Causes and Risk Factors of COVID-19

Dr Swati Jha, Director, Community Health & Research at Aga Khan Health Services India, addresses questions about the management of Covid-19 among children and teenagers. There is a slightly increased incidence of pediatric infection being reported by press in the present 2021 Covid wave in India which has everyone very worried. To put things in perspective, the infection percentage in children in July 2020 was less than 3% of total for 0-20 years, September 2020 was 17% for children…

Dr Swati Jha, Director, Community Health & Research at Aga Khan Health Services India, addresses some misconceptions and myths that people are raising about vaccinations. MYTH : The vaccines aren’t safe because they were developed very quickly FACT : –While vaccines developed previously have taken years and even decades to be approved for use, the COVID-19 vaccines needed to be developed and approved in a fast-track manner, because of how far and wide the disease has spread. However,…

आगा खान हेल्थ सर्विसेज इंडिया में कम्युनिटी हेल्थ एंड रिसर्च की डायरेक्टर, डॉ। स्वाति झा कुछ ऐसे सामान्य सवालों के जवाब देती हैं जो लोग टीकाकरण (वैक्सिनेशन) के बारे में पूछ रहे हैं, विशेष रूप से वे लोग जिन्हें पहले से ही एक या अधिक गंभीर रोग हैं (कोमॉर्बिडिटी, सह-रुग्णता)। इसके अतिरिक्त, देखें एक उपयोगी चित्र जो डॉ। दीपक कृष्णमूर्ति, सकरा वर्ल्ड हॉस्पिटल, बैंगलोर में वरिष्ठ इंटरवेंशनल कार्डियोलॉजिस्ट ने ट्विटर पर साझा की है क्योंकि कोविड महामारी (पैनडेमिक) रुकने का नाम ही नहीं ले रही और विश्व…

Dr Swati Jha, Director, Community Health & Research at Aga Khan Health Services India, answers some common questions that people are asking about vaccinations, especially those with co-morbidities and pre-existing conditions. Plus a useful image shared by Dr. Deepak Krishnamurthy, Senior Interventional Cardiologist at Sakra World Hospital, Bangalore As the pandemic does not really seem to be settling down, and there is an upsurge in many parts of the world and the country, the…

A much awaited webinar for our community on Covid-19 vaccines. Separating facts from misconceptions. And understanding the role of public health communication. Everyone is talking about Covid-19 vaccines. There is a lot of buzz and the information changes everyday. Everyone wants to know more. There are also a lot of misconceptions. We are very pleased to have Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) join us to answer questions and talk about vaccination…

In conversation with Dr. Sujeet Rajan, Respiratory Physician on Post Covid Pulmonary Fibrosis, rehabiliation and home care, Covid treatment protocols and more.   We now know that Post Covid Pulmonary Fibrosis is a real concern. Can Covid-19 infection cause permanent damage to lungs? Can your lungs recover after fibrosis? What are the common misconceptions on Covid-19 treatment? Do you need to take antibiotics or steroids always? We explore these and many other questions with Dr.…

Bangalore based journalist, L Subramani, who lost his vision to retinitis pigmentosa as a teenager, writes how he survived the horrors of being alone in a covid-19 isolation ward and facing death of fellow warrior. Room 209 had a single bed and a side bench. It faced up to a busy road where you could hear the constant rumbling of traffic and the wailing ambulance, far too often for my comfort. The hospital was generally silent, except for the violent coughing fit of a fellow covid-19 patient…

Increasing number of Coronavirus patients have reported symptoms that persist weeks after the infection is clear. We speak with Dr. Swati Jha, Director, Community Health & Research at Aga Khan Health Services India on post viral syndrome, the common lingering symptoms and what actions should be taken.       What are the most common post-Covid symptoms/conditions seen? In a typical patient Physical fatigue- pain in the limbs, difficulty walking, climbing stairs…

COVID-19 Management The likelihood of presenting with a moderate or severe case with complication is linked to age and co-morbidities so far. These include: Acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS Pneumonia or other secondary infections Sepsis Coagulopathies Acute Kidney Injury Multiorgan failure Macrophage Activation syndrome or Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Many believe that the complications are caused by a condition termed as the Cytokine Storm. This is a hyper inflammatory…

Sign and symptoms of COVID-19 We are still learning about the virus and symptoms seem to vary from person to person. Many people experience no symptoms at all; they are termed as asymptomatic carriers. Many others experience some symptoms but again severity varies from person to person. Common symptoms include: Sore throat Low grade fever Shortness of breath Cough Loss of taste Loss of smell Fatigue Diarrhea Vomiting Headaches Signs typical of COVID as seen on Chest CT scan is the ground…