[hondafanboy]

Originally Posted by drrajasaravanan

The point I would like to insist is to please access medical care when you are close to the threshold before exhausting your physiological reserve.

Thanks Doctor.
How does one know that he/she is close to the threshold?

[atnyia]

Originally Posted by drrajasaravanan

I am yet to see a patient..
IMHO, even getting a single dose helps but do practice COVID appropriate behaviour. I think the latter is as important as the former.

Golden words that should be used as a wallpaper on our screens to keep reminding us.

Although, for saying the same, I earned lots of brickbats from fellow bhpians including some medical practitioners before the second wave.

Originally Posted by vivek95

I second your observations regarding people contracting Covid post vaccination. Same experiences at my end in Mumbai here, have come across couple of patients becoming hypoxic..

You doctors have been extraordinarily brave. I simply shudder at the thought of visiting hospital, leave alone the idea of being near people with high viral loads. Add the additional stress from overworking, patient's family pressure and administrative pressure, it's a war you are fighting for us.

Originally Posted by Sran

Not a doctor but I have seen more than 10 cases where people have been critical after taking the first shot, all covishield, 2 in patna and 7 in Jaipur.
She passed away on 4th of may, 2021, she was 60. She had no ailments like b.p or sugar, nothing at all.

It's very disheartening to hear, especially with your Mousi. I also have seen such cases. IDK, but it seems like it's a bit of lottery (in a negative way). For some unknown reasons, some otherwise healthy folks deteriorate pretty fast. Our learning after seeing so much of destruction has been to seek early treatment.

Thanks for answering. My follow up queries:

1) Just to be clear, vaccines don't help immediately and need two three weeks. Anecdotally, I know three such cases. Seems people are more suspect to develop symptoms if exposed during this duration. Is that correct?
2) After this, first dose is only partially effective in avoiding a severe disease for most people. Is that correct?
3) Second dose is highly effective in general but no guarantees?
4) Which all tests to take to check antibody level and assess protection after two weeks from vaccination?

[drrajasaravanan]

Originally Posted by hondafanboy

Thanks Doctor.
How does one know that he/she is close to the threshold?

Hi,
I would advise to access medical help stat if
1. Confusion, dizziness
2. Respiratory rate > 30 breaths per minute
3. Wheezing
4. Oxygen saturation <93%
5. Drop of baseline oxygen saturation by more than 4% during 6 minute walk test
6. Cannot complete 6 minute walk test
7. Can't speak complete sentences
8. Need to stop eating or chewing food to catch breath
9. Persistent fever beyond Day7 from onset
10. Need to prone to maintain oxygen levels
11. Diabetics who need steroids with poor blood sugar control.
12. Severe chest pain which worsens with every breath
I could have missed a few but these should cover most scenarios.

Originally Posted by atnyia

1) Just to be clear, vaccines don't help immediately and need two three weeks. Anecdotally, I know three such cases. Seems people are more suspect to develop symptoms if exposed during this duration. Is that correct?
2) After this, first dose is only partially effective in avoiding a severe disease for most people. Is that correct?
3) Second dose is highly effective in general but no guarantees?
4) Which all tests to take to check antibody level and assess protection after two weeks from vaccination?

Hi,
Answers to your questions
1. They are not more susceptible but break COVID appropriate behaviour thinking they are immune.
2. Yes the chances are better
3. Yes
4. Till now there are no standard recommendations to check for antibody response post vaccination. But (I am going out on a limb in saying this) I feel especially elderly and people who have poor immunity can check their spike protein antibody 3weeks after vaccination. Again this is not absolute and only a oversimplification.

[Arun_S]

Originally Posted by drrajasaravanan

Hi,
The following is my opinion based on The data I have access to and had the opportunity to discuss with fellow colleagues whose opinion I value.
1st choice will be Pfizer. Reason is the data available and predictable efficacy. 2nd choice is Covishield for the same reason. But for people younger than 40Y without comorbids illness and for people who are at risk of clotting we have to be careful. In the absence of access to Pfizer will still advice to go ahead with Covishield with appropriate precautions.

