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Re-visiting the basic info to keep the virus at bay
Dr. Eranga Narangoda
As signs emerge of the Delta variant gradually taking hold in Sri Lanka, the Sunday Times spoke to Consultant Physician Dr. Eranga Narangoda attached to the Homagama COVID-19 Treatment Hospital to remind the public about what they need to do.
The symptoms brought on by the Delta variant are almost the same as the wild virus and other variants of SARS-CoV 2, said Dr. Narangoda who has treated these patients since the beginning of the pandemic in Sri Lanka.
The symptoms are:
Fever
Body aches
Commonly headaches
Loss of appetite
Loss of taste and smell
A mild symptom could be tiredness
Breathing difficulties do not seem to be very common in the early stages
He warns that the danger comes from the Delta variant spreading more rapidly, causing illness among a large number and also more severe disease. This would impact on the resources of the country, especially healthcare institutions.
The Delta variant is 50% more transmissible (can be passed from one person to another) than the Alpha variant and 100% more transmissible than the wild virus. Delta causes 50% more severe disease than Alpha.
If one person in a family gets infected with Delta, the chances seem to be higher for all the family members to be affected, says Dr. Narangoda, strongly urging people not to let down their guard but strictly adhere to preventive measures.
These measures are:
Wearing face masks at all times when out of one’s home
Washing or sanitizing hands frequently when out of one’s home
Maintaining a minimum distance of 2 metres from others when outside the home
Avoiding enclosed spaces scrupulously
Avoiding crowded places at any cost
Not touching the face – eyes, nose and mouth – as this is the pathway that the virus can take to infect a person. Touching an infected surface and touching the face
Looking at the possibility of healthcare institutions getting burdened, if like the third wave caused by the Alpha variant, a fourth wave is caused by Delta, Dr. Narangoda says that once again the hospitals would get filled to capacity and begin bursting at the seams; the healthcare staff would be under severe strain; and there could be more patient deaths.
Referring to the processes, he said that people should get themselves tested if they have symptoms or feel ill. If they test positive, the institutions at which they undergo testing would not only inform them but also the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) of the area in which they live. Such institutions would also inform the doctor if the person has been referred for testing by him/her.
Thereafter, the Public Health Inspector (PHI) will visit the positive person’s home and evaluate the situation. If the person is asymptomatic (without symptoms) or mildly symptomatic and is not in a high-risk category, he/she would be sent to an intermediate care centre (ICC). If symptomatic or in a high-risk category, the positive person would be sent to hospital.
In some areas, home-based care has been initiated, after evaluation by the PHI, for asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic people who are not in a high-risk category.
Among those who fall under the ‘high-risk category’ are the very young, elderly, pregnant, those with co-morbidities and those who are immune-compromised like kidney or cancer patients.
| Infective period, hospital stay and treatment The Sunday Times asked Dr. Eranga Narangoda about different concerns brought up by our readers with regard to COVID-19. When is a COVID-19 positive person infective? Usually a person who has contracted the virus, will be infective about two days (48 hours) before symptoms (such as fever, cough) appear and for 14 days from the onset of symptoms. Hospital/ICC stay If a person is asymptomatic, he/she would be discharged from hospital/ICC on Day 10, if chest X-rays and oxygen saturation are normal. If mildly symptomatic (loss of appetite, loss of taste & smell and feeling of tiredness), he/she would be discharged on Day 14, once again if chest X-rays and oxygen saturation are normal. If symptomatic or the person develops COVID pneumonia, then he/she would be discharged only after oxygen saturation is normal for a few days. What is the treatment? If a positive person develops COVID pneumonia and is oxygen dependent, the treatment is steroids, antibiotics and blood thinners, says Dr. Narangoda. He said that if, however, the patient is just symptomatic without oxygen dependency and pneumonia, then they give medications for the symptoms. Eg. Paracetamol for fever. Think of your family and don’t get COVID Think about your family and take all the precautions even if you are fully vaccinated, stresses Dr. Eranga Narangoda. He points out that even if fully vaccinated, a person can still get COVID-19. It is unlikely to be severe disease, but you can get the disease and give it to others.
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| Don’t take Vitamin D without doctor’s adviceDo not take high doses of Vitamin D as a precaution against COVID-19, says Dr. Eranga Narangoda, as there could be adverse repercussions. “Some take 5,000 international units of Vitamin D per day, hoping to keep COVID-19 at bay. Remember that unlike Vitamin C, Vitamin D is only fat-soluble and doesn’t get excreted with urine. As such, excess Vitamin D can get accumulated in your body,” he says, stressing that Vitamin D should only be taken under the advice of a doctor.He adds that if Vitamin D accumulates in a person’s body, it may lead to kidney or bone issues. |