February 15, 2021
February 11, 2021
“Regular deworming is important for both kids and adults”
Intestinal worm infections have a direct impact on a child’s nutritional health and are a
significant health
risk in India. According to the WHO, out of the total number of children
across the globe,
about 28% of children from India are at risk of being exposed to parasitic
intestinal worms.
February 10 is observed as World Deworming Day.
According to Dr.
Chetan Ginigeri, Consultant, Paediatrics & Paediatric Intensive Care, Aster
RV Hospital, “An
intestinal worm infection (the three main ones are roundworm, hookworm
and whipworm) is
often not immediately evident and symptoms could include sudden weight
loss, stomach pain,
loose motions, weakness, fever, vomiting and over a period of time can
lead to anemia and
malabsorption (where the child’s body does not get sufficient nutrients as
nutrients are being
absorbed by the worms) which then impacts the growth and development
of the child.”
Dr. Pavithra R,
Consultant- Internal Medicine, Columbia Asia Hospital Hebbal adds, “Worm
infestation is
common among children as they affect their growth and development.
Similarly, they can
affect adults as well. Even though in most cases, worm infestation is not a
life-threatening
infection it can lead to various clinical problems. Therefore, deworming is
important both in
kids and adults.”
For the unversed,
deworming is the process of administering an anthelmintic drug to a human
to get rid of worms
in the body.
Open defecation and
unhygienic handwashing practices lead to the spread of these parasitic
worms into the soil
or fruits and vegetables which can then find their way into other people
who consume this. “Adult
cases of intestinal worms usually arise out of eating street foods or
improperly washed
vegetables or uncooked meat. Treatment is usually simple, but early
identification,
particularly in children is important to prevent growth deficiencies and infant
mortality. If you
stay in an area or plan to visit an area where people are particularly prone to
developing
intestinal worms, it is good to do deworming at least once a year for both
adults
and children, and
pay extra attention to hygiene,” adds Dr Ginigeri.
If deworming is
ignored, these worms have the ability to form cysts in the liver and lungs
leading to
pneumonia and other neurological conditions.
Although there is
an increased amount of awareness worldwide about deworming among
children, deworming
among adults also requires more attention. Infections due to certain
worms may lead to
loss of iron from the blood resulting in anaemia. Pregnant women are at
high risk due to
worm infection as they may develop anaemia during pregnancy leading to
multiple problems
for the foetus, adds Dr Pavithra.
Some of the most
important ways to improve hygiene are washing hands before eating and
after using the
toilet; using sanitised toilets; keeping the surroundings clean and ensuring
nails hygiene.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/regular-dewormingis-
important-for-both-kids-and-adults/articleshow/80788712.cms
How running won’t ruin your knees or lead to injury
COVID-19 led to the resurgence of outdoor activities, especially running and cycling. With
gyms and fitness
centers still not considered fully safe, people are finding their fitness
outlet
in running. Isn’t
it also the simplest? All you need is a pair of shoes and you can quickly
break into a sweat.
Coach Nivedita
Samanta who leads the Adidas Running Community shares, “Running is one
of the most
fulfilling fitness forms. It is important to start small and not worry too much
about the numbers
initially. I recommend people to try a combination of walking and running
when they are just
beginning.”
Beginners sometimes
end up getting too much into technicalities. Nivedita warns, “When
people try to do
too much, too soon, that’s where they go wrong. One must never ignore the
importance of rest.
Moreover, inadequate warm up and cool down can also hinder your
running progress.
You cannot just hit the ground running - 7-10 minutes of dynamic warm up
before running and
some yoga stretches post running to cool down are mandatory.” Dynamic
warm up includes
neck shoulder rotation, jumping jacks, spot jogging, while some of the best
yoga poses are
downward facing dog, upward dog and forward stretch.
It is important to
note that the human body was made for running. Different people run
differently and
that’s alright. While we fuss over foot landing, a lot of elite marathon
runners
land on heels,
shares Nivedita.
