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Medical Updates Medicine & Health

World First Aid Day 2023: Essentials to include in your emergency medical kit

World First Aid Day 2023: Essentials to include in your emergency medical kit

World First Aid Day is being observed on September 9 this year. Here’s a list of items your emergency medical kit should include.

First aid plays a crucial role in emergency medical situations and can prove to be lifesaving in case of heart attacks, seizures, strokes, road accidents etc. It could be a set of life-saving techniques or basic medicines for certain illnesses, bandages, pain killers, or ointments. It is important to have knowledge and awareness about things like CPR, Heimlich manoeuvre, controlling bleeding, use of AED, how to take care of snake bites among others. First aid can be provided by a bystander, a family member or a colleague. In case of a sudden injury or illness, bystanders may play an essential role before the arrival of ambulance or admission to a hospital.

World First Aid Day is observed annually on the second Saturday of every September to create awareness around the role of first aid in saving lives. This year the day is being celebrated on September 9 and its theme is ‘First Aid in the Digital World’ which promotes utilisation of digital tools and its resources that aid in the provision of first aid education.

One must always be ready to provide this crucial help to anyone who’s in need and thus it is important to keep an emergency medical kit ready.

Dr Kishore Kumar, Neonatologist and Paediatrician, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Bengaluru in an interview with HT Digital shares essentials that help control bleeding or address an injury in case of an accident.

World First Aid Day 2023: Essentials to include in your emergency medical kit

An emergency medical kit is crucial for providing immediate care during unexpected situations. Here are some essentials to include:

• Adhesive bandages: Various sizes for covering wounds and minor injuries.

• Sterile gauze and dressings: Used for larger wounds and to control bleeding.

• Adhesive tape: To secure bandages and dressings in place.

• Antiseptic wipes or solution: For cleaning wounds and preventing infection.

• Scissors: To cut tape, gauze, clothing, or other materials.

• Thermometer: To monitor body temperature.

• Digital thermometer: Accurate and safe for children

• Cotton balls or swabs: Useful for cleaning or applying ointments.

• Disposable gloves: To protect both the caregiver and patient.

• Pain relievers: Over-the-counter medications.

• CPR face shield or mask: For performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation safely.

• Instant cold packs: To reduce swelling and soothe injuries.

• Burn cream or gel: For treating minor burns.

• Prescription medications: If someone in your family has specific medical conditions, keep their necessary medications on hand.

• Emergency contact numbers: A list of important phone numbers, including local emergency services, doctors, and family members.

• Personal information: Copies of identification, medical history, and insurance information.

• Ideally every emergency kit needs to have a defibrillator and every citizen needs to be trained in CPR: In most Scandinavian countries they have defibrillator every few yards to help resuscitation. It is a long shot in India. Ss a first step, let us hope CPR training is made mandatory for all citizens, which can save lots of lives.

• Also, every citizen should carry an ‘alert’ badge in their wallet – listing the medications they are on and the medical conditions they have – which could help in emergencies. Like if someone is diabetic and falls unconscious, the first thing we know we need to correct is his low sugars.

“Remember to regularly check and update your emergency medical kit, ensure that everyone in your household knows where it’s kept, and consider any specific medical needs of your family members when customizing the kit. Additionally, it’s essential to have basic first aid training to effectively use these supplies in emergencies,” says Dr Kumar.

Read more at-https://shorturl.at/xDQ56

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COVID-19 Government Guidelines Medical Updates

Updated COVID vaccine effective against newer variant, says Moderna

Updated COVID vaccine effective against newer variant, says Moderna

Moderna has said clinical trial data showed its updated COVID-19 vaccine will likely be effective against the highly-mutated BA.2.86 subvariant of the coronavirus that has raised fears of a resurgence of infections.

