[amitkuch]

My vaccination experience:

I am living in a semi-rural area, and the house where I live is surrounded by a mango orchard from 2 sides and has only one house within 100m. Before 2016, I used to live in Noida and thus Sometimes I got frustrated and wish to live in a city atleast if not in a metro. But now all that feeling has gone and I feel better that I am living in a peaceful place. We have a community health center within 1 km which has got some of the best facilities according to a rural area. It was used as 30 bed L1 hospital till Jan 2021 and first covid death was recorded at least after 3-4 months after March 2020. There was no patient left in Jan 2021 so the hospital returned to normal functions.

It is now being used as L2 hospital.

Fast forward to 1st May and I registered on cowin portal for vaccination but it was showing only 45+ vaccinations. Later it was announced that UP will have 18+ vaccination in 7 districts first and Saharanpur was not in the list. It was included in second list of 11 districts.

On 9th may morning the portal was showing slots for 18+ and I chose the morning slot (10am), but it was in another PHC which was 12 Kms from my home. Nearby L2 hospital is reserved only for covid patients. Today's newspaper was saying that vaccination will start from 9 am. I reached the venue at 9am with double mask and a helmet which I wore after getting out of my car and removed after I entered my car again to go home.

It was peaceful place with only 10-15 people up for vaccination. 45+ and 18+ were in separate buildings. This helps in reducing crowd at one place. Irrespective of registration all has to check their name in the list, which was given to staff there. Luckily I had my name in the list. They were not vaccinating people who don't have their names in that list. Secondly, the person having ID of another state was not allowed, only UP residents will get the jab. They start vaccination at 10am, and I was 3rd in the line. It was a time taking exercise, because the staff has to find the name in the list, and then making a card with manual entries. I was given a paracetamol and asked to sit for 15-20 minute in case if there is any emergency after taking the vaccination. I came out at 10:30 and there was huge crowd on the main entrance with people searching their names in the list. It reminded me of my college days when we used to see our results at university notice boards. A light fever was felt at 3pm and still here at 7pm.

Few suggestions if you are going to take vaccination at a govt hospital:

1- Book the morning slot and reach at venue by 9am Or 9:30 latest. Early entrance will save you from coming in contact of a crowd, even for the formalities.

2- please wear double mask and use a helmet as the virus is getting highly contagious. Don't leave any chance for virus to enter in your nasal tract.

3- Take your ID and a slip with your mobile number written on it as you don't need to speak even to the staff.

4- don't forget to take your vaccination card.

5- come home and follow all protocols like removing the cloths and soaking them in washing powder and take a thorough bath. Sanitise each and everything like mobile, keys and even your wallet.

Thanks

[AZT]

Originally Posted by NiInJa

Based on experiences from all covid positive friends and relatives, I can say is that this Maharashtra variant appears more potent as fever easily lasts up to 7-10 days..

Thank you for sharing your experience. Building up on above, I work with colleagues all over the country and this is everywhere. Another observation is the prevalence of "Long Covid" which we used to read about from cases abroad.

Long Covid is a term to describe the effects of Covid-19 that continue for weeks or months beyond the initial illness. The health watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) defines long Covid as lasting for more than 12 weeks, although some people consider symptoms that last more than eight weeks to be long Covid.

Researchers analysed data on people who reported their symptoms of long Covid on the COVID Symptom Study app and identified two main groups of symptoms. One is mainly respiratory, such as a cough and feeling breathless, but also includes fatigue and headaches. The second group of symptoms affects many parts of the body, including the heart, brain and the gut. In the study of 4,182 people, heart symptoms were commonly reported, such as palpitations or increased heartbeat, as well as pins and needles, numbness and ‘brain fog’.

https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsu...lth/long-covid

[rjainv]

https://in.yahoo.com/news/immediate-...105900450.html


Any comments from doctors here?

[jkrkrish]

I had taken two doses of Covidshield vaccination, 1st dose on 11th March & 2nd dose on 20th April. Last week 3 &4 th May, I had few instances of dry cough, and went for RTPCR test on 5th May (Sakta hospital). It showed positive, with CT (!!) values for the two genes around 30.5.

I have quarantined myself at my home, taking all the standard medicines suggested by doctor. I seem to be perfectly normal, except for few instances of light dry cough, which may happen 5 or 6 time in 24 hrs (this used to happen to me during normal non- Covid era too). My Oxygen saturation is 97percent most of the time, and after 6 minute walk it reaches 99 percent. No fever/ head- ache. I am struck inside my room for another 10 days.

Was the RTPCR wrong?. Or the two doses vaccination has made the symptoms very mild?

[proton]

Originally Posted by NevGin

In need of urgent help for my colleague.
...
Any help or suggestion would be highly appreciated. His condition is critical as we speak.

I may be wrong, but a recent newspaper article states that there is no shortage of ECMO facilities, but rather of trained operators.

The expert who handled the pandemic in Spain whom I often quote has been given charge of the Indoor Stadium pop up hospital by the Chief Minister, Mamta Banerjee, and is leading a team of Europe experienced doctors there. He has extensive experience in ECMO. Details at the website I often quote.

You can reference my handle at that website, Tron, if you get in touch. Or message him there.

[NevGin]

Originally Posted by proton

I may be wrong, but a recent newspaper article states that there is no shortage of ECMO facilities, but rather of trained operators.

The expert who handled the pandemic in Spain whom I often quote has been given charge of the Indoor Stadium pop up hospital by the Chief Minister, Mamta Banerjee, and is leading a team of Europe experienced doctors there. He has extensive experience in ECMO. Details at the website I often quote.

You can reference my handle at that website, Tron, if you get in touch. Or message him there.

Thank you. Can you please let me know what website that is. We've been trying to get information from Ruby on his condition and there is practically none coming at all. I understand that the system is also very burdened but its pretty much out of hand at the moment.

[drrajasaravanan]

Originally Posted by rjainv

https://in.yahoo.com/news/immediate-...105900450.html
Any comments from doctors here?

Hi,
Short of quoting lengthy articles there are studies and recommendations from NHS, CDC, NIH and WHO cautioning against indiscriminate use of this drug in COVID. Reason the in vitro studies don't work in vivo. There are no large scale properly conducted RCT to support. The largest study which will answer this question is currently underway and probably we will have the answer in due time. Till then I am not going to blanket use this drug for all and none in my team do.

Originally Posted by jkrkrish

Was the RTPCR wrong?. Or the two doses vaccination has made the symptoms very mild?

Hi,
Vaccination decreases the impact of the disease and chances to develop severe form of COVID illness is low, it does not guarantee immunity. In all likelihood you will finish your self isolation without any issues.

Originally Posted by proton

I may be wrong, but a recent newspaper article states that there is no shortage of ECMO facilities, but rather of trained operators.

Hi,
I beg to disagree on your point. We don't have shortage of personnel but have shortage of equipment and setup to run ECMO. Plus there are two many Gray zones in timing to initiate, duration, cost and impact on outcome. The prognosis of patients leading to ECMO due to COVID is not encouraging. In The largest centre doing ECMO in my city barely have good outcomes and all the patients entering ECMO are registered to have a definite guideline in future.

[proton]

Originally Posted by NevGin

Thank you. Can you please let me know what website that is. We've been trying to get information from Ruby on his condition and there is practically none coming at all. I understand that the system is also very burdened but its pretty much out of hand at the moment.

Please check your messages.

[Zen2001]

Originally Posted by jkrkrish

Was the RTPCR wrong?. Or the two doses vaccination has made the symptoms very mild?

It could be that the infection itself is a mild one, or that it was rendered so by the first dose of vaccine or even your own innate immunity (effect of the 2nd won't be seen in less than 2 weeks) - difficult to prove which one and really doesn't matter as long as the outcome is favorable, which it will be.

Originally Posted by rjainv

https://in.yahoo.com/news/immediate-...105900450.html
Any comments from doctors here?

Clickbait headlines! Enough has been said about the lack of data regarding the in vivo (not lab studies) efficacy, as most of these studies purporting to "Ivermectin will end the pandemic" appear to be biased on selection and are not corroborated by reproducible results in multicentric trials. Almost all of these are an individual's observational perspectives. Everyday, some miracle drug seems to pop up claiming to be the "end to Covid19" , simply based on such unidimensional "trials" or simply observational data - whether HCQ, Azithromycin, Doxycycline, Ivermectin, Favipiravir, Remdesivir, Tocilizumab, Nitric Oxide, 2-DG and I'm sure many more to come.

[proton]

Originally Posted by drrajasaravanan

.

Hi,
I beg to disagree on your point. We don't have shortage of personnel but have shortage of equipment and setup to run ECMO. Plus there are two many Gray zones in timing to initiate, duration, cost and impact on outcome. The prognosis of patients leading to ECMO due to COVID is not encouraging. In The largest centre doing ECMO in my city barely have good outcomes and all the patients entering ECMO are registered to have a definite guideline in future.

Good to know there is no lack of trained personnel. Perhaps that article I read was wrong. And yes, I have also read ECMO is last resort and with no guaranteed results.

[ABHI_1512]

Been going through many posts on this thread and thought of sharing my second experience of getting infected again with coronavirus. The first experience is also documented on this thread and while that experience went off without any difficulty, this second time experience is anything but easy.

I am merely sharing my experience here and I am of the firm view that each person infected with coronavirus should be treated according to the treatment protocol suggested by the doctors and there is no uniform rule.

One fine morning during the last week of April, I suddenly woke up with high fever. As is the norm for the past year or so, I started to take Paracetamol 650 after talk with my doctor and who is also a senior from school. Temperature hovered around 102-103 for few days and sure enough, I was asked to take Azithromycin 500 and take the RTPCR test as well. Now, the testing scenario in Calcutta was already bursting at the seams and it took me two days to get a guy for home collection of swab.

The lab already mentioned that it will take two- three days for the results. I was okay with it for the time being but for the deteriorating health of mine. The fever was not subsiding and I started having little difficulty in breathing. My doctor told me to get a oxymeter immediately and that if need arises, get a CT thorax done.

The night went by with some difficulty and I was immediately suggested some blood marker tests in the morning. D Dimer, Ferritin, CRP, IL-6 were immediately done and results awaited for the evening. This was done since the RTPCR reports were taking long and my saturation levels were down to 75-80. I was advised Proning to improve the oxygen saturation levels and it did help markedly. After repeated proning exercise, my saturation level improved to around 85-90 and stayed there for quite some time.

Meanwhile, the blood reports came in the evening and all the tests showed elevated levels with CRP and D Dimmer being notoriously high. CT Thorax was done during late night and the radiologist showed medium and small patches of infection around my lungs. The report was awaited since it was late night but my doctor nevertheless put me on medication immediately.

I was prescribed blood thinning injections for immediate use and the later medication after the report of CT Thorax in the morning. The report showed my CT score on 17 and as such I was also put on steroids. Saturation level started improving after repeated proning and spirometry exercises but didn’t improve beyond 90. RTPCR came out positive after two days with score of around 23 but as my doctor said, those figures were not much of an issue anyways.

The blood marker tests were repeated after three days and this time the figures came down to half. I took injections for around 10 days and steroids continue with reduced power of 2mg as I write this and which started at 8mg for me. Apart form that, D3 vitamin, Zinc and Apixaban tablets continue with Ivermectin and Doxycycline course over.

Now that I am out of isolation, weakness is what I need to take care off. Lost around 10 kgs in this short span of illness and all my focus is now on recovering to fitness which according to doctors will take some time. Saturation levels have vastly improved and is now static at around 95-97. The spirometry exercises are great in improving the saturation levels and I got to see that first hand. This second round of infection drained me completely but I am thankful to my doctor that I didn’t have to go to the already bursting at seams hospitals. Keeping a positive outlook helped although I have lost very close ones due to no fault of theirs and that will remain a scar for the rest of my life. For someone to die waiting for oxygen is just unpardonable.

A whole country is left at the mercy to fend for themselves and the deaths will remain a blot on our country for the longest time to come. I only hope that people don’t panic unnecessarily and would request folks to not pay heed to numerous whatsapp forwards regarding the virus. Just pay attention to the doctors and let them do their work is what is needed.

Stay safe and stay well friends,
Regards.

[Zen2001]

Originally Posted by Zen2001

It could be that the infection itself is a mild one, or that it was rendered so by the first dose of vaccine or even your own innate immunity (effect of the 2nd won't be seen in less than 2 weeks) - difficult to prove which one and really doesn't matter as long as the outcome is favorable, which it will be.



Clickbait headlines! Enough has been said about the lack of data regarding the in vivo (not lab studies) efficacy, as most of these studies purporting to "Ivermectin will end the pandemic" appear to be biased on selection and are not corroborated by reproducible results in multicentric trials. Almost all of these are an individual's observational perspectives. Everyday, some miracle drug seems to pop up claiming to be the "end to Covid19" , simply based on such unidimensional "trials" or simply observational data - whether HCQ, Azithromycin, Doxycycline, Ivermectin, Favipiravir, Remdesivir, Tocilizumab, Nitric Oxide, 2-DG and I'm sure many more to come.

Originally Posted by PatienceWins

I saw a watsapp video by a doctor that Covid cannot survive in our body for more than 4 days if we deprive it of glucose by following a Carb/ sugar free diet. The recommendation was to eat protein rich diet along with salads. Any comments? Thanks

I have a better idea - why not fast completely ? - maybe the virus will clear out in 2 days! How outrageous! Viruses use the host celluar machinery and their own rdrp enzyme to create copies of themselves - they don't care a damn about sugar or salads. Just eat a good healthy balanced diet without going over the top in any way - that's my 2¢ of common sense.

Mods: Please merge this with my previous reply - tried but couldn't do it myself.

[drrajasaravanan]

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

This was done since the RTPCR reports were taking long and my saturation levels were down to 75-80. I was advised Proning to improve the oxygen saturation levels and it did help markedly. After repeated proning exercise, my saturation level improved to around 85-90 and stayed there for quite some time.
Stay safe and stay well friends,
Regards.

Hi,
Glad you recovered though with struggle and thank you sharing.The 2nd infection is expected to run an milder course but that's not the rule which is apparent in your case. I have seen fair amount of younger people who wait till the last minute after severe damage may not improve with medical support.
I request fellow bhpians to please respect the threshold and when it exceeds it get appropriate medical care. Any oxygen levels of below 93 at home or drop in more than 4% with 6minute walk test or not able to complete 6 minute walk test please get medical attention. Intervention at appropriate time Will have greater chance of turning this around.

[balenoed_]

Need a quick advise please,

Yesterday I was exposed to a Covid environment when I had to play an attender role for one of our Covid+ colleague in a hospital. Did not wander around as such and also had all possible safety nets: double masks, goggles, hand sanitization etc.. There was only one instance where I came close to him to cautiously ask a phone number from him. The thing is, tomorrow I have a scheduled first dose vaccination appointment and now wondering if I should go for it or wait for a while? Any advice please.

And any advice on any advance medication (vitamin tablets, for eg) for Covid "exposed" people.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Need a quick advise please,

Yesterday I was exposed to a Covid environment when I had to play an attender role for one of our Covid+ colleague in a hospital. Did not wander around as such and also had all possible safety nets: double masks, goggles, hand sanitization etc.. There was only one instance where I came close to him to cautiously ask a phone number from him. The thing is, tomorrow I have a scheduled first dose vaccination appointment and now wondering if I should go for it or wait for a while? Any advice please.

Now imagine the doctors and nurse who do this every day, especially at Covid Care centers and hospitals including few of our own doctors on this thread itself.

You have taken all the necessary precautions to ensure your safety. I also hope that you sanitized your hands soon after this and upon reaching home, sanitized your keys, wallet or anything else that you brought home. Post sanitizing your hands and objects, the first thing you did was to put those clothes you wore for a wash and then had a proper bath? - This is what I did today soon after I reached home after getting my parents' second jab even though I never sat anywhere but the nurse took my phone to check the Aadhaar and first vaccination details. I mean, this the best I could do after double masking myself and wearing a protective face shield too. This is what my parents also did, but without the face shield but proper masking.

I believe this the best all of us can do and remain hopeful that we may have not got infected due to the exposure.

BTW, good luck with your vaccination. My parents' appointment at Devanahalli PHC was cancelled and I got the message but today due to a helpful lead by a neighbor, I managed to get their second jab 5 minutes away from home. Will share the details on the vaccination experiences thread.