Listening to your
body is one of the most crucial things for runners. Beginners should start
with 30 minutes,
twice or thrice a week and try for a walk-jog sequence. Additionally, every
third week, they
should take a recovery week.
Running is a full
body workout where your joints get impacted so you have to prepare your
body. Practising
strength training on alternate days where you do exercises like squats,
lunges, planks,
push ups, to strengthen your tendons, ligaments and muscles will continue the
recovery process.
Despite getting
ample sunshine, most Indians are low on Vitamin D and B12 genetically. So
for those who are
above 40 years, it is important to monitor these levels via blood tests. A
holistic approach
is needed otherwise you will end up burning out and injuring yourself.
Nutritionist Luke
Coutinho recently shared how Vitamin D and B12 deficiencies can be
extremely harmful
for people. "They can have the best diets and workout plans, yet be
unhealthy due to
the vitamin deficiencies."
“I have runners of
all abilities in my group and you just have to find your stride,” she
concludes. She is
using her running sessions to support underprivileged kids through Adidas’
Hi-Energy Challenge
initiative.
Runner Anubha Verma
shares, “I was into fitness classes before lockdown and lockdown
introduced me to
the joys of running. Soon enough I found a group, which keeps me
motivated and now I
can cover more miles easily.”
To ensure safety,
there are a number of smart choices runners can make: wear proper
footwear and
running gear, find a group, take a day off religiously, do strength training to
improve your
running, be patient with yourself, follow a healthy and wholesome diet, and
last
but not the least,
wash your hands when you get home.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/fitness/how-running-wont-ruinyour-
knees-or-lead-to-injury/articleshow/80786815.cms
COVID-19 vaccine and immunity: A doctor explains the connection
Certain concerns about vaccine safety relate to how
they interact with the immune system, or even
how the immune system functions
in different situations.
Vaccines, like natural infections, induce
long-term immunity.
Everyone wants to strengthen their immune
system so that they can ward off diseases, or fight them, effectively. In the
ongoing pandemic,
the one question that many people have asked is about the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, and
if one actually needs it. Dr Sandeep Patil, chief intensivist at Fortis
Hospital Kalyan, explains the process of vaccine-induced immunity and says that
vaccination has become a “critical addition” to our defenses against COVID-19.
“This much is certain. But our ability to
achieve vaccination-induced herd immunity is still unknown. That shouldn’t stop
us from trying. It also shouldn’t stop us from practising and promoting safety
guidelines that can actually curb the spread of the disease,” he tells indianexpress.com.
“If COVID-19 is a raging forest fire, then
vaccines are the firefighters trying to quell it. We have to continue with the
preventive measures — social
distancing, mask wearing, hand hygiene, and rapid testing.”
Dr Patil further states that
according to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, 65 to 70 per cent
of a given population must be vaccinated to halt the spread of disease. “Once
that threshold is crossed, the COVID-19 virus will have too few human hosts to
choose from, driving down transmission rates dramatically. The process of
getting there is simple theory, but laborious and time-consuming in practice.”
Vaccine safety and immunity
The doctor points out that certain concerns
about vaccine safety relate to how vaccines interact with the immune system, or
even how the immune system functions in different situations. “For example,
natural infection versus immunisation. While it is fair to consider these
concerns, it is important to understand them in the context of how the immune
system works. It is true that natural infection causes better immunity than
vaccines. The difference, however, between vaccination and natural infection is
the price paid for immunity. Are we willing to wait that long for more people
to get infected or more lives to be lost? Or do we need to find for proactive
solutions?
“Vaccines,
like natural infections, induce long-term immunity. And moreover, the vaccine
candidates that have received approval from regulatory authorities are
efficacious and safe. Speak with your doctor if you have more doubts,” Dr Patil
concludes.
The Paid maternity leave linked to long-term health benefits
Paid maternity leave has major mental and physical health benefits for mothers and children -- including reduced rates of postpartum depression and infant mortality, a new study suggests.