Moderna has said that the clinical trial data showed its updated COVID-19 vaccine shot generated an 8.7-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies in humans against the highly-mutated BA.2.86 subvariant of the coronavirus that has raised fears of a resurgence of infections, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

“We think this is news people will want to hear as they prepare to go out and get their fall boosters,” Reuters quoted Jacqueline Miller head of infectious diseases in Moderna said in an interview, adding that the data should also help reassure regulators.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has previously indicated that BA.2.86 may be more capable of causing infection in people who previously had COVID or were vaccinated with previous shots.

Updated COVID vaccine effective against newer variant, says Moderna

The Omicron offshoot carries more than 35 mutations in key portions of the virus compared with XBB.1.5, the dominant variant through most of 2023 and the target of the updated shots.

Moderna said it had shared the new finding on its vaccine with regulators and submitted it for peer review publication.

The retooled Moderna shot is expected to be available later this month or in early October, though it is yet to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Meanwhile, rival COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers Novavax and Pfizer with German partner BioNTech have created versions of their shots aimed at the XBB.1.5 subvariant.

In August, Moderna and Pfizer each said their new vaccines appeared to be effective against another new subvariant of concern dubbed EG.5 in initial testing

Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has approved Pfizer/BioNTech shot, but have not make any announcements on Moderna’s updated vaccine.

A WHO official said the BA.2.86 the subvariant of the coronavirus has been detected in Switzerland, South Africa as well as Israel, Denmark, the US and Britain.

According to experts it is important to monitor the variant, but it is unlikely to cause a wave of severe disease and death because of immune defenses built up worldwide from mass vaccination and prior infection.

Read more at-https://shorturl.at/quyUZ

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COVID-19 Medical Updates Medicine & Health

Covid vaccines used in India and risk of heart attack are not related: Study

Covid vaccines used in India and risk of heart attack are not related:

The study emphasising on the effect of jabs has stated that the risk of heart attacks is not associated with covid vaccines.

There is no association between the Covid-19 vaccines used in India — Covishield and Covaxin — and increase in the risk of heart attacks, according to an observational study which emphasises the protective effect of the jabs.

The research, published recently in the journal PLOS One, determined the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on mortality following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or heart attack.

The retrospective study used data from 1,578 people admitted to G B Pant hospital in Delhi between August 2021 and August 2022. As many as 1,086 (68.8 per cent) were vaccinated against COVID-19 while 492 (31.2 per cent) were unvaccinated.

Among the vaccinated group, 1,047 (96 per cent) had received two doses of the vaccine while 39 (4 per cent) had received only a single dose.

“Our study found that vaccines used in India are safe. There was no association of vaccination in India with heart attack. In fact, the study found that there were less chances of death after heart attack in vaccinated individuals,” Mohit Gupta, who led the study, from G B Pant Hospital, told PTI.

Covid vaccines used in India and risk of heart attack are not related:

The adverse effects (AEs) of COVID-19 vaccines have mostly been mild, transient and self-limiting. However, concerns have been raised regarding the cardiovascular adverse effects of these vaccines.

Any side effect can have catastrophic effects especially in large densely populated countries such as India, the authors noted.

In all the enrolled patients, data regarding the patient’s vaccination status including details on type of vaccine, date of vaccination and adverse effects were obtained.

The researchers found that the analysis did not show a specific clustering of AMI at any particular time post vaccination, suggesting there was no significant association between COVID-19 jabs and heart attacks.

On 30-day follow-up, all-cause mortality occurred in 201 (12.7 per cent) patients with adjusted odds of mortality being significantly lower in the vaccinated group.

Similarly, at six months of follow-up, the vaccinated AMI group had lower odds of mortality as compared to the non-vaccinated group.

COVID-19 vaccines showed a decrease in all-cause mortality at 30 days and six months following AMI, according to the study.

However, increasing age, diabetics and smokers had a higher risk of 30-day mortality, the researchers said.

“Findings of our study showed that the 30-day and six months all-cause mortality risk was significantly lower in the vaccinated subjects as compared to the unvaccinated population,” the authors of the study said.

