Coronavirus: Separating the facts from myths and misconceptions

COVID-19 is not an airborne disease, garlic is not a remedy and you don't need a mask

It’s almost three months since the new coronavirus broke out in Wuhan city of Hubei province in China. A cure or a vaccine is not in sight. The staggering speed of infections has forced some countries into lockdown, while some have declared national emergencies.

Even today, not much is known of the virus. While the worry is understandable, the trepidation have given rise to some myths and misconceptions.

Here’s a compilation of facts the World Health Organisation, and advisories from several countries and agencies.

What are the symptoms?

The virus infection can cause mild, flu-like symptoms such as: fever, cough, breathing difficulty, muscle pain, and fatigue or tiredness. In extreme cases, patients develop severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis and septic shock that can lead to death.

How does it spread?

The virus seems to be transmitted mainly through respiratory droplets that people sneeze, cough, or exhale. The virus can also survive for several hours on surfaces such as tables and door handles.

Evidence suggests that an infected person with no symptoms can pass on the disease. But more proof is required to confirm this.

On average, one infected person will infect between two and three more. The incubation period (time between exposure to the virus and onset of symptoms) is estimated at between two and 14 days.

How serious is the disease?

According to data released by the Chinese authorities, 80 per cent of cases are mild. In around 14 per cent of cases the virus causes severe disease, including pneumonia, and shortness of breath. In about five per cent of patients it is critical, leading to respiratory failure, septic shock and multiple organ failure.

How is COVID-19 diagnosed?

Infection is diagnosed by finding evidence of the virus in respiratory samples such as swabs from the back of the nose and throat or fluid from the lungs.

Who is at risk?

Elderly people and those with underlying health conditions (hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and cancer) are considered to be more at risk of developing severe symptoms.

Are children at risk?

Disease in children appears to be relatively rare and mild. In China only around 2 per cent of cases were under 18 years of age, according to a study. Less than 3 per cent of them became critically ill.

What about pregnant women?

Pregnant women’s risk of illness is the same as non-pregnant ones. And a COVID-19 infection will not have any effect on the foetus. There is also no evidence of virus transmission from mother to baby.

Is there a treatment?

Currently, there is no specific treatment for this disease. Patients are provided symptomatic treatment: fluids to reduce dehydration, medication to reduce a fever, and supplemental oxygen in severe cases. Health care providers try to keep the patients healthy and expect antibodies developed by the body to fight the virus. So patients recover on their own.

Can antibiotics help?

No, antibiotics do not work against viruses. It works only against bacteria.

Is there a vaccine?

No. At present, there’s no vaccine against COVID-19.

Vaccines against pneumonia and other flu vaccines do not provide protection against the new coronavirus. The virus is so different that it needs its own vaccine.

But vaccination against respiratory illnesses is highly recommended to protect your health.

What should I do if I have visited an infected area?

People who have been to hot spots of infections or travellers returning should monitor their health for 14 days. Self-quarantine is advised.

How long is the infection period?

It will vary from person to person. Mild symptoms in a healthy individual may resolve in a few days. For individuals with other health issues, recovery may take weeks and in severe cases it could be potentially fatal.

How long does the virus survive on surfaces?

It is not certain how long the virus survives on surfaces. Studies suggest that coronaviruses may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. This may vary under different conditions, depending on type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment.

Can I catch the virus from a passer-by? Is it an airborne disease?

No. You can’t catch the new coronavirus through the air. The COVID-19 is not an airborne disease. The virus can remain suspended in the air for hours, but it cannot infect others under normal conditions.

The virus is typically transmitted through respiratory droplets. The coronavirus is physically larger and heavier than other known respiratory viruses. It can only travel about one to two metres before falling to the ground.

Lab tests have shown that aerosolised coronavirus particles (a fine mist or spray) can remain in the air for hours under certain conditions. But there’s no proof that it could infect others.

Should I wear as a mask?

Wearing lightweight disposable surgical masks is not recommended for persons without respiratory illness. Since they don’t fit tightly, tiny infected droplets may get into the nose, mouth or eyes.

People with a respiratory illness can wear these masks to lessen their chance of infecting others.

Professional, tight-fitting respirators (N95) can protect health care workers as they care for patients.

Home isolation: How do I do it?

You should stay in a separate room if you are sharing your home with others. Keep away from other people as much as possible. Wear a surgical mask when you are in the same room as another person. Use a separate bathroom, if it’s available.

Avoid contact with people who are at risk of severe disease, such as elderly people and those who have heart, lung or kidney conditions, and diabetes.

Keep out visitors.

What do I do after 14 days isolation?

If you do not have any symptoms at the end of 14 days self-isolation, you can resume your normal lifestyle.

Can eating garlic help prevent infection?

There is no evidence that eating garlic has protected people from the new coronavirus.

Can cold weather kill the virus?

Cold weather cannot kill the new coronavirus or other diseases since the normal human body temperature remains around 36.5°C to 37°C, irrespective of the external temperature.

Can mosquitoes spread the virus?

The new coronavirus cannot be transmitted through mosquito bites. It is a respiratory virus which spreads primarily through droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva.

Are hand dryers effective in killing the new coronavirus?

No. Hand dryers are not effective in killing the virus. To protect yourself, clean your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.

Can spraying alcohol or chlorine on the body kill the virus?

No. Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will not kill viruses that have already entered your body. Spraying such substances can be harmful to clothes or mucous membranes (i.e. eyes, mouth).

Can an ultraviolet disinfection lamp kill the coronavirus?

UV lamps should not be used to sterilise hands or other areas of skin as UV radiation can cause skin irritation.

Can thermal scanners detect infected people?

Thermal scanners can only detect people who have developed a fever due to the virus infection. But they cannot detect infected people who are yet to develop fever. It takes 2 to 10 days for infected people to develop a fever.