The study, published in the journal Harvard Review of Psychiatry, showed that paid maternity leave also increased the likelihood of both breast feeding initiation and duration among mothers who choose to and are able to breast feed.
"Available data now also shows that paid maternity leave is good for the physical and mental health of mothers and their children. So, now we know it's not just good for business, it's also good for the health of working families," said researcher Christina Mangurian from the University of California - San Francisco.
For the study, the researchers analyzed recent national and international studies on the effects of paid maternity leave on the health of mothers and children.
Focusing on 26 experimental or quasi-experimental studies, the review highlights the public health benefits of paid maternity leave in several areas.
The team found that paid maternity leave was linked to significantly lower rates of postpartum maternal depression, a common disorder with serious repercussions for both the mother and child.
Other reported benefits include reduced psychological distress, improved mood, and in one study a sharply reduced risk of intimate partner violence.
Maternity leave also had positive effects on infant mental health and development -- including reducing the risk of postpartum depression and its inherent adverse effects on maternal-infant bonding.
The duration of maternity leave has also been linked to the quality of mother-child interactions, which affects the development of attachment, empathy, and later academic performance in the child.
February 10, 2021
Covid likely did not originate from Wuhan lab: WHO probe
https://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Home/ArticleView
February 09, 2021
South Africa suspends AstraZeneca vaccine drive
South Africa has suspended plans to inoculate its front-line health care workers with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine after a small clinical trial suggested that it isn't effective in preventing mild to moderate illness from the variant dominant in the country.
South Africa received its first 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine last week and was expected to begin giving jabs to health care workers in mid-February.
The disappointing early results indicate that an inoculation drive using the AstraZeneca vaccine may not be useful.
Preliminary data from a small study suggested that the AstraZeneca vaccine offers only “minimal protection against mild-moderate disease" caused by the variant in South Africa.
The variant appears more infectious and is driving a deadly resurgence of the disease in the country, currently accounting for more than 90 per cent of the COVID-19 cases, health minister Zweli Mkhize said Sunday night.
“The AstraZeneca vaccine appeared effective against the original strain, but not against the variant,” Mkhize said.
“We have decided to put a temporary hold on the rollout of the vaccine ... More work needs to be done.”
The study, which hasn't yet been peer-reviewed, involved 2,000 people, most of whom were young and healthy. The volunteers' average age was 31.
“Protection against moderate-severe disease, hospitalisation or death could not be assessed in this study as the target population were at such low risk,” said a statement issued by Oxford University and the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
Scientists will be studying whether or not the AstraZeneca vaccine is effective in preventing severe disease and death against the variant, Mkhize said.
Other vaccines have shown reduced efficacy against the variant, but have provided good protection from serious disease and death.
Public health officials are concerned about the South Africa variant because it contains a mutation of the virus' characteristic spike protein, which is targeted by existing vaccines. South African officials say the variant is more contagious and evidence is emerging that it may be more virulent.
South Africa will urgently roll out other vaccines to inoculate as many as possible in the coming months, Mkhize said. Other South African scientists on Sunday said the clinical trials for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine show good results against the variant.
The early results for the AstraZeneca vaccine against the variant could have far-reaching implications as many other countries in Africa and beyond have been planning to use the AstraZeneca shot. The international COVAX initiative has bought the AstraZeneca vaccine in bulk from the Serum Institute of India.
Developers of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine expect to have a modified jab to cope with the South Africa coronavirus variant by autumn, the vaccine's lead researcher said Sunday.
Sarah Gilbert, lead researcher for the Oxford team, told the BBC on Sunday that “we have a version with the South African spike sequence in the works.”
“It looks very likely that we can have a new version ready to use in the autumn,” she added.
Authorities in England last week went house-to-house to administer COVID-19 testing in eight areas where the South Africa variant is believed to be spreading, after a handful of cases were found in people who had no contact with the country or anyone who travelled there.