This study is the first to be conducted among a larger population of AMI patients which has shown COVID-19 vaccine to be not only safe but also have a protective effect in terms of reduction of all-cause mortality both on short term as well as at six months of follow-up, the authors of the study said.

They noted some limitations, saying that this was a single centre retrospective study, and the findings need to be validated in further larger studies from different ethnic groups.

Read more at-https://shorturl.at/oxY25

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Medical Equipments Medical Updates

Teachers’ Day 2023: Essential mental health and self-care tips for teachers battling work pressure

Teachers' Day 2023: Essential mental health and self-care tips for teachers battling work pressure

Teachers’ Day 2023: Explore some essential mental health tips tailored specifically for teachers who find themselves grappling with the weight of work pressure.

Teachers’ Day, celebrated on the 5th of September, is the perfect opportunity to celebrate all teachers and the immense contribution they make to society. Teaching is a noble and rewarding profession, but it comes with its fair share of challenges. The gruelling responsibilities of the job, strict regulations and the duty to nurture young minds can sometimes lead to extreme work pressure. Even when you have a lot on your plate, you should not neglect your mental health. In a recent survey of more than 30,000 educators by the American Federation of Teachers, more than 75% of respondents said they did not have enough staff to do the work, and 78% said they were often physically and emotionally exhausted at the end of the day.

It should be a priority for everyone to take care of their inner and emotional health. It is necessary to engage in activities that calm the mind and soul. It’s not easy to be a teacher, and with all the work that has to be done, the job can sometimes become too demanding and can take a toll on your well-being.

Teachers' Day 2023: Essential mental health and self-care tips for teachers battling work pressure

Mental Health Tips for Teachers Battling Work Pressure

“Teachers must prioritize their mental well-being because it has an impact on their students”, according to Aashmeen Munjal, Ontologist, Mental Health and Relationship Expert. She further shared with HT Lifestyle a few suggestions for coping with work pressure.

1. When work gets wrapped up on time, a huge amount of stress passes away. Teachers need to prioritize duties, develop schedules, and set aside time for breaks. This will help them to have better time management

2. Who says “self-care is unethical, it’s fundamental”? Teachers need to rejuvenate from time to time. They should make the most of their free time by reading, gardening, jogging or relaxing.

3. Integrating mindful meditation and relaxation practices into their daily routine as an educator, increases focus and reduces stress. It can be achieved by engaging in activities like deep breathing exercises, meditation, or even brisk walks. A lot of stress can be relieved by practising the same.

4. To avoid feeling drained, it is advised that teachers maintain an organized workspace and make effective use of planners and digital calendars.

“These are just some of the techniques that can help to improve mental health for teachers in battling work pressure. As long as teachers are willing to learn and flourish professionally, learning never ceases. They ought to never forget the accomplishments they have made. Being in this line of work can occasionally be exhausting. They should always keep their thoughts intact and keep a positive attitude, even when situations are tough. A teacher should always remember that by taking care of her mental health, she will prove herself to be more committed,” says Aashmeen.

Teacher’s Role in Enhancing Student Mental Well-being

“The lives of children seem similar to a spider’s web. Through their orientation and guidance, teachers help students unwind the complicated network. Teachers encourage pupils to develop their emotional and psychological well-being in addition to their academic skills. The widespread use of all facets being digital has certain adverse impacts on students’ mental health. The role of educators in cultivating pupils’ healthy mental health grows. Students’ abilities are enhanced when teachers cultivate a positive attitude towards their charges. Teachers can shape, boost, and nourish the hearts and brains of their students,” says Aashmeen.

She, added, “Students embrace empathy, trust, and positive interaction through fostering strong teacher-student connections, which establishes the foundation for their emotional development and perseverance. A teacher must have faith in their pupils’ knowledge while motivating them to discover their strengths. Such praises support a child’s optimism and stimulate a good sense of dignity. The ability to solve problems helps youngsters retain excellent mental health throughout their lives since life is full of obstacles.”

