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VACCINE MAY BE AROUND BUT DON’T RELAX YOUR SAFETY PROTOCOLS JUST YET

Despite the promise of a vaccine, the pandemic is still very much out there and all precautions need to be maintained. Conservative estimates of a global vaccination cover will take us to the end of next year (December 2021) at the very least, hence the social distancing and other