Will bleach, ascetic acid/vinegar or steroids help?

Gargling with bleach, taking acetic acid or steroids, or using essential oils, salt water, ethanol or other substances will not protect you from getting COVID-19. Some of them may even be dangerous.

Will a hot bath prevent COVID-19?

Taking a hot bath will not prevent you from catching COVID-19. Your normal body temperature remains around 36.5°C to 37°C, regardless of the temperature of your bath or shower.

How can I protect myself?

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Stay home when you are sick.

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Avoid close contact with anyone who is coughing and sneezing.

What is the risk of infection from food products imported from affected areas?

There has been no reports of transmission of COVID-19 through food.

Do pets and other animals pose a risk?

There is no evidence that pets (dogs and cats) pose a risk of infection. But it is always safe to practise hygiene when in contact with animals.

How long will this outbreak last?

It is impossible to predict how long the outbreak will continue, since it is a new virus. It is also not known whether the infection spread will decrease during summer, as is the case with seasonal flu.

Sources:
Gulf News wolrd
BBC future

Will warm weather really kill off Covid-19?

Some people hope that outbreaks of the new coronavirus will wane as temperatures rise, but pandemics often don’t behave in the same way as seasonal outbreaks.

Many infectious diseases wax and wane with the seasons. Flu typically arrives with the colder winter months, as does the norovirus vomiting bug. Others, such as typhoid, tend to peak during the summer. Measles cases drop during the summer in temperate climates, while in tropical regions they peak in the dry season.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, many people are now asking whether we can expect similar seasonality with Covid-19. Since it first emerged in China around mid-December, the virus has spread quickly, with the number of cases now rising most sharply in Europe and the US.

Many of the largest outbreaks have been in regions where the weather is cooler, leading to speculation that the disease might begin to tail off with the arrival of summer. Many experts, however, have already cautioned against banking too much on the virus dying down over the summer.

And they are right to be cautious. The virus that causes Covid-19 – which has been officially named SARS-CoV-2 – is too new to have any firm data on how cases will change with the seasons. The closely related Sars virus that spread in 2003 was contained quickly, meaning there is little information about how it was affected by the seasons.

But there are some clues from other coronaviruses that infect humans as to whether Covid-19 might eventually become seasonal.

A study conducted 10 years ago by Kate Templeton, from the Centre for Infectious Diseases at the University of Edinburgh, UK, found that three coronaviruses – all obtained from patients with respiratory tract infections at hospitals and GP surgeries in Edinburgh – showed “marked winter seasonality”. These viruses seemed to cause infections mainly between December and April – a similar pattern to that seen with influenza. A fourth coronavirus, which was mainly found in patients with reduced immune systems, was far more sporadic.

There are some early hints that Covid-19 may also vary with the seasons. The spread of outbreaks of the new disease around the world seems to suggest it has a preference for cool and dry conditions.

An unpublished analysis comparing the weather in 500 locations around the world where there have been Covid-19 cases seems to suggest a link between the spread of the virus and temperature, wind speed and relative humidity. Another unpublished study has also shown higher temperatures are linked to lower incidence of Covid-19, but notes that temperature alone cannot account for the global variation in incidence.

Further as-yet-unpublished research predicts that temperate warm and cold climates are the most vulnerable to the current Covid-19 outbreak, followed by arid regions. Tropical parts of the world are likely to be least affected, the researchers say.

But without real data over a number of seasons, researchers are relying upon computer modelling to predict what might happen over the course of the year.

Extrapolating data about Covid-19’s seasonality based on endemic coronaviruses – meaning viruses which have been circulating in human populations for some time – is challenging. That's not least because endemic viruses are seasonal for a number of reasons that might not currently apply to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pandemics often don’t follow the same seasonal patterns seen in more normal outbreaks. Spanish flu, for example, peaked during the summer months, while most flu outbreaks occur during the winter.

“Eventually we would expect to see Covid-19 becoming endemic,” says Jan Albert, a professor of infectious disease control who specialises in viruses at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. “And it would be really surprising if it didn't show seasonality then. The big question is whether the sensitivity of this virus to [the seasons] will influence its capacity to spread in a pandemic situation. We don’t know for sure, but it should be in the back of our heads that it is possible.”

We need to be cautious, therefore, when using what we know about the seasonal behaviour of other coronaviruses to make predictions about the current Covid-19 pandemic. But why are related coronaviruses seasonal, and why does that offer hope for this outbreak?

Coronaviruses are a family of so-called “enveloped viruses”. This means they are coated in an oily coat, known as a lipid bilayer, studded with proteins that stick out like spikes of a crown, helping to give them their name – corona is Latin for crown. 

Research on other enveloped viruses suggests that this oily coat makes the viruses more susceptible to heat than those that do not have one. In colder conditions, the oily coat hardens into a rubber-like state, much like fat from cooked meat will harden as it cools, to protect the virus for longer when it is outside the body. Most enveloped viruses tend to show strong seasonality as a result of this.

Research has already shown that Sars-Cov-2 can survive for up to 72 hours on hard surfaces like plastic and stainless steel at temperatures of between 21-23C (70-73F) and in relative humidity of 40%. Exactly how the Covid-19 virus behaves at other temperatures and humidity has still to be tested, but research on other coronaviruses suggests they can survive for more than 28 days at 4C.

A closely related coronavirus that caused the Sars outbreak in 2003 has also been found to survive best in cooler, drier conditions. For example, dried Sars virus on smooth surfaces remained infectious for over five days at between 22-25C and with a relative humidity of 40–50%. The higher the temperature and humidity, the shorter the virus survived.

“Climate comes into play because it affects the stability of the virus outside the human body when expelled by coughing or sneezing, for example,” says Miguel Araújo, who studies the effects of environmental change on biodiversity at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid, Spain. “The greater the time the virus remains stable in the environment, the greater its capacity to infect other people and become epidemic. While Sars-Cov-2 has quickly spread all over the world, the major outbreaks have mainly occurred in places exposed to cool and dry weather.”