“Teachers need to practice inclusion and work to mitigate stigma. Respecting cultural diversity in the classroom promotes a healthy mental environment. Instead of being considered a taboo subject, talking about mental health should be encouraged. This promises the pupils that asking for help does not indicate weakness but rather strength. Overall, instructors serve as role models by encouraging students to have ambitions and believe in their abilities. This optimism has a significant bearing on a child’s future achievement and mental health, ” concluded Aashmeen.

Read more at-https://shorturl.at/qtzEH

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COVID-19 Government Guidelines Medical Updates Medicine & Health

Mystery respiratory virus spreading in Hyderabad; know symptoms and prevention tips

Mystery respiratory virus spreading in Hyderabad; know symptoms and prevention tips

The mystery virus may belong to the Adeno, Corona, Influenza or MERS family. All you want to know about symptoms and prevention.

An acute viral illness with symptoms similar to Swine Flu, influenza, and adeno virus is spreading in Hyderabad, affecting either children or adults with comorbid conditions. The virus is yet to be identified and many people who are testing for Swine Flu, Covid-19, or Influenza are getting negative reports. Experts, however, say there is no cause of alarm as the recovery rate of this mystery illness is 100% and patients are taking 5 days to recover, which is a normal recovery time for a viral infection. The symptoms range from runny nose, sore throat, dry cough, fever with body pain and difficulty in breathing.

“We have been seeing an acute febrile viral illness for the past 6-8 weeks now and we have observed coryzal symptoms in these patients. This virus has been affecting 6-7 out of 100 people, and 50% of them are children. This is because the immunity of the children is not fully developed. The other 50% of patients are adults with comorbid lung diseases like COPD (also called smoker’s asthma), Post TB and Covid-destroyed lungs and asthma,” says Dr Syed Abdul Aleem, Consultant – Pulmonology CARE Hospitals, Musheerabad, Hyderabad.

Symptoms of the mystery virus

The symptoms of this mystery virus start with a runny nose, followed by a sore throat, dry cough, fever with body pain and difficulty in breathing. 1-2% of these patients have experienced respiratory failure.

“The symptoms affect the upper respiratory tract and gradually affect the lower respiratory tract as well. We have been running tests for influenza A and B, swine flu – H1N1, avian flu – H3N2 and dengue as well. We observed false positive results in 3-4% of these tests because the structural similarity of the mystery virus is very similar to these virus families,” says Dr Syed.

Mystery respiratory virus spreading in Hyderabad; know symptoms and prevention tips

Treatment

“Fortunately, we are catching this early, and we are following symptomatic treatment where patients are responding well. We are treating patients with respiratory failure with Oseltamivir, an anti-viral drug and we are seeing good results. Along with treatment, we suggest maintaining hydration, and isolation as well until there is a complete recovery,” says the expert.

Precautions

The precautions for this mystery virus are covering the nose and mouth while coughing or sneezing or using an N95 mask, keeping distance from people, sanitizing regularly, vaccinating against influenza and immediate isolation and approaching a healthcare professional for treatment.

What could be this mystery virus?

“This mystery virus may belong to the Adeno, Corona, Influenza or MERS family. So, we are suggesting a multiplex PCR panel of tests including Influenza A&B, H1N1, H3N2, and Covid RT-PCR,” says Dr Syed.

Read more at-https://shorturl.at/fkrZ6

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COVID-19 Government Guidelines Medical Equipments Medicine & Health

ICMR study: Who’s more at risk after leaving the hospital with COVID-19?

ICMR study: Who's more at risk after leaving the hospital with COVID-19?

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recently published a research paper highlighting varying vulnerability to post-discharge mortality in COVID-19 cases. The study highlights three risk factors for death after discharge while also highlighting the importance of vaccinating prior to contracting the coronavirus.