Thanks Doctor for all your answers.

I do have a question, my father 80+ due to his mobility issues we couldn't vaccinate earlier. No we are trying to get him vaccinated with some help.

He has undergone CABG and is on blood thinners, do you suggest Covishield or Covaxin for him?

[am1m]

Both in-laws (in their 70s, vaccinated) and sister-in-law (late 40s, not vaccinated yet), recovered last week. Since they showed only mild symptoms (slight fever, sore throat), they isolated and recovered at home.

The hardest part was keeping them (and my wife!) calm. As soon as the test results came positive, too many 'well-meaning' relatives chipping in with useless advice from whatsapp, all contributing to doom and gloom. (At least no one suggested buying a uv light or importing an oxygen concentrator! )

Medically, everything went well, handled only with paracetamol, steam and rest, medical advice from doctors over the phone.

Government reps were also very restrained. Follow up calls, came and inspected the house for suitability for home isolation. Offered to 'fumigate' for a fee, but were also good/honest enough to say it wasn't necessary.

All in all, great outcome. With all the bad news and headlines, it might help to know those are also possible.

[drrajasaravanan]

Originally Posted by Arun_S

Thanks Doctor for all your answers.

I do have a question, my father 80+ due to his mobility issues we couldn't vaccinate earlier. No we are trying to get him vaccinated with some help.

He has undergone CABG and is on blood thinners, do you suggest Covishield or Covaxin for him?

Hi,
I would advise him to take Covishield at the earliest and people supporting him to follow appropriate covid behaviour. He should not stop blood thinners or any of his cardiac medications which he is presently on. Regarding post vaccination immune response I hope we will have better guidance in the next few months regarding testing and a decision on 3rd dose for non responders.

Originally Posted by am1m

The hardest part was keeping them (and my wife!) calm. As soon as the test results came positive, too many 'well-meaning' relatives chipping in with useless advice from whatsapp, all contributing to doom and gloom. (At least no one suggested buying a uv light or importing an oxygen concentrator! )
Medically, everything went well, handled only with paracetamol, steam and rest, medical advice from doctors over the phone.
.

Hi,
Thanks a lot for sharing the reality which is the norm for 95% of population who are infected with COVID.

[himarg]

Is it advisable to get seasonal flu shots for kids, assuming they may provide some benefit against Covid 19 as well?

Also, I am not sure if there is just one standard flu shot or if there are many options as per the variant in circulation in a geography. Any guidance on that will be very helpful as well.

Please feel free to advise in case this is a very nuanced discussion, beyond the scope of online help.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by drrajasaravanan

Hi,
Thanks a lot for sharing the reality which is the norm for 95% of population who are infected with COVID.

I should say Thank You doctor and the other doctors on this thread like Dr.Vivek, Zen2001, Rationalist and many others who have been conveying practical medical advice here right from the start. (And elsewhere, also Dr. Faheem Younus' twitter feed.)

Gave me the confidence to stay calm and reassure the rest of the family. This pandemic is serious no doubt, but a lot of panic is there in people's minds even for mild cases. A positive test is magnified into something else altogether.

My wife who had H1N1 back during that pandemic in 2009 and also recovered without any issues at all, was now in tears almost everyday last week, expecting the worst for her father, even though his symptoms remained mild, and parameters didn't change. Mainly because every little bit of bad news (and no doubt there is enough cause for concern in many cases) is being magnified by the media and whatsapp and presented as the only outcome. Need more balanced, medical, data-derived views to go mainstream. (Not just optimistic for the sake of being optimistic or jingoistic views of course, but realistic, scientific views from reliable, not alarmist sources.)

So thanks again to you guys!

[drrajasaravanan]

Originally Posted by himarg

Is it advisable to get seasonal flu shots for kids, assuming they may provide some benefit against Covid 19 as well?
.