His computer models certainly seem to match the pattern of outbreaks around the world, with the highest number of cases outside of the tropics.

Araújo believes that if Covid-19 shares a similar sensitivity to temperature and humidity, it could mean cases of coronavirus will flare up at different times around the world.

“It is reasonable to expect the two viruses will share similar behaviour,” he says. “But this is not a one-variable equation. The virus spreads from human to human. The more humans at any given place and the more they get into contact with each other, the more infections there will be. Their behaviour is key to understanding the propagation of the virus.”

A study from the University of Maryland has shown that the virus has spread most in cities and regions of the world where average temperatures have been around 5-11C (41-52F) and relative humidity has been low.

But there have been considerable numbers of cases in tropical regions, too. A recent analysis of the spread of the virus in Asia by researchers at Harvard Medical School suggests that this pandemic coronavirus will be less sensitive to the weather than many hope.

They conclude that the rapid growth of cases in cold and dry provinces of China, such as Jilin and Heilongjiang, alongside the rate of transmission in tropical locations, such as Guangxi and Singapore, suggest increases in temperature and humidity in the spring and summer will not lead to a decline in cases. They say it underlines the need for extensive public health interventions to control the disease.

This is because the spread of a virus depends on far more than simply its ability to survive in the environment. And this is where understanding the seasonality of diseases becomes complicated. For a disease like Covid-19, it is people who are now spreading the virus, and so seasonal changes in human behaviour can also lead to shifts in infection rates.

Measles cases in Europe, for example, tend to coincide with school terms and decrease during the holidays when children are not spreading the virus to one another. The enormous migration of people around the Chinese Lunar New Year on 25 January has also been suggested to have played a key role in the spread of Covid-19 out of Wuhan to other cities in China and around the world.

The weather can also mess with our own immune systems to make us more vulnerable to infections, too. There is some evidence to suggest the vitamin D levels in our bodies can have an affect on how vulnerable we are to infectious diseases. In the winter our bodies make less vitamin D from sunlight exposure, mainly because we spend more time indoors and wrap ourselves in clothing against the cold air. But some studies have found this theory is unlikely to account for seasonal variation seen in diseases like flu.

More controversial is whether cold weather weakens our immune systems – some studies suggest it does, but others find the cold can actually boost the number of cells that defend our bodies from infection.

There is stronger evidence, however, that humidity can have a greater impact on our vulnerability to disease. When the air is particularly dry, it is thought to reduce the amount of mucus coating our lungs and airways. This sticky secretion forms a natural defence against infections and with less of it, we are more vulnerable to viruses.

Stopping contact between people should also bring down the infection rates

One intriguing study by scientists in China suggests there is some sort of relationship between how deadly Covid-19 can be and the weather conditions. They looked at nearly 2,300 deaths in Wuhan, China, and compared them to the humidity, temperature and pollution levels on the day they occurred.

Although it has yet to be published in an academic journal, their research suggests mortality rates were lower on days when the humidity levels and temperatures were higher. Their analysis also suggests that on days where the maximum and minimum temperature ranges were greater, there were higher levels of mortality. But this work is largely also based on computer modelling, so the exact nature of this relationship, and whether it will be seen in other parts of the world, is still to be explored.

As the virus causing the Covid-19 pandemic is new, it is unlikely many people, if anyone, will have immunity against it until they have been infected and have recovered. This means the virus will spread, infect and cause disease in a way quite unlike endemic viruses.

Air travel has been the main route by which the virus has spread around the world so rapidly, says Vittoria Colizza, director of research at the French Institute of Health and Medical Research. But once it starts spreading within a community, it is close contact between people that drives the transmission. Stopping contact between people should also bring down the infection rates. This is exactly what many governments have been attempting to do with the escalating lockdown of public places around the world.

Why coronavirus cannot spread through the air

There’s no transmission risk for everyday people from COVID-19 virus-laden mist

Is COVID-19 an airborne disease? No, it is not.

The new coronavirus can remain suspended in the air for hours, but it cannot infect others under normal conditions.

So there’s no reason to be alarmed — unless you are a medical professional dealing directly with COVID-19 patients.

The virus is typically transmitted through respiratory droplets, but a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that it can remain in the air for up to three hours.

Lab tests have shown that aerosolised coronavirus particles (a fine mist or spray) can remain in the air for hours under certain conditions. But those conditions are rare.

I think the answer will be, aerosolisation occurs rarely but not never. You have to distinguish between what’s possible and what’s actually happening.

- Dr Stanley Perlman, University of Iowa, microbiologist and physician

“I think the answer will be, aerosolisation occurs rarely but not never,” said microbiologist and physician Stanley Perlman of the University of Iowa. “You have to distinguish between what’s possible and what’s actually happening.”

No evidence of infection

There is still no evidence to suggest that the virus-infected mist could infect other people, like measles.

More research would be needed to determine that, said Jamie Lloyd-Smith, an ecology and evolutionary biology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“If it could easily exist as an aerosol, we would be seeing much greater levels of transmission,” said epidemiologist Michael LeVasseur of Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“And we would be seeing a different pattern in who’s getting infected. With droplet spread, it’s mostly to close contacts. But if a virus easily exists as an aerosol, you could get it from people you share an elevator with.”

In lab experiments, scientists transformed coronaviruses into a mist by putting them through a nebuliser.

The coronavirus not only survived in aerosolised particles for three hours, but they were also able to infect cells and replicate.

Perlman feels such a situation may only occur during procedures such as intubation. That has prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to issue new “airborne precautions” for medical professionals.

Advisory to medical professionals

Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, head of emerging diseases and zoonosis unit at the WHO, said health care workers were told to protect themselves.