“Post-discharge mortality” refers to the occurrence of death after a person has been discharged from a medical facility, such as a hospital, following treatment for a specific medical condition.
The new ICMR study, titled “Determinants of post-discharge mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients,” identifies three prominent risk factors associated with post-discharge mortality among COVID-19 survivors. People over the age of 40, men with co-morbidities and individuals who endured moderate to severe COVID-19 cases have a more pronounced risk of post-charge mortality.
On a more positive note, the study reveals that those who received at least one dose of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine before contracting the virus experienced a 60 percent reduction in the risk of post-discharge mortality.
The research accumulated results from 14,419 participants hailing from 31 hospitals nationwide, who were followed up for a period ranging from four weeks to one-year post-discharge. 942 individuals (6.5 percent) had succumbed, while the remaining 93.5 percent were documented as alive during the year-long follow-up.
“Similar trends were seen in participants, 18-45 years of age,” the ICMR team said.
ICMR study: Who's more at risk after leaving the hospital with COVID-19?
While the findings offer valuable insights, the study acknowledges limitations stemming from telephonic follow-ups, which could lead to symptom underreporting. Also, the study’s focus was exclusively on hospitalised COVID-19 patients, which restricts the generalisability of the conclusions to the broader population.
In parallel to this study, the ICMR is currently overseeing a multicentric hospital-based matched case-control study, which seeks to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 vaccine on heart attacks among individuals aged 18–45 years in India.
Furthermore, the ICMR is actively researching factors associated with sudden deaths among adults aged 18–45 years in India.
Meanwhile, PK Mishra, the principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday, held a high-level meeting to review the global and national COVID-19 situation in view of the new variants, Pirola (BA.2.86) and Eris (EG.5).
During the meeting, Mishra highlighted the need for states to monitor trends of influenza-like illnesses despite the stable COVID-19 situation, and prepared healthcare systems. He also focused on the need to send enough samples for genome sequencing.
Read more at-https://tinyurl.com/v7zjzezx
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COVID-19 Government Guidelines Medical Equipments Medicine & Health

Dengue outbreaks: 9 reasons why dengue cases are getting more severe; what role does global warming play

Dengue outbreaks: 9 reasons why dengue cases are getting more severe; what role does global warming play

Prenatal genetic testing is now quite affordable and being increasingly used for improving reproductive outcomes in every pregnant woman as genetic testing prenatally, a.k.a before birth has given the opportunity to screen for a variety of severe genetic abnormalities and take necessary action in time. This helps in preventing the birth of children with genetic birth defects thus saving financial and emotional burden on the family.

With the advent of such testing, couples are now able to obtain information about genetic disorders of their foetus and make an informed decision about the same. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Veronica Arora, Assistant Consultant at Institute of Medical Genetics and Genomics at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, revealed, “Genetic testing is not offered to obtain information about the foetus to predict non-disease-related traits. Such practice is strongly condemned. Some common myths about prenatal genetic testing include that it is only done for older women, it is very expensive, it is only done for Down syndrome, not required in the absence of family history, or done only for high-risk women.”

Highlighting that testing in the prenatal scenario includes non-invasive and invasive genetic tests, she elaborated –

  • Non-invasive tests: Biochemical markers, non-invasive prenatal screening are those which are performed on the blood of the mother. Testing for common aneuploidies and thalassemia is included in this category, and these are offered universally to all pregnant women.
  • Invasive genetic testing: Amniocentesis or Chorionic villus sampling is limited to fetuses at risk of having a genetic disorder. This includes those at risk due to positive family history, advanced maternal age, positive screening tests for aneuploidies or ultrasound abnormalities.

Dengue outbreaks: 9 reasons why dengue cases are getting more severe; what role does global warming play

Addressing myths on prenatal genetic testing, Dr Ramesh Hariharan, CEO and Co-Founder of Strand Life Sciences, shared –

  1. Prenatal genetic testing can help determine if the baby, while still in the mother’s womb, has a genetic abnormality.
  2. Pre-natal testing need not be invasive for the baby; some abnormalities in the baby can be detected from the mother’s blood; these include large scale genomic abnormalities that cause Down’s syndrome.
  3. Not all abnormalities can be easily detected from the mother’s blood though, particularly finer genetic abnormalities, those may need a procedure called amniocentesis or CVS to access cells from the baby.
  4. All positive results detected from mother’s blood should be confirmed by an amnio or CVS.