More than 100 cases of the South African variant have been found in the UK. The testing blitz is a bid to snuff out the variant before it spreads widely and undermines the UK's vaccination rollout.
Britain has seen Europe's deadliest coronavirus outbreak, with over 112,000 confirmed deaths, but it has embarked on a speedier vaccination plan than the neighbouring European Union.
So far, the UK has given a first coronavirus vaccine jab to about 11.5 million people.
https://www.dailypioneer.com/2021/trending-news/south-africa-suspends-astrazeneca-vaccine-drive.html
Higher blood pressure at night may increase Alzheimer's disease risk
Higher blood pressure at night more than in daytime may be a risk factor
for Alzheimer's
disease in older men, suggest a new study from researchers at Uppsala
University. Higher BPat night than in daytime may increase Alzheimer's disease risk.
The study has now been published in the journal Hypertension.
‘Dementia’ is an umbrella term used to describe a category of symptoms
marked by
behavioural changes and gradually declining cognitive and social abilities.
Numerous factors,
including hypertension (high blood pressure), affect the risk of developing
these symptoms.
Under healthy conditions, blood pressure (BP) varies over 24 hours, with
lowest values
reached at night. Doctors call this nocturnal blood pressure fall
'dipping'.
However, in some people, this BP pattern is reversed: their nocturnal BP is higher than in
daytime. This blood pressure profile is known as 'reverse dipping'.
“The night is a critical period for brain health. For example, in animals, it has previously been
shown that the brain clears out waste products during sleep, and that this
clearance is
compromised by abnormal blood pressure patterns. Since the night also
represents a critical
time window for human brain health, we examined whether too high blood
pressure at night,
as seen in reverse dipping, is associated with a higher dementia risk in
older men," said
Christian Benedict, Associate Professor at Uppsala University's Department
of Neuroscience,
and senior author of the study.
To test this hypothesis, the researchers used observational data from one thousand Swedish
older men, who were followed for a maximum of 24 years. The included men
were in their
early seventies at the beginning of the study.
“The risk of getting a dementia diagnosis was 1.64 times higher among men with reverse
dipping compared to those with normal dipping. Reverse dipping mainly
increased the risk of
Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia," said Xiao Tan,
postdoctoral fellow
from the same department and first author of this research.
“Our cohort consisted only of older men. Thus, our results need to be replicated in older
women," said Benedict.
According to the researchers, an interesting next step would be to investigate whether the
intake of antihypertensive (BP-lowering) drugs at night can reduce older
men's risk of developing
Alzheimer's disease.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/health/higher-blood-pressure-at-night-may-increasealzheimers-disease-risk-209656
Experimental drug can speed up COVID-19 recovery: Study
The study noted that patients who received a single injection of the drug peginterferon-lambda
were over four times more likely to have cleared the infection within seven
days compared to
a group treated with placebo
Scientists have found that an experimental antiviral drug can significantly
speed up recovery
in COVID-19 patients who do not need hospitalisation, an advance that may
lead to better
interventions to treat those infected with the novel coronavirus.
The study, published in the journal Lancet Respiratory Medicine, noted that
patients who
received a single injection of the drug peginterferon-lambda were over four
times more likely
to have cleared the infection within seven days compared to a group treated
with placebo.
“This treatment has large therapeutic potential, especially at this moment
as we see aggressive
variants of the virus spreading around the globe which are less sensitive
to both vaccines and
treatment with antibodie,” said study co-author Jordan Feld from the Toronto
Centre for Liver
Disease in Canada.
According to the researchers, people who were treated with the drug cleared the virus quickly
with the effect being most pronounced in those with the highest viral
levels.
“We also saw a trend towards quicker improvement of respiratory symptoms in the treatment
group,” Feld explained.
Patients with higher viral levels were much more likely to clear the infection following
treatment with the drug than those who received the placebo — 79 per cent
in the treatment
arm compared to 38 per cent in the placebo group.