The recommendations include the use of respirators, N95 masks, gowns, and extensive protection when performing some procedures on infected patients.

“When you do an aerosol-generating procedure like in a medical care facility, you have the possibility to what we call 'aerosolise' these particles, which means they can stay in the air a little bit longer,” Van Kerkhove said.

Droplets are the worry

A normal person shouldn’t be concerned, Van Kerkhove added.

Because in real-life conditions, virus in the air will get diluted quickly.

But if you're in an enclosed space, the virus could hang out in the air for a while.

“We’ve seen no evidence that aerosolised virus is the primary transmission risk for everyday people in everyday settings,” said Dylan Morris of Princeton University in New Jersey, US.

“One should not rule anything out categorically with a novel, still-poorly-understood virus.”

That should quell any fears on airborne transmission. Droplets are more worrying. So let’s keep washing our hands.

Reference gulfnews.com

Coronavirus: Cases balloon in Europe as global deaths cross 13,000

305,000 people have been infected across world as pandemic shows no signs of abating

Dubai: Coronavirus cases ballooned in Europe, prompting more lockdown measures to try to slow the spread. New Jersey’s governor followed four other US states that have imposed unprecedented restrictions. Australia announced it was shutting a large array of businesses from Monday.
More than 305,000 people have been infected across the world and more than 13,000 have died according to a Reuters tally.
Europe
In its latest desperate effort to halt the epidemic the Italian government ordered that all businesses must close until April 3, with the exception of those essential to maintaining the country’s supply chain.
Italy recorded a jump in deaths from coronavirus of almost 800 on Saturday, taking the toll in the world’s hardest-hit country to almost 5,000.
Spain extended for another 15 days a 15-day state of emergency imposed this month to try to curb the spread. Spain’s death toll soared to 1,720 on Sunday from 1,326 the day before, according to multiple media outlets citing the latest health data.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the country’s National Health Service (NHS) could be “overwhelmed” by the coronavirus like the Italian health system in just two weeks.

Americas
Nearly 1 in 4 Americans were under orders to close up shop and stay at home on Saturday. At least 23,941 cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported in the United States and 306 people have died from the COVID-19 disease as of Saturday evening, according to a Reuters tally of state and local government websites.

Bolivia’s interim government announced it would postpone presidential elections originally slated for May 3 and institute a mandatory countrywide quarantine for 14 days.
Brazil’s largest state Sao Paulo will essentially shut down for two weeks to help fight the coronavirus, its governor said on Saturday, as President Jair Bolsonaro said again that “hysteria” over the outbreak could cause more harm than the virus itself.

Asia
Hundreds of millions of Indians stayed indoors on Sunday, heeding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to citizens to self-isolate. At least 341 people have so far contracted the disease and four deaths have been reported in India due to the coronavirus, according to official data on Sunday. China on Sunday reported 46 new cases of coronavirus, the fourth straight day with an increase, with all but one of those imported from overseas, and further stepped up measures to intercept cases from abroad.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday ordered many venues, including pubs, casinos, gyms and cinemas, to close from midday Monday to combat coronavirus after many people appeared to disregard health warnings and congregated in large numbers in recent days.

Members of a South Korean church scuffled with police on Sunday, media reported, as government restrictions on religious services and other gatherings took effect.

Middle East and Africa
Iran’s death toll has reached 1,685 with 129 deaths in the past 24 hours, the health ministry’s spokesman told state TV on Sunday, adding that the total number of infected people in Iran had reached 21,638.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the United States’ offer to help Iran in its fight against the pandemic is strange.

Oman on Sunday banned public gatherings in the Gulf Arab state, limited staffing at state entities and shut currency exchange bureaus.

Angola, Eritrea and Uganda confirmed their first cases of coronavirus, while Mauritius recorded its first death as the virus spreads across Africa.

Economic fallout
Republicans and Democrats in the US Senate scrambled on Saturday to complete a deal on a $1 trillion-plus bill aimed at stemming the coronavirus pandemic’s economic fallout for workers, industries and small businesses.

Companies should not publish preliminary financial statements for at least two weeks to better assess how the coronavirus epidemic is affecting their business, Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority said on Saturday.

A Chinese central bank official called on Sunday for stepped up global policy coordination to manage the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, and said Beijing’s recent policy measures were gaining traction while it had capacity for further action.

A wave of credit rating downgrades in the corporate sector risks deepening a funding crisis for company bosses and spreading it to other markets.

Germany is readying an emergency budget worth more than 150 billion euros ($160 billion) to shore up jobs and businesses at risk from the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, the finance minister said on Saturday.

Amazon.com Inc said it is raising overtime pay for associates working in its U.S. warehouses as the world’s largest online retailer tries to meet the rapidly growing demand for online shopping from consumers stuck at home.

Sports
Tokyo 2020 organisers have started drafting possible alternatives to holding the Olympics this summer, two sources familiar with the talks said, in contrast to the Japanese government’s stance that postponement is not an option.

Multiple sports events have been cancelled or postponed.

15 interesting things to do while at home, for little to no cost!

1. Clear the clutter: Is there a storage cupboard that needs cleaning? Do you need to sort your wardrobe? Is the kitchen cabinet a mess? This weekend, take some time to clear the cluttered spaces in your home. Organise what you need and the things you can do away with and ‘Marie Kondo’ your home. If you live with family (or a roommate), you can get other members involved, assign tasks and get the job done!

2. Read a book: Our daily hustle and bustle often leaves us with less room to do the things we like and enjoy. You can take this opportunity to catch up on some reading. With the advancement of technology, everything is at the click of a button. You can read a book online or order one from your nearest book shop, whichever you prefer.

3. Catch up on sleep: Most people complain about not getting enough sleep during a work week. From shuttling between the daily nine to five to meeting up with friends or spending time with family after, one often compromises on a good eight-hours of sleep. Sleep is important to keep healthy and build immunity, and with the current pandemic, it is essential you get some snoozes in, and relax.