Read more at-https://shorturl.at/eoSZ7

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COVID-19 Government Guidelines Medical Equipments Medical Updates

New Covid variant Eris symptoms appear a week before positive test? Know all about this ‘pre-Covid’ phenomenon

New Covid variant Eris symptoms appear a week before positive test? Know all about this 'pre-Covid' phenomenon

Experts say this could be because when a person contracts a virus, it takes time for it to replicate within the body to trigger noticeable symptoms.

New Covid variant EG.5 has been spreading fast in different parts of the world and while the strain is good at escaping immunity, the symptoms remain mild, and experts say it doesn’t pose a significant threat. EG.5 has been declared as a variant of interest and will be monitored for its mutations. The strain may become dominant in many countries with its rapid spread. As the Eris and other Omicron variants are being detected, people are also reporting a ‘pre-Covid’ phenomenon that was even being reported in the initial days of pandemic. This means that people are showing signs of Covid even with a negative test and upon being tested again after a week or so, the result comes positive.

Experts say this is because when a person contracts a virus, such as Covid-19, it takes time for the virus to replicate within the body to trigger noticeable symptoms. The initial test comes negative due to low viral load and the same increases with each passing day. If you too are facing this ‘pre-Covid’ phenomenon, get tested again after a week for correct diagnosis.

The incubation period effect

“This phenomenon can be attributed to the virus’s incubation period. When a person contracts a virus, such as Covid-19, it takes time for the virus to replicate within the body to levels that trigger noticeable symptoms. This period between exposure to the virus and the appearance of symptoms is known as the incubation period. Eris is one of the two latest sub-variants of Corona virus. The symptoms of Eris variant start about a week before it could be detected by tests. The symptoms are nearly the same as those of Covid illness,” says Dr Anurag Saxena, HOD-Internal Medicine, Primus Super Speciality Hospital.

“In the case of Eris and similar illnesses, symptoms may manifest roughly a week before a positive test because the virus or pathogen has been present in the body long enough to cause noticeable symptoms, but it might still take a little more time for the viral load to reach a level detectable by the testing methods in use,” adds Dr Saxena.

New Covid variant Eris symptoms appear a week before positive test? Know all about this 'pre-Covid' phenomenon

Go for RT-PCR tests

“In some patients, they continue to test negative for Covid illness, because they don’t have it. In some cases, initial tests can be negative due to low viral load initially, i.e., load below the limit of detection of that particular test. In such cases, repeating a test after few days usually helps to confirm the diagnosis. In other patient, use of rapid antigen tests, improper sampling technique (when performed by self) etc. can be cause of negative result despite having Covid illness. In such cases, RT-PCR tests, a more accurate test than rapid antigen tests, should be performed, and sampling performed preferably by trained personnel. As of now, there is very limited data to suggest any significant difference compared to previously circulating variants with respect to transmissibility, immune evasiveness, severity, diagnostic modalities, or response to available treatment. Furthermore, more robust, large cohort-based data is needed, on viral dynamics of new emerging variants, and performance characteristics of various tests in such scenarios to ascertain such phenomenon and its plausible explanation,” says Dr Rohit Garg, Consultant, Dept of Infectious Disease, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad.

“Symptoms such as nasal congestion, sneezing, cough, fever and fatigue is commonly seen in the ‘pre COVID’ period. This can last upto first 7 days of the infection. It is seen with Eris variant as the transmissibility of this virus is higher than the previous variants. However, there is no need to panic and it becomes imperative to follow Covid appropriate behaviour, especially hand hygiene, during the monsoon season when the rate of airborne and droplet infections are already high,” says Dr Charu Dutt Arora, Infectious Disease Specialist, Consultant Physician, AmeriHealth, Asian Hospital.