The researchers added that the virus levels decreased quickly in everyone in the treatment
group.
They explained that rapid clearance of the virus has several benefits, particularly in those with
high viral levels, as such cases are associated with more severe disease
and a higher risk of
transmission to others.
Among the 60 patients followed in the study, the researchers said five went to emergency rooms
with deteriorating respiratory symptoms.
And of those five, they said four were in the placebo group, while only one was in the group
which received the actual drug.
“If we can decrease the virus level quickly, people are less likely to spread the infection to
others and we may even be able to shorten the time required for
self-isolation,” Feld said.
The scientists said interferon-lambda is a protein produced by the body in
response to viral
infections with the ability to activate a number of cellular pathways to
kill invading viruses.
Since the novel coronavirus prevents the body from producing interferons as
means to avoid
being controlled by the body’s immune system, the study said treatment with
the drug activated
those same virus-killing pathways in the cells.
According to the researchers, the drug peginterferon-lambda is a long-acting version of the
drug developed by Eiger BioPharmaceuticals, adding that it could be given
as a single injection
under the skin with a tiny needle.
They hope to conduct a phase 3 trial in the near future to find the efficacy of the drug in a much
larger population.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/health/experimental-drug-can-speed-up-covid-19-recovery-study-209604
Pfizer vaccine can neutralise coronavirus variants first reported in UK, SA: Study
The COVID-19 vaccine co-developed by the American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and the German biotechnology company BioNTech can neutralise variants of the novel coronavirus that were first reported in the UK and South Africa, a new study suggests.
The research, published in the journal Nature Medicine, noted that the vaccine is effective against coronavirus variants carrying the N501Y and E484K mutations.
According to the scientists, including those from the University of Texas in the US, these variants have a substitution of the amino acid building blocks that make up the viral spike protein -- the part of the virus which enables it to enter human cells.
They said these mutations in the 501st and 484th positions of the protein's amino acid molecule chain appeared in the UK and the South African variants, and could potentially increase the affinity of the viral spike for the receptor on the human cell through which the virus enters cells.
In particular, they said the N501Y mutation may also expand the range of hosts the virus can infect to include mice.
In the current study, the scientists, Pei-Yong Shi and his colleagues engineered combinations of mutations found in these circulating variants and tested a panel of human sera from 20 participants.
They said the sera were obtained from their clinical trial of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine obtained two or four weeks after immunisation with two doses spaced three weeks apart.
When they tested the serum against the coronavirus strains, the authors found evidence of neutralisation of the mutant viruses by the sera panel, with slight variation.
According to the scientists, neutralisation against the E484K mutation was slightly lower than that against the N501Y mutation.
Commenting on the research, virologist Lawrence Young from the University of Warwick in the UK, said the findings confirm previous studies indicating that the Pfizer vaccine is very likely to be effective against the UK variant.
"It shows that the mutations found in the South African variant reduced the efficiency of virus neutralisation by 50 per cent but only in six out of the 20 sera examined," said Young, who was not related to the study.
Jonathan Ball, Professor of Molecular Virology, University of Nottingham in the UK, also noted that the findings are promising.
"This is important work and provides reassurance that the antibody response generated by the Pfizer vaccine is able to neutralise coronavirus genetically engineered to carry some of the mutations seen in the variants of concern first identified in the UK and South Africa," Ball, who was also unrelated to the study, said in a statement.
"However, we suspect that the effects of these mutations can be influenced by mutations occurring in other parts of the spike protein, so it will be important to validate these promising findings using viruses engineered to carry all of the mutations found in each variant," he added.
Due to the ongoing evolution of the coronavirus, the study authors called for continuous monitoring of vaccine efficacy for emerging variants.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/health/pfizer-vaccine-can-neutralise-coronavirusvariants-
first-reported-in-uk-sa-study-209965
February 08, 2021
Study sheds light on coronavirus evolution during treatment of chronic infection
Treatment of a COVID-19 patient who had a suppressed immune system with convalescent plasma coincided with the emergence of different variants of the novel coronavirus, says a new case study.
According to the researchers,
including Ravindra Gupta from Cambridge University in the UK, the dominant
variant that emerged in the patient after the plasma therapy possessed a
mutation that is also present in the one first discovered in the UK.
The findings, published in the
peer-reviewed journal Nature, suggest the possibility that evolution of the
SARS-CoV-2 virus can occur in immunosuppressed individuals when prolonged viral
replication takes place.
In the study, the scientists assessed
a male patient with a compromised immune system in the seventies who was infected
with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
They said the individual was
unsuccessfully treated with antibiotics, steroids, and courses of the antiviral
drug remdesivir and convalescent plasma therapy over the course of 101 days.
Gupta and his colleagues said they
collected samples of the virus on 23 occasions over the course of the
treatment.
Their analysis revealed that the
infecting variant of the virus possessed the mutation that was first reported
in China.
They assigned this variant to the
lineage 20B, which had an alteration of an amino acid building block in the 614
molecular position of its spike protein -- the part of the virus which enables
it to attach to human cells.
Then the authors found that between
days 66 and 82, after administration of the first two rounds of convalescent
plasma, a shift in the virus population was observed.
According to the study, a variant with
two alterations in the spike protein became prevalent.
One of the changes was a deletion of a
building block at the position 69/70 of the spike protein's amino acid molecule
chain -- a mutation also present in the UK variant.
The researchers found another mutation
that leads to a substitution of a molecule in the 796th position of the
protein's amino acid chain.
They said this virus population re-emerged
after a third course of remdesivir (day 93) and plasma (day 95).
Commenting on the mutations observed
in the study, Simon Clarke, Associate Professor in Cellular Microbiology,
University of Reading in the UK, said the virus acquired a mutation to help it
escape antibodies, which also had the effect of making it less infectious.
"To compensate for that, another
mutation occurred to counterbalance that defect, so the virus maintained its
infectiousness," Clarke, who was unrelated to the research, added.
Based on the findings, the authors
believe repeated increase in the frequency of this viral population after
plasma therapy could mean the observed mutations may be conferring these
variants a survival advantage over others.
But scientists believe these variants
may not survive when the plasma therapy is stopped.
"..When serum antibody treatment
faded over time, the variant decreased in frequency, suggesting that the
variant was less fit than the original infecting wild type virus,"
Jonathan Ball, Professor of Molecular Virology, University of Nottingham in the
UK, said in a statement.
"This is important and highlights
that the virus will be experiencing lots of different, often opposing,
selective pressures, and we need to remember that whenever we consider the
potential impact and spread of new variants," Ball, who was also unrelated
to the study, added.
The authors concluded that the
emergence of this variant was not the primary reason for the failure of the
treatment.
Citing the main drawbacks of the
research, they said it was only a case study, adding that the generalisability
of the conclusions may be limited.
However, Gupta and his colleagues
believe the findings warrant caution in the use of convalescent plasma to treat
COVID-19 in immunosuppressed patients.
The Pioneer
February 05, 2021
February 04, 2021
Pandemic lockdown's had psychological impact on pregnant women: Study
Highlights need to improve mental health care during pregnancy, especially in exceptional
circumstances.
During the lockdown in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, pregnant women
had higher symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The finding comes from a study published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica,
which also revealed that women with higher body mass index and lower social support were
most affected.
A total of 204 women accepted to participate in the study, which involved completing
questionnaires related to depression, anxiety, and social support.
The study's results "highlight the need to improve mental health care during pregnancy,
especially in exceptional circumstances such as the global pandemic situation or lockdown, as
these can cause added stress and increased anxiety and depression symptoms, resulting in
undesirable consequences on pregnancy in the future newborn", the authors wrote.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/health/pandemic-lockdowns-had-psychological-impacton-
pregnant-women-study-207459
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