4. Make a long-distance call: If you live away from family or have been meaning to catch up with a long-distance friend, do it! Chances are, they are probably social distancing too and could use the company.

5. Cook something new: Use the ingredients you have on hand and try a new recipe. You can perfect your favourite pasta dish or try making a dish from another cuisine. The perks? If it turns out well, you get to eat it!

6. Movie binge: Whichever video streaming platform you use to catch up on movies, prepare a list of films that have more than one sequel and binge watch them all. Make yourself some microwavable popcorn and you won’t even miss going to the cinema.

7. Meditate: With time on your hands, take out a few minutes in the day to meditate. If you don’t know how to, YouTube comes in handy. There are plenty of videos and tutorials that take you, step by step, through the process of meditation. If you enjoy it, it could become a daily habit.

8. Write a journal: Journal writing is considered to be therapeutic. Maintaining a journal helps people organise their thoughts, keep track of daily activities, and note down important events. Write down what you manage to accomplish in the day or the things you are grateful for. It could be a page or a few points, but note down the activities you get up to doing in the day. This activity can be fun for children as well. They should be encouraged to maintain a personal journal, which they can decorate and fill in daily.

9. Arts and Crafts: Brighten up your day with an arts and crafts session with paraphernalia like paper, coloured pens, cardboard boxes and other materials lying around at home or available at the nearest supermarket. From do-it-your self-boxes, quirky bookmarks, to mindful colouring pages for children and adults, there’s a lot one can do with the help of the internet. Pick up Origami by watching tutorials, or learn to paint with watercolours, there’s something for everyone.

10. Grow plants: Do you have a green thumb? Find out. Grow a few small, easy-to-maintain plants like sprouts and herbs. If you already have a plant garden, check up on your plants. Make sure they are getting enough water and sunlight. This activity could be very educational for young children who can learn more about the anatomy of plants and the process of germination. Just remember to wash your hands afterwards!

11. Play games: If you’re competitive and enjoy games that stimulate your mind, challenge yourself. See how many words you can come up with in a minute. Try a Sudoku puzzle and attempt tougher levels. Do the crossword in the Gulf News print edition. If you need ways to keep your children entertained, board games come to the rescue. Play a game of scrabble, Jenga or Pictionary with the family. If your team wins, remember only elbow bumps allowed.

12. Work out: Gyms are closed around the UAE but that doesn’t mean you can’t work out at home. Put on some good music, and do some jumping jacks and stretches. There are many YouTube videos you can lean to for help if you need motivation and technique. You can even do this with the children. (Don’t attempt something too strenuous and before you begin a new fitness routine, always consult your doctor).

13. Take an online class: Since people have been advised by the UAE government to stay indoors as much as possible, one can take an online class from the comfort of your home. And they are free. all you need is a little research. From public speaking classes, to becoming a social media master, make use of your time and learn something new.

14. Learn steps to your favourite song: If you’re trying to master K-Pop band EXO’s crazy dance moves or learn Bollywood actress Nora Fatehi’s break-dancing routine from her latest film, now’s your chance. Put on some music and get to it.

15. Be active on social media: While you’re supposed to socially distance yourself, you can still update your status, create TikTok videos, use Snapchat filters and be online with your friends and family. Share pictures, use different selfies and share it with your friends. Keep your loved ones in the loop and have fun. 

Credits: Gulf News

کورونا: وینٹیلیٹر کی ضرورت کب پڑتی ہے اور پاکستان میں کتنی مشینیں دستیاب ہیں؟

کورونا وائرس سے متاثر ہونے والے زیادہ تر افراد کے بارے میں کہا جا رہا ہے کہ بغیر کسی پیچیدگی کے ان کی صحت بحال ہو جاتی ہے۔ تاہم متاثرہ افراد کی ایک مخصوص شرح میں طبی پیچیدگیاں ہو سکتی ہیں۔

تاحال سامنے آنے والے مشاہدات کے مطابق ان میں وہ افراد زیادہ شامل ہیں جو 60 سال سے زیادہ عمر کے ہیں یا وہ جن میں پہلے سے کوئی مرض پایا جاتا ہے۔ اس صورت میں ان متاثرہ افراد کو طبی امداد کی ضرورت ہوتی ہے۔

کووِڈ-19 کے بارے میں تاحال زیادہ معلومات میسر نہیں تاہم اس کی ایسی علامات جن کو خطرناک قرار دیا جا رہا ہے ان میں سانس کی روانی میں تعطل کی شکایات اور نظام تنفس میں انفیکشن شامل ہیں۔

مگر کیا ایسے تمام افراد کو وینٹیلیٹر یا مصنوعی نظامِ تنفس کی بھی ضرورت ہو گی اور کیا کورونا کی صورتحال میں پاکستان خصوصاً صوبہ پنجاب میں یہ موزوں تعداد میں دستیاب ہیں بھی یا نہیں؟

لاہور کی یونیورسٹی آف ہیلتھ سائنسز کے وائس چانسلر پروفیسر ڈاکٹر جاوید اکرم کے مطابق 'کوئی بھی شخص جس میں بیماری شدت اختیار کر جائے اور مریض سانس ہی نہ لے سکے تو اسے وینٹیلیٹر پر ڈالنے کی ضرورت پڑتی ہے۔'

کووِڈ-19 کے مریض میں یہ صورتحال پیدا ہو سکتی ہے۔ لیکن وینٹیلیٹر پہلے ہی پاکستان میں ضروت سے انتہائی کم تعداد میں میسر ہیں۔ وینٹیلیٹر پاکستان میں مقامی طور پر تیار نہیں ہوتے اور درآمد کرنے پڑتے ہیں اس لیے یہ مہنگے ہیں۔