Hi,
Flu shots won't give any protection against COVID 19. CDC has claimed in May 2021 that giving flu shots for kids older than 6months around October May prevent concomitant illness during COVID. Indian counterpart has rationalized that the flu vaccine that's available May not offer protection and has recommended it mainly for high risk groups, children between 6m to 8Y or adults > 75 with significant comorbidities. This again is not based on reality at ground level. Discuss with your pedatrician but I would not recommend a jab which has questionable efficacy against the common strains in India without strong clinical indicators.

[NiInJa]

It has been almost a month now since I had fever due to covid, but the road to recovery is not as straight as it seems for me and my mom as we were administered steroids (both had fever beyond 7 days, I had excessive wheezing cough). I am in constant touch with my doctor who has told me to wait for up to 3 months till I am fully fit and start my regular running exercise. I am having some post-covid medications as well. Here are some things that both me and my mom experience, but have got used to, to some extent:

1. Heart beat rate rises above 100 bpm for no reason even when resting, sometimes crossing 120 for few minutes and goes back to 90s. That causes trembling of hand and feet (not noticeable if you keep yourself engaged and distracted), but one thing it does is: Loss of focus, on your work for example, and mind starts wandering around. This usually lasted for about 2-3 hours initially, but now lasts for about 1-1.5 hours. I have started to live with it, so don't think much as thinking compounded the issue.

2. Fatigue: Like a cheap mobile phone with bad battery, I feel 100% fit but as soon as I do some activity, like washing few dishes or playing with my kid, my efficiency drops to say 20% in less than 10 minutes. Then I have to rest for a few minutes before I can start again. This is improving now though and I can wash all dishes which translates into happy wife

3. Sleepiness: I never used to sleep early as I have to work with overlapping US shifts, but now I just can't keep my eyes open after 11 PM and have to hit the sack. Waking up early for calls too is just not possible as my body is not ready (might be related to cloudy climate and all the extra non-office activities like playing with kid, chores etc., but earlier, I could 'manage' them). Coordinating with US teams working from West coast is a problem.

4. Breathing heavily: Happens when heart rate is high, few breaths in between are high, Like 'heaving a sigh of relief' kind of breaths. Its occurrence is gradually reducing.

5. Teeth/Gums sensitivity: That tingly feeling when you get your gums cleaned and teeth scrubbed ? It is back again, oddly, I had got my teeth 'serviced' just two weeks before covid onset. As predicted by my doc, it started exactly 15-16 days after recovery. Managing it with frequent brushing and rinsing has reduced its effect, but is still very much present.

6. Anxiety: Related to increased heart rate, the first week after 15 days of recovery was bad, I used to get anxious for simple reasons like kid not eating as expected (which is perfectly normal) or mom feeling too weak or even when my car made some rattling noise from the front wheel (posted query in Ertiga review thread ) Now, its improved with some mind control.

Then, I spend at least two hours daily talking to my mom who has above issues with more intensity and is worried all the time. Talking to her about some other things, telling her it is the 'new normal' and 'hang in there' for a few more months, helps reduce her heart rate (observed this personally). My wife too feels tired but is not having heart beat issues.

All these things are taking a toll on my office deliverables unfortunately, and some times I wonder if as an employee am I supposed to give my 100% at all times. Will be interesting to know how some leaders here are managing work/deadlines with employees going through such stress.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by NiInJa

All these things are taking a toll on my office deliverables unfortunately, and some times I wonder if as an employee am I supposed to give my 100% at all times. Will be interesting to know how some leaders here are managing work/deadlines with employees going through such stress.

Sorry to hear about your experience, I hope things go back to normal as soon as possible.

The good docs will certainly advise on the medical aspects, but IMHO, the last thing you should be feeling pressure about during this time is office work. Most companies I know have been very proactive and genuine about giving employees a lot of flexibility during these times, especially if they or their families have been affected directly by covid. Of course each company and industry is different, but have you tried having a frank discussion with your manager/HR and explaining the situation? Tell them exactly what is going on and that you need some time to recover. Perhaps some arrangement can be worked out where you get some relief. Most organizations with decent HR practices will take the long-term view on employee health and well-being. Good luck!