“Understanding this timeline helps in both managing the illness and preventing further transmission, as individuals with symptoms can take appropriate precautions and seek medical attention promptly, reducing the risk of spreading the illness to others,” says Dr Saxena.

Eris symptoms

Dr Saibal Chakravorty, Senior Consultant – Internal Medicine, Metro Hospital Noida says the symptoms of the new variant as of now are same as we have seen and witnessed previously, though more research on this is being done.

As per limited evidence, the symptoms are:

  • Cough
  • High Fever
  • Severe Headache
  • Body ache
  • Weakness and Fatigue
  • Decreased Appetite

Read more at-https://shorturl.at/ceptO

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COVID-19 Government Guidelines Medical Equipments Medical Updates

New Covid variants Eris vs BA 2.86: Is the one scarier than the other? Know difference between symptoms

New Covid variants Eris vs BA 2.86: Is the one scarier than the other? Know difference between symptoms

Eris vs BA 2.86, both are variants from XBB lineage which is a descendent of Omicron. Here’s what to know about their symptoms are transmissibility.

Even as pandemic threat subsides, Covid-19 virus continues to evolve and most recently two Covid variants namely Eris or EG.5 and BA 2.86 have been increasing the caseload in UK, China and other countries. While Covid symptoms seem to have become milder with course of time and newer variants, the mutations in the spike protein have increased due to which they are becoming good at escaping immunity and also infecting people faster. While EG.5 has been declared variant of interest, BA 2.86 is being called variant under monitoring by WHO. BA 2.86 is said to be highly mutated and this particular strain has some new symptoms associated with it, says Dr Pavithra Venkatagopalan, corona-virologist and Covid awareness specialist at Rotary Club of Madras NextGen in a conversation with HT Digital.

Why newer variants of Covid-19 are evolving

“The virus causing Covid-19 has continued to evolve from the time it was identified in December 2019. Over these last 3-3.5 years, we have seen lot of different variants come and go and each of these variants have lot of properties in common and some other varying ones. One of the common properties include the transmission via droplets. This has not changed in any of the variants that have come so far. We have seen the beta, gamma, delta, and Omicron variants. All these variants are causing Covid-19. What happens is when people with different symptoms of Covid-are identified, their sample is collected and sent for sequencing. Sequencing is a simple way of understanding what this virus is made of. Each of these variants behave differently because they have different genetic sequence changes,” says Dr Pavithra.

Eris or EG.5 and BA 2.86 are the two variants that have been making headlines as they are spreading very fast and are able to evade vaccine immunity or immunity acquired from an infection. Dr Pavithra explains the difference between the two strains.

Difference between EG.5 and BA 2.86 Covid variants

“We have a new ‘variant of interest’ and another fresh ‘variant under monitoring’ at this point – one is Eris EG.5 and the other is BA2.86. Both of these are variants from XBB lineage which is a descendent of Omicron. The difference is we have identified more of Eris cases worldwide which seems to have high rates of transmissibility. Whether we have more cases of BA2.86 or not, we have to see,” says Dr Pavithra.

New Covid variants Eris vs BA 2.86: Is the one scarier than the other? Know difference between symptoms

New Covid symptoms of BA 2.86

Dr Pavithra says BA 2.86 has few new extra symptoms which seem to be associated with this variant infection.

“People are getting rashes, there is some eye redness, there is some cases of diarrhoea,” she says.

Fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, loss of taste and smell, and sore throat are symptoms that are being reported with Eris infection.

Does this make BA 2.86 less or scarier? These aren’t overly surprising symptoms, but it’s a sudden change that shows the virus is continuously evolving, says Dr Pavithra.

New vaccines to fight new variants

“BA 2.86 has 36 new mutations that may allow it to evade the antibodies we already have. In the US and Germany they are upgrading PFizer and Moderna against the new strains. This doesn’t mean that the shots we took earlier are not effective, but they may be less effective. The battle between our immune system and the virus will be constantly faced as virus evolves. If not vaccinated, we must make sure you get it, especially if it’s been over a year.

