Breaking the chain of transmission is key to containing the surge of positive cases: Dr Khurshid Ahmad Bhat

SRINAGAR: “Wearing masks below the chin doesn’t serve its purpose, venturing out unnecessarily is affecting the management and containment of the virus. The general public needs to understand that efforts are being made to break the chain of transmission of coronavirus disease and there is no need to create panic. More and more people should come forward to get vaccinated. Besides, repeated testing after an asymptomatic person has recovered is also not required”, said Dr Khurshid Ahmad Bhat, Consultant, Endocrinologist in Super Speciality Hospital Srinagar while making a fervent appeal to the people to follow the new guidelines and SoPs.

Dr Khurshid said diabetes and thyroid-related problems are also common in J&K but diabetics as such are not more prone to getting infected with Covid-19 when compared with non-diabetic patients. “However, in case of diabetes is not under control then there can be severity in disease.

Besides, the stress in infected patients can lead to an increase in sugar level and diabetic patients must monitor their sugar levels during the course of infection. Steroids given during severity of the disease can also increase blood sugar levels and patients need to do frequent monitoring of their sugar level so that dose of insulin can be modulated,” he said .

“The diabetic patients, in general, need to continue with their medicine properly and check fasting blood sugar and post-breakfast blood sugar at least once in a month”,  he added

Dr Khurshid cautioned that venturing out unnecessarily will leverage the spread of virus. He maintained that during the first wave of Covid-19, there was fear among people and they avoided going outside their homes which is why the cases were less but now people have been moving out freely without fear or concern of getting infected which has resulted in increase in the number of cases, morbidity and deaths.

He said this second wave contained healthcare and people should behave properly. He read that maintenance of distance, washing hands frequently, use of mask and sanitizers will help to break the chain.

Moreover, he said, “Vaccination is very important and requested all eligible people to come forward for vaccination” and he further dispelled some rumours and myths regarding vaccination and said that both vaccines covishield and covaxin are safe and minor side effects like temporary fever and body ache after vaccination can be treated with a tablet of paracetamol.

“There is no need to panic, it can only aggravate management and containment of virus”, he advised.

“Simple infection can be treated at home by taking paracetamol, drinking enough water, home isolation and following SOPs”, however decrease in oxygen saturation below 93% implies hospitalization is required said Endocrinologist Dr Khursheed.

He said that testing capacity has been overwhelmed and suggested judicious use of testing. He informed that “If a person tested positive then there is no need of repeated RT-PCR”, also, “If a person had been asymptomatic or mild symptomatic and has recovered” further testing is not advisable, he doesn’t need further testing.(KNS)