[akshay380]

Originally Posted by NiInJa

All these things are taking a toll on my office deliverables unfortunately, and some times I wonder if as an employee am I supposed to give my 100% at all times. Will be interesting to know how some leaders here are managing work/deadlines with employees going through such stress.

Please talk to the client/your manager about this. I'm COVID survivor and spent 8 days in hospital. I logged in exactly a week after discharge and got told by client to log out and rest. So I'll suggest be open with the health condition while discussing with them.

[hondafanboy]

I appreciate that the following question may well be answered by a doctor who is treating a patient but just want to check the opinions of the doctors on this forum and also if any of the members are aware of the situation.

The question is - If a person is taking antiviral medicines ( for skin rashes) prescribed by a dermatologist, can that person get a Covid shot ? Or is it best to finish the antiviral medicine course and then go for it?

[m8002?]

The AP govt. has now approved another of a miracle ayurvedic cure for increasing the SpO2 levels in a few minutes. There was even a video with a guy gasping for breath, given the eye drops, and then he is back on his feet feeling normal.

https://www.rediff.com/news/report/m...d/20210531.htm

We all know how these guys ( and also the religious healers ) get rid of the disease...but for the govt. to approve it is a totally different thing.

[keroo1099]

One more happy covid ending.

The whole family came down with covid around the same time towards the first week of May. How we got it is a real surprise since my daughter and me hadn't stepped out of the house and we were the first to show symptoms. My better half would go out very rarely to get some essentials but was the last to develop symptoms.

The kicker here is that the wife and me had recieved our second jab of covishield on the 30th of April (daughter hasn't got her shots and is asthmatic!! ) which is what kept the infection in check along with what the procedure we followed.

My daughter was the first to show symptoms with a cough, but because she is asthmatic our regular doc said to start her off on her regular medication but added the supplements that one is to take for covid; Calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and parecetemol if she developed a fever. Surprisingly her O2 never dropped below 99, but we maintained a chart and record her O2, pulse and fever 3 morning, noon and night (very important). I think when her fever spiked to about 100 our doc added a 5 day course of Azithral to control any possible secondary infection . At no point during the infection or till date did my daughter feel lethargic or loose her sense of smell.

I was the next to get it after a couple of days, and I suspect mine started with a slight dry throat when I got up in the morning. This dry throat business progressively got worse over the next couple of day and I got a leaky nose. Our doc immediately put me on the standard home isolation medication, including Azithral for 5 days. The strange part for me was though I had a fever (max 100) I didn't feel like I had one so stupidly didn't take it seriously initially (bad thing to do). By the 3rd day I had lost all sense of smell, but hadn't lost my appetite. My O2 fell, but never dipped below 94 and my pulse was steady. I too started maintaining a chart of my vitals, 3 times a day (can't stress how important this is) and though my energy levels never dipped tried to do as little as possible.

Post 5-7 days I called up Apoorva Diagnostics and arranged for home RTPCR test. My daughters result came within 12 hrs, mine took a day longer and both of us were mildly positive with a viral count of around 27.5. By the time we took the test our fever had come back to normal, but we continued to record our parameters for another week.

My wife who never had any symptoms finally got a scratchy throat about 10 days ago and is on the ditto medication and monitoring as above. She's the only one who is now feeling fatigued and has to rest after doing moderate work, but her O2 levels are fine. Got her RTPCR done again through Apoorva Diagnostics and her viral count was lower than ours at 28.5.

So the 3 of us, all having different symptoms ended up recovering with almost zero damage which is down to

Luck
Getting advice in time
Taking the proper medication
Not panicking

Stay safe all, and try and get your shots without taking too many risk.

Ps: I also have to mention the follow up by BBMP every day for a week to the point of becoming irritating, but bless them for doing what is desperately required.