxiety due to uncertainty about exam date, no access to coachings, performance pressure, parental expectation and much more.

The anxiety that occurs before any exam is exam anxiety but being this anxious and worried about the exam is worth it or not? Experts say that stress about the exam is okay but students need to understand that this lockdown is the best they can use for their own good. This time is the best they can start preparing from scratch for their exam. It’s the best way to revise your course thoroughly.

What is exam anxiety?

Students often experience a kind of fear or panic during or before an exam, this anxiety of exam or assessment is known as exam fear or anxiety. The students feel pressure on them about their performance in the exam. It’s a psychological condition in which students feel extremely stressed and anxious during exams and that affects their performance.

A little bit of nervousness is helpful in keeping you alert during exams and make you feel concentrated during exams and it’s even worth being worried for some time. With a certain level of this stress in the exam, you can handle a challenge and tricky question without worrying about the failure. But excessive fear and stress can make it worst and difficult for you to concentrate during exams. You can even go blank while writing your paper and you can do wrong in those questions that were very much easy for you. This inability in answering the easy question can make you feel more uncomfortable and stressed during the examination and that makes it very difficult for you to concentrate on the exam.

Some tips on how to prevent this exam anxiety

1. Be prepared:

Just be 100% sure that you are prepared for your exam well. If you have any doubts about your preparation then don’t think of doing it later. There shouldn’t be regrets of procrastination later. After completing the course revise your course, again and again, to be more confident about it.

2. Follow a time table: 

At this time, being on a time table is very much important. Your daily routine with proper timings should be prepared. Get yourself enough sleep and give enough healthy diet. This will help you to concentrate more efficiently and will sharpen your memory before the exam. 

3. Stay away from distractions: 

The big distraction is the cell phone and social media, it’s better to limit your time or get rid of these social media sites during these exam times. Just delete all the apps that are time-wasting and keep your concentration only on your studies right now. Also, find yourself a place in your house where you can study without any disturbance and distractions. 

4. Do not have any negative thoughts: 

Before giving the exam and also after post-examination there shouldn’t be any kind of negative thoughts in your mind. Thoughts like “I’m not prepared” or “I’m not good enough” are self-doubting thoughts that come in our mind while we are preparing for the exam. Just push these thoughts away and stop doubting your worth. Keep positive thoughts in your mind like “I can do this” or “I’m prepared well” this can take you far in helping to manage stress and anxiety.

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When you aspire for something, you work very hard to achieve that goal and no one can understand this better than 12 standard students who want to achieve big in their lives. Every year there are numerous government colleges and universities that conduct entrance exams for students and open doors for their dream college. National Eligibility cum Entrance Test NEET is one such entrance examination that enables the person to pursue a career in the profession of Medical Science. Amid Coronavirus, today the Healthcare sector is on the boom. There is rapid development in this sector of our country. It’s becoming a hub of jobs and opportunities.

The NEET 2020 Examination has seen many ups and downs regarding the Examination dates. As the NEET Examination dates for admission into Medical and Dental courses was going to be held on 26th July 2020. But, recently after the complaints from parents, HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank announced the date for NEET Examination for which students have been waiting for. After this decision, there’s a sense of reassurance in students who were worried about their future. After this announcement, students have begun their preparation for the final day. This year is difficult for every student.

NEET 2020 – What’s new, what’s old?

1. What’s New – There are many courses in the medical fields. Earlier there were many exams for these different courses. But now MBBS Course in AIIMS and JIPMER will be through the National Eligibility cum Entrance Exam 2020. These national-level Institutions will no longer conduct any Undergraduate Entrance Examinations from the year 2020 onwards for AIIMS, JIPMER, PGIMER. NEET will be the only entrance exam that will be applicable for UG Medical Courses and MBBS.

2. What’s not new – There are no changes in the question paper of NEET 2020 as there are a total of 180 objective type questions of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology which includes 45 questions each in physics and chemistry and 90 questions in biology. The duration of the examination will be the same as 3 hours. Along with this, the Marking scheme will remain the same as plus 4 for every correct answer and 1 for each wrong answered question. There will be no negative marking for an unattempted question.

3. What to study – Aiming for a career that is very crucial and hardworking is Medical. The study preparation for this entrance exam needs proficiency. Making a smart and pragmatic study schedule is a must for aspirants. NEET 2020 Examination includes the whole NCERT syllabus of 11th and 12th class. The main books that are important for NEET Preparation are NCERT books and some reference books of good authors and mathematicians. There are certain points one should keep in mind while selecting the books for NEET preparation. The material should be to the point and it should not have any long explanations. Also the edition of the books should be latest with unsolved papers.

What courses students can pursue after cracking NEET?

After cracking NEET Examination there’s always a question in a student’s mind that what courses should they opt after NEET 2020? It’s always a mysterious thing for aspirants and their parents. Every year more than 15 lakhs of students register for NEET Examination all over India. The examination opens with 63,800 total seats for candidates out of which of those 76,928 seats are for MBBS and 26,949 seats for Dental and 52,720 AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) seats. MBBS, BDS, BDMS, BPT, BAMS, B.Sc, B.Pharma are some common courses that aspirants can do according to their choice and their scores. Many students get into the PCB stream as they have a keen interest in biology after finishing their 10th class studies. With Medicine as a sideline option, students can also go and explore some interesting but different streams. There’s a lot of fascinating courses in Biology and Life Science Fields like Botany, Zoology, Micro Biology and Biochemistry

1. Botany and Zoology

Botany is all about Plants and all the smallest to biggest living organisms. These plants include algae, fungi, lichens, mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants. Scientists in their study believe that the bacteria like algae and fungi are in their distinct habitat, but most Botany Departments at colleges and universities still teach about these groups. This field is very broad as there are different opportunities available for them. Plants have intrigued people for thousands of years and they provide all resources to humankind that needs to be preserved. Many colleges and universities have specialized courses in Botany that can open doors for students to become Plant biology specialties, applied science specialists and organismal specialists. Just like Botany, Zoology is the study of animals and their biological processes. Zoology as a subject is available in all medical colleges and universities for Graduation and Post- Graduation. There are specialization courses like Biomedical Science, General Zoology, Animal Behavior, Neurobiology and Marine biology.