Read more at-https://shorturl.at/lxEKY

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Government Guidelines Medical Equipments Medical Updates

Cancer-infecting virus warms up cold tumors, boosts immunotherapy: Research

Cancer-infecting virus warms up cold tumors, boosts immunotherapy: Research

The study states that cancer-infecting viruses can boost immunity of the body and support immunotherapy.

According to recent research published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, equipping cancer-infecting viruses with tumor-inhibiting genetic cargo boosts the immune system and supports immunotherapy in reducing or totally eradicating aggressive tumours in mice. The findings pave the path for clinical studies combining oncolytic viruses with immunotherapy.

Oncolytic viruses are genetically modified viruses that target rapidly dividing tumor cells while avoiding normal cells.

Oncolytic viruses were originally designed to directly kill cancer cells, but researchers later noticed that they also stimulated the immune system, suggesting that they could be coupled with other cancer therapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, which remove the brakes on the immune system so that T cells can recognize and attack tumors.

“Immune checkpoint inhibitors work only in ‘hot’ tumors, which have already been infiltrated by T cells,” said senior author Greg Delgoffe, Ph.D., associate professor of immunology at Pitt’s School of Medicine and director of the Tumor Microenvironment Center at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. “Oncolytic viruses can help ‘warm up’ cold tumors, so they have amazing potential to work hand-in-hand with immunotherapy, but they haven’t yet lived up to that promise.”

According to lead author Kristin DePeaux, a graduate student in Delgoffe’s lab, the problem is that many patients’ tumors do not respond to oncolytic viruses.

Cancer-infecting virus warms up cold tumors, boosts immunotherapy: Research

“There’s been a lot of interesting lab-based research on oncolytic viruses, but it hasn’t translated to the clinic,” she said. “We wanted to understand the mechanisms behind tumor resistance to these viruses to see what we can do to help patients.”

The researchers first developed a head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell line that is very sensitive to an oncolytic virus called vaccinia. Tumors injected with the virus regress after a single dose. They also developed a second cancer cell line that was otherwise identical but resistant to vaccinia.

After injecting both types of cells into mice and comparing immunological differences in the tumors that grew, they found that resistance to vaccinia was driven by high levels of a signaling protein called TGF-β, which is known to promote cancer growth by suppressing the immune environment.

Partnering with Andrew Hinck, Ph.D., professor of structural biology at Pitt, the team next engineered vaccinia to carry a gene encoding a TGF-β inhibitor.

“TGF-β inhibitors are very potent. They’ve been tried in the clinic, but they’re usually toxic because they’re delivered systemically,” said Delgoffe. “What’s really cool about using oncolytic viruses is that they deliver this cargo directly to the tumor microenvironment, so it’s very targeted and a much safer way to treat.”

When they injected the modified vaccinia into mice with vaccinia-resistant HNSCC, the tumors shrank or, in about 50% of mice, completely cleared, greatly increasing survival compared to animals that received the control virus, which didn’t carry the TGF-β inhibitor. Importantly, the treatment didn’t cause any autoimmune or toxicity-related side effects.

Next, the researchers tested whether the modified viruses could work similarly in a highly aggressive form of melanoma that is resistant to anti-PD1 immune checkpoint inhibitors. Animals that received no treatment, anti-PD1 or control vaccinia all died within about 24 days, while about 20% of those that received the modified virus had complete clearance of the tumor.

The most dramatic results occurred when modified vaccinia was combined with anti-PD1. In 67% of mice, tumors completely cleared, and survival was greatly extended.

Delgoffe and his team hope that a version of their modified vaccinia virus, which they’ve licensed to Kalivir Immunotherapeutics, could soon be ready to test in human clinical trials as an adjuvant for immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients who haven’t responded to these immunotherapies.

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