عام حالات میں کسی بھی ہسپتال میں ضرورت کے مطابق وینٹیلیٹر کے استعمال کو ڈھالا جا سکتا ہے لیکن کورونا وائرس کے ممکنہ پھیلاؤ کا خدشہ ایک غیر معمولی صورتحال ہے۔

وائس چانسلر ہیلتھ سائنسز یونیورسٹی جاوید اکرم کے مطابق فی الوقت صورتحال زیادہ خراب نہیں 'مگر اس میں زیادہ سنگین ہونے کے تمام تر امکانات موجود ہیں۔'

متاثرہ افراد کو وینٹیلیٹر کی ضرورت کب پڑے گی؟

پنجاب حکومت نے کووِڈ-19 کے حوالے سے جو رہنما اصول ترتیب دیے ہیں ان میں کسی مشتبہ مریض کو سنبھالنے کا طریقہ کار بھی شامل ہے۔ اس کے مطابق مشتبہ مریض کو ماسک دے کر مخصوص کی گئی جگہ پر پہنچایا جائے گا۔

یہاں اس کا فلو وغیرہ کا علاج شروع کیا جائے گا اور ساتھ ہی اس کے جسم سے حاصل کیے گئے نمونے کووِڈ-19 کے ٹیسٹ کے لیے بھجوا دیے جائیں گے۔

اس دوران اس میں علامات میں بدتری کی نشانیوں کا جائزہ لیا جائے گا جن میں سیپسِس یا سیپٹک شاک اور ہائیپوکسیا وغیرہ شامل ہیں۔

اگر اس میں علامات کے بگڑنے کے شواہد موجود نہیں تو اسے علیحدگی میں رکھا جائے گا اور ہیں تو اسے ہائی ڈیپینڈنسی یونٹ (ایچ ڈی یو) بجھوا دیا جائے گا۔ اب ان دونوں جگہوں پر مریضوں کا مشاہدہ کیا جائے گا کہ کیا ان کی علامات میں بہتری آ رہی ہے یا نہیں۔

اگر مریض کی حالت میں بہتری نہیں آ رہی یعنی اس کی نبض کی رفتار 100 سے زیادہ ہے اور بلڈ پریشر 100 سے کم ہے یا اندرونی اعضا کے غیر فعال ہونے کا خطرہ ہے تو اسے وینٹیلیٹر سپورٹ پر لگایا جائے گا۔

وینٹیلیٹر کیا ہے اور کیا کرتا ہے؟

وینٹیلیٹر بنیادی طور پر ایک ایسی مشین ہے جسے مصنوعی نظامِ تنفس کہا جا سکتا ہے۔ یہ انسان کے پھیپھڑوں میں آکسیجن داخل کرتا ہے اور جسم سے کاربن ڈائی آکسائیڈ کا اخراج کرتا ہے۔

یہ بذاتِ خود کسی بیماری کا علاج نہیں بلکہ کسی علاج کے دوران اس وقت استعمال کیا جاتا ہے جب مریض کو سانس لینے میں دشواری ہو یا وہ خود سے سانس ہی نہ لے پائے۔ ان میں نمونیا بھی شامل ہے جو کورونا کی بدتر علامات میں سے ایک ہے۔

ہسپتال میں ماہر ڈاکٹروں کی زیرِ نگرانی وینٹیلیٹر کو ایک ٹیوب کی مدد سے مریض کے نظامِ تنفس سے جوڑ دیا جاتا ہے۔ زیادہ تر وینٹیلیٹرز کو چلنے کے لیے بجلی کی ضرورت ہوتی ہے تاہم چند کو بیٹری کی مدد سے بھی چلایا جا سکتا ہے۔

وینٹیلیٹر کا مقصد یہ ہوتا ہے کہ مریض کو اس وقت تک سانس کی فراہمی ممکن بنائی جاتی رہے جبکہ تک وہ اس کو لاحق مرض سے باہر نہیں آ جاتا۔ کسی متعدی بیماری کی وجہ سے یہ دورانیہ چند دنوں پر بھی محیط ہو سکتا ہے۔

کیا پاکستان میں وینٹیلیٹر آسانی سے میسر ہیں؟

ہیلتھ سروسز یونیورسٹی کے وائس چانسلر ڈاکٹر جاوید اکرم کے مطابق وینٹیلیٹر مقامی طور پر پاکستان میں تیار نہیں ہوتے اور انھیں درآمد کرنا پڑتا ہے، اس لیے ان کی قیمت کافی زیادہ ہوتی ہے۔

'ایک عام چھوٹا سا وینٹیلیٹر بھی 10 سے 15 لاکھ سے شروع ہوتا ہے اور 50 لاکھ روپے مالیت تک بھی چلا جاتا ہے۔' ان کو چلانے کے لیے بجلی کا خرچ اس کے الگ ہے۔ شاید یہی وجہ ہے کہ ڈاکٹر جاوید اکرم کے مطابق پاکستان میں 'پہلے ہی وینٹیلیٹرز ضرورت سے انتہائی کم ہیں۔'

وینٹیلیٹرز کی عدم دستیابی کی صورت میں جو متبادل طبی طریقہ استعمال کیا جاتا ہے، ڈاکٹر جاوید اکرم کے مطابق وہ قابلِ بھروسہ نہیں ہے۔

کورونا کی صورتحال میں کتنے وینٹیلیٹر میسر ہوں گے؟

کورونا کے ممکنہ پھیلاؤ کو روکنے کے لیے حکومتِ پنجاب نے صوبے کے تمام اضلاع کے اندر مختلف ہسپتالوں میں کورونا کے ہائی ڈیپینڈنسی یونٹ قائم کیے ہیں جن میں آئسولیشن سنٹر بنائے گئے ہیں۔

محکمہ پرائمری اینڈ سیکنڈری ہیلتھ پنجاب کے کورنا کے حوالے سے کی جانے والی تیاریوں پر مشتمل کتابچے میں دیے گئے حالیہ اعداد و شمار کے مطابق لاہور کے سروسز ہسپتال میں قائم آسولیشن سنٹر کے پاس چھ سے آٹھ وینٹیلیٹر موجود ہیں۔

سب سے زیادہ گجرات کے عزیز بھٹی شہید ٹیچنگ ہسپتال میں 15 وینٹیلیٹر موجود ہیں۔ اسی طرح بہاولپور میں سات، راولپنڈی میں چھ سے آٹھ، اوکاڑہ میں آٹھ، میانوالی میں پانچ، رحیم یار خان میں چھ جبکہ زیادہ تر جگہوں پر ایک یا دو وینٹیلیٹر موجود ہیں۔

رپورٹ کے مطابق بھکر، جھنگ، قصور اور لودھراں کے ہسپتالوں میں قائم ہائی ڈیپینڈنسی یونٹس میں ایک بھی وینٹیلیٹر موجود نہیں ہے۔

کورونا کے مریضوں کی اس وقت صورتحال کیا ہے؟

پنجاب حکومت کے مطابق صوبے میں کورونا کے مصدقہ مریضوں کی تعداد منگل کی رات تک 25 سے تجاوز کر چکی تھی ان میں وہ زائرین بھی شامل ہیں حال ہی میں ایران سے واپسی پر تفتان کے مقام پر قرنطینہ میں 14 روز گزارنے کے بعد حال ہی میں پنجاب میں داخل ہوئے تھے۔

حکومت کے مطابق 700 سے زائد ان تمام زائرین کو ڈی جی خان میں قائم قرنطینہ میں رکھا گیا ہے جہاں غازی یونیورسٹی میں 1740 افراد کی گنجائش کا قرنطینہ قائم کیا گیا تھا۔ تاہم پنجاب کے وزیرِاعلٰی عثمان بزدار کے مطابق 1276 مزید زائرین پنجاب میں داخلے ہوں گے جنہیں قرنطینہ میں رکھا جائے گا۔

تاہم اس صورتحال میں دیکھنا یہ ہو گا کہ آنے والے دنوں میں مخلتف ہسپتالوں میں قائم ہائی ڈیپینڈنسی یونٹس پر دباؤ کتنا بڑھے گا۔ اس کے بعد یہ اندازہ لگایا جا سکے گا کہ کس مقام پر کتنے وینٹیلیٹرز کی ضرورت ہو گی۔

حکومت کیا کر کر رہی ہے؟

منگل کی شب عوام سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے وزیرِاعظم پاکستان عمران خان نے اس امر کا اعتراف کیا کہ کورونا کی صورتحال میں 'حکومت کو اندازہ تھا کہ کسی ممکنہ پھیلاؤ کی صورت میں انھیں دیگر سہولیات کے ساتھ وینٹیلیٹرز کی کمی کا سامنا بھی ہو گا۔'

ان کا کہنا تھا کہ اس امر کو دیکھتے ہوئے حکومت نے پہلے ہی سے چین سے رابطہ کر رکھا تھا۔ چین سے حاصل کی جانے والی طبی سہولیات میں وینٹیلیٹرز کا حصول بھی شامل ہے۔

8 best tips for how to stay happy in troubling times

By dwelling less on stress and reflecting on the positives, BBC Future’s guide to happiness will help you to feel less overwhelmed by world events.

With the unfolding global coronavirus pandemic leading to people being confined to their homes, borders being shut and economic instability, it can be hard not to feel overwhelmed by the state of the world at the moment. The good news? Even in times of stress and anxiety, you can take proactive steps to lift your mood.

The science of emotions is incredibly complicated, but it is also well-studied. Over the years, BBC Future has interviewed dozens of world-leading experts in psychology who shared with us practical, everyday tips for coping better with stress. We recently trawled through the research. Here are some of the top tips we found – some of which may surprise you.

1. Distract yourself.

It’s easy to run over and over the topic that’s stressing us out, whether that’s the new coronavirus outbreak, the state of the climate or something else. But stopping people from ruminating on a recent stressful event – by offering a distraction – can lower their blood pressure back to normal levels quicker than offering no distraction.

2. If you meditate, be aware that it might not work for everyone.

In times like these, many people might find meditation and mindfulness helpful. But others might not – for precisely the reason above. For some people, practicing stillness might simply invite rumination. It can be difficult not to think about stressful events when trying to clear our minds. This may be why evidence for the benefits of mindfulness and meditation is patchy. For those people, a more compelling distraction than meditation might be required.

3. Reframe the situation.

How we interpret our emotions is largely down to how they’re framed – in other words, the context. While talking about his 2017 book Happy, Derren Brown gives the example of a tennis player going into a match thinking “I must win”. If they set an expectation that winning is everything, if they start to lose, they feel like an abject failure. This is a trap perfectionists tend to fall into, and it’s why perfectionists tend to respond with more guilt, shame and anger when they feel they aren’t succeeding. They may even be more likely to give up.

The player who goes into a match thinking “I will play the best I can”, however, believes that they are less hurt by losing, so long as they are doing their best. The signs of failure are interpreted differently by both players based on the expectations that they set for themselves.

It’s worth thinking about how you can apply this in your daily life: can each moment or day be about doing the best you can in a stressful situation (“I will practice proper hygiene and social distancing”), rather than focusing on an outcome out of your control (“I will not and cannot get sick”)?

That control part is key. Stressful situations are often beyond our control, and we create anxiety and worry when we try to control what we can’t. Focusing on what can be controlled, on the other hand, can decrease feelings of anxiety.

4. Don’t obsess over being positive or happy.

This one may seem counterintuitive: it can be a bad idea to chase positive emotions. Actively pursuing happiness can lead to the reverse effect. For one thing, the more we focus on our own happiness, the less we focus on the happiness of the people around us, which has been shown to contribute to feelings of isolation and disconnection. There is also a link between searching for happiness and feeling that time is slipping away.

And again, if you’re focused on an outcome like “I must feel happy”, you may feel worse about yourself if you don’t succeed – even though it’s perfectly natural to have a more difficult time feeling happy in stressful times.

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Tips for how to stay happy in troubling times

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By dwelling less on stress and reflecting on the positives, BBC Future’s guide to happiness will help you to feel less overwhelmed by world events.

Author image

By William Park

19th March 2020

W

With the unfolding global coronavirus pandemic leading to people being confined to their homes, borders being shut and economic instability, it can be hard not to feel overwhelmed by the state of the world at the moment. The good news? Even in times of stress and anxiety, you can take proactive steps to lift your mood.

The science of emotions is incredibly complicated, but it is also well-studied. Over the years, BBC Future has interviewed dozens of world-leading experts in psychology who shared with us practical, everyday tips for coping better with stress. We recently trawled through the research. Here are some of the top tips we found – some of which may surprise you.

1. Distract yourself.

It’s easy to run over and over the topic that’s stressing us out, whether that’s the new coronavirus outbreak, the state of the climate or something else. But stopping people from ruminating on a recent stressful event – by offering a distraction – can lower their blood pressure back to normal levels quicker than offering no distraction.

2. If you meditate, be aware that it might not work for everyone.

In times like these, many people might find meditation and mindfulness helpful. But others might not – for precisely the reason above. For some people, practicing stillness might simply invite rumination. It can be difficult not to think about stressful events when trying to clear our minds. This may be why evidence for the benefits of mindfulness and meditation is patchy. For those people, a more compelling distraction than meditation might be required.

3. Reframe the situation.

How we interpret our emotions is largely down to how they’re framed – in other words, the context. While talking about his 2017 book Happy, Derren Brown gives the example of a tennis player going into a match thinking “I must win”. If they set an expectation that winning is everything, if they start to lose, they feel like an abject failure. This is a trap perfectionists tend to fall into, and it’s why perfectionists tend to respond with more guilt, shame and anger when they feel they aren’t succeeding. They may even be more likely to give up.

The player who goes into a match thinking “I will play the best I can”, however, believes that they are less hurt by losing, so long as they are doing their best. The signs of failure are interpreted differently by both players based on the expectations that they set for themselves.

It’s worth thinking about how you can apply this in your daily life: can each moment or day be about doing the best you can in a stressful situation (“I will practice proper hygiene and social distancing”), rather than focusing on an outcome out of your control (“I will not and cannot get sick”)?

That control part is key. Stressful situations are often beyond our control, and we create anxiety and worry when we try to control what we can’t. Focusing on what can be controlled, on the other hand, can decrease feelings of anxiety.

4. Don’t obsess over being positive or happy.

This one may seem counterintuitive: it can be a bad idea to chase positive emotions. Actively pursuing happiness can lead to the reverse effect. For one thing, the more we focus on our own happiness, the less we focus on the happiness of the people around us, which has been shown to contribute to feelings of isolation and disconnection. There is also a link between searching for happiness and feeling that time is slipping away.

And again, if you’re focused on an outcome like “I must feel happy”, you may feel worse about yourself if you don’t succeed – even though it’s perfectly natural to have a more difficult time feeling happy in stressful times.

We can improve our mood by focusing on the small things that bring happiness to us each day

5. Focus on the small things.

It may be wise, then, to spend less time trying to become happy, and focus more on the little things that make us happy.

In her book Ten Minutes to Happiness, Sandi Mann, a lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire, advocates keeping a daily journal. Her strategy is based on “positive psychology” – a well-established area of psychology that suggests we can improve our mood by focusing on the small things that bring happiness to us each day. Mann says that answering the following six questions, a task that should only take 10 minutes, can help us to find more happiness in life.

1. What experiences, however mundane, gave you pleasure?

2. What praise and feedback did you receive?

3. What were the moments of pure good fortune?

4. What were your achievements, however small?

5. What made you feel grateful?

6. How did you express kindness?

The benefits of keeping a short journal like this are two-fold. When we write, it helps to remind us of the small things that brought us happiness. It also provides us with an archive of everything that has made us happy in the past, which we can reflect on at a later date.

6. Clean up – maybe.

Should you find yourself quarantined, take this opportunity to clean your house. "Kondo-ing" your home has been shown to carry many benefits. Clutter makes it harder for us to focus on tasks, so should you find yourself working from home, a quick tidy up might help you to get your jobs done. A messy bedroom has been linked with difficulty sleeping, and messy kitchens with making poor health choices, like reaching for junk food. If you are going to be spending more time in the house, it will be worth your while getting your living spacesin order.

However, de-cluttering is not for everyone. Hoarders use physical objects to reinforce feelings of comfort and security. For those people, tidying up activates the brain’s pain-processing regions.

7. Balance your social media consumption.

Social media might appear to be filled with bad news, but for many it is also a key way to stay updated and connected with friends and loved ones. Keeping your phone out of your bedroom, or self-imposing screen-free time, can help you to balance the negativity with the benefits social media brings.

8. Get out of town.

If you live in a city, another option might be to leave it behind for a short while – only if you can do so while maintaining safe social distancing and safeguarding your, and others’, health.

People in cities suffer from disproportionately high rates of mood disorders. Meanwhile, views of water and blue skies can undo the effects of ill moods. As little as “a 20 to 30% increase in blue space visibility could shift someone from moderate distress into a lower category”, suggests one paper from 2016.

Interestingly, the effect is not seen with green space, so the seaside will be better for you than the country.

So the next time you find yourself worrying about the world, consider taking some of these steps instead of ruminating, refreshing your social media feeds or, perhaps for some, even meditating. Remember: emotions are what we make of them.