Question 1: I have come in contact with a corona positive patient. What are my chances of getting infected?
Answer: It depends on whether either or both of you were wearing a mask, what was the distance between the two and how long you were in contact. The duration of the contact is called “Contact time”. In Covid-19, the contact time for transmission of infection is 15 min. So, if you have been in contact with a person for less than 15 min, and either of you is wearing a mask and distance is at least 6 feet, chances of infection are very less.
Question 2: How long after a contact, should I get tested for coronavirus?
Answer: The incubation period of Covid-19 is 2 to 14 days (mean is 5 days). Hence, you should get tested after 5 days if you are asymptomatic or earlier if you are symptomatic or as advised by your doctor.
Question 3: I have been found to be corona positive during contact tracing. When I should get tested for Covid 19?
Answer: If you are symptomatic, you should get tested immediately. If you are asymptomatic, testing should be done after 5 days.
Question 4: I am having symptoms of fever or respiratory infection. When should I be tested for Covid 19?
Answer: In the present-day scenario, such a patient should be tested immediately.
Question 5: What are the tests to diagnose Covid 19?
Answer: Several tests are available to diagnose this condition.
- RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction): This is the gold standard test. Best is nasopharyngeal sample. Nasal swabs or oro-pharyngeal swabs are acceptable alternatives. The report is available within 48 hours.
- Trunet: This is the same machine that is used for TB. The report is available in 4 hrs.
- Gene Expert: This is not available in India. The report is available in 4 hrs.
- Rapid antigen test (RAT): Report is available in 20 - 30 min. Sensitivity is 50 - 60%. A negative test needs to be confirmed by RT-PCR
- Covid Serology(Antibody): This is not used for diagnosis. Its usefulness is in serosurveys in the general population
Question 6: What is the role of Favipiravir?
Answer: Studies have used Favipiravir mainly in mild or asymptomatic COVID, claiming to prevent progression, whereas the majority of this cohort recover with just supportive care and monitoring and usually require no specific therapy. Evidence is weak for the use of Favipiravir and is currently not recommended in national guidelines.
Question 7: What is the role of Tocilizumab?
Answer: Tocilizumab has been approved by DCGI on compassionate ground in view of ongoing pandemic. However, it is an experimental therapy, has a limited role, and should be used only in patients with cytokine syndrome after ruling out active infections.
Question 8: What is the role of Plasma therapy?
Answer: Convalescent plasma collected from ABO matched donors with high neutralizing titers can be given to patients at risk of developing severe COVID in early stages of the disease. However, it should also be considered an experimental therapy and should be used with caution.
Question 9: How to prevent depression in COVID 19 patients?
Answer: Depression is a common finding in patients with COVID which may be because of a number of reasons including staying in isolation, anxiety related to disease, social stigma, among others. Such patients need empathy and psychological counseling preferably by a trained HCW like a psychologist/psychiatrist.
Question 10: Should relatives be allowed to visit COVID-19 patients admitted to the Hospitals?
Answer: No, relatives are not allowed to visit COVID-19 patients as they have chances to get infected and transfer it to the community.
Question 11: Can parents be allowed to stay with COVID-19 positive children?
Answer: Parents can stay with the children after explaining the risk and taking consent for the same.
Question 12: What percentage of patients with COVID-19 need to be hospitalized?
Answer: Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment, and for the majority – especially for children and young adults – an illness due to COVID-19 is generally minor. However, for some people, it can cause serious illness. Around 1 in every 5 people who are infected with COVID-19 develop difficulty in breathing and require hospital care. People who are aged over 60 years and people who have underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease, or hypertension are among those who are at greater risk.
Question 13: What is the recovery time for the Covid - 19?
Answer: Although for most people COVID-19 causes only mild illness, it can make some people very ill. More rarely, the disease can be fatal. Older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions (such as high blood pressure, heart problems, or diabetes) appear to be more vulnerable.
Question 14: What should a patient suffering from Covid -19 eat?
Answer: You should eat a variety of fresh and unprocessed foods every day to get the vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, protein and antioxidants your body needs. Drink enough water. Eat fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), nuts and foods from animal sources (e.g. meat, fish, eggs and milk). For snacks, choose raw vegetables and fresh fruit rather than foods that are high in sugar, fat or salt.
Question 15: Does eating garlic or adding pepper to food prevent COVID-19?
Answer: Garlic is a healthy food that may have some antimicrobial properties. However, there is no evidence from the current outbreak that eating garlic has protected people from the new coronavirus. Similarly hot peppers in your food, though very tasty, cannot prevent or cure COVID-19. The best way to protect yourself against the new coronavirus is to keep at least 1 meter away from others and to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. It is also beneficial for your general health to maintain a balanced diet, stay well hydrated, exercise regularly and sleep well.
Question 16: What is the difference between Quarantine, Isolation & Physical distancing?
Answer:
- Quarantine means restricting activities or separating people who are not ill themselves but may have been exposed to COVID-19. The goal is to prevent the spread of the disease at the time when people just develop symptoms.
- Isolation means separating people who are ill with symptoms of COVID-19 and may be infectious to prevent the spread of the disease.
- Physical distancing means being physically apart. WHO recommends keeping at least 1-meter distance from others. This is a general measure that everyone should take even if they are well with no known exposure to COVID-19.
Question 17: Can children and adolescents be also affected by Covid -19?
Answer: Children and adolescents are just as likely to become infected as any other age group and can spread the disease. Evidence to date suggests that children and young adults are less likely to get a severe disease, but severe cases can still happen in these age groups. Children and adults should follow the same guidance on self-quarantine and self-isolation if there is a risk they have been exposed or are showing symptoms. It is particularly important that children avoid contact with older people and others who are at risk of more severe disease.
Question 18: How long can the virus survive on the surface?
Answer: The most important thing to know about coronavirus on surfaces is that they can easily be cleaned with common household disinfectants that will kill the virus. Studies have shown that the COVID-19 virus can survive for up to 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel, less than 4 hours on copper, and less than 24 hours on cardboard.
Question 19: Why are Antibiotics prescribed to treat Covid -19 when it is a viral infection?
Answer: It’s true that Antibiotics do not work against viruses; they only work on bacterial infections. Physicians will sometimes use antibiotics to prevent or treat secondary bacterial infections which can be a complication of COVID-19 in severely ill patients. However the most frequently prescribed antibiotic for Covid is AZEE or Azithromycin, as it also has some antiviral as well as immune-modulator properties, both of which are potentially beneficial in infections like Covid.
Question 20: When should I get a repeat RT-PCR test to confirm that I have recovered from Covid-19?
Answer: As per the current guidelines of ICMR & MoHFW, a repeat RT-PCR test is not recommended. You may consider yourself cured when there is no fever for more than 72 hours & the oxygen saturation (measured by a pulse Oximeter) is more than 95%. However, as per the current guidelines, your quarantine period shall be over, only after 17 days from the start of your diagnosis.
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