2. Microbiology

Another different field other than medicine is Micro Biology. Micro Biology is the study of living organisms such as bacteria and viruses that are too small to be visible from your eyesight. Many Microbiologists study these microbes and discover some important underpinned research about micro-organisms in the world. With a new appreciation of the role of microbes in the modern world, microbiologists now work in a variety of contexts like food production, environmental science, medicine and basic research. They also work in hospitals, universities, non-profit and government organizations, and have many different job titles from Bio safety Officer to Professor. Now all the colleges and universities have Micro Biology as a career option.

3.Bio Chemistry

Another exploring career option is Biochemistry which is the branch of science that explores the chemical processes within and related to living organisms. It focuses on processes happening at the molecular level. It also focuses on what’s happening in the cells of the human body. Biochemists work in hospitals, universities, Agriculture, Forensic Crime Research, Drug discovery and development. It’s a fast-paced and interactive career with global career opportunities for students. There are programs like Undergraduate, postgraduate and Ph.D. in Bio Chemistry which are now available in all government and private colleges of India.

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2. Q) How to take care of liver cirrhosis patients at the time of COVID?
Ans. We get a lot of questions from our patients who are suffering from liver cirrhosis about how to take care of themselves during this Corona virus pandemic. Now, what I would like to say that the three rules of wearing a mask, your hand hygiene practices and physical distancing or social distancing have to be followed very diligently. wearing a mask means whenever you step out of the house, or whenever you are interacting with people who are not living with you in the same house, you have to make sure that both You as well as the person whom you’re interacting with are wearing a mask and wearing it properly, which is covering both the mouth and the nose. That is an important thing interact with as much as at least a distance of four to six feet between the between you and the person whom you are interacting and frequent hand washing with soap and water and using hand sanitizers whenever you touch any surface which is outside your house. So, these are very important things which are going to prevent you from catching a Corona virus infection.
However, there are a lot of other questions which are related to your care your medical care, which is related to liver cirrhosis. So whether you should be going to the hospital or not. You should be going to the hospital if it is necessary. However, nowadays online consultations have become a very well established way of doctor patient interaction. So speak to your doctor and make sure that you really need to come to the hospital for your medical care for your routine consultation, please take an online appointment and consult your doctor. The medicines can be altered based on your symptoms that you tell him. And by review, reviewing the labs, again, for labs, you really don’t need to go to the hospital, the lab technicians can come to your house and collect the samples and then they can send the reports to you either digitally or by courier. So avoid going to the hospital as much as possible. However, if you really need to go to the hospital, you should go try to go with as much as possible with prior appointment. So be in touch with your doctor or with the coordinators and make sure your doctor is well aware that you are coming to the hospital. There would be some emergencies and sometimes, unfortunately, life threatening once again, while you’re on the way to the hospital, make an effort to contact your doctor or the transplant coordinators and make them aware that you are on to the on the way to the hospital for the emergency, these are small things, which are going to go a long way in organizing your medical care making sure that you are being taken care of in a manner which is not haphazard or random. And this way it will minimize you getting exposed to the risk of catching Corona virus. Again, another question that is asked to us very often that do the need to undergo a transplant it during this time. So what we have to understand that liver transplants are done for life threatening situations. So liver transplant actually is a life saving operation and it cannot be indefinitely postponed. This Corona virus epidemic is here, the epidemic proportions of the disease might subside, but the disease will be here for a few weeks to few months, maybe even longer. So we cannot really postpone your healthcare indefinitely.
However, there will be some cases in which transplants can be postponed for a few weeks to few months. Be in touch with your transplant physician or your transplant surgeon and make sure that you fully understand your health status and whether you can wait or not. If they advise you to undergo a transplant. I think you should definitely go ahead and get the transplant done. Majority of the transplant hospitals they have got good protocols in place to ensure that the transplants happen in the safest possible manner. There are COVID testing’s which is done the ICMR has recognized liver transplant as one of the essential operations which has to be done even during this time and that is why the testing of transplant recipients and donors is one of the approved indications of doing a Corona virus testing during this epidemic pandemic times. So, if your doctor advises you to undergo a transplant, yes, you should undergo a transplant and you should do it with this full confidence that your team is there. The team of doctors and coordinators are there to ensure that the transplants happen in the safest possible manner, even in the times of this epidemic.
Now, there is a separate video which you can refer to as to what care that has to be taken for transplant patients after they have undergone a transcript. So, dear friends, we have to be safe. We also have to understand that there are diseases which are there, apart from this COVID. And those diseases can have significant bearing on our health, if not taken care of at the appropriate time and in the appropriate manner. So with these things in mind, stay in touch with your doctor, stay in touch with your transplant coordinators, and make sure that your healthcare is being organized in the most effective and the safest possible manner. For any queries or consultations. You can reach out to me at Apollo 247.com or you can contact us on our liver helpline which is 9704688300.

Dr. Manish C. Varma
MS (AIIMS), DNB
Professor & Head
Liver Transplant & HPB Surgery
Apollo Hospital, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.
Contact Number : 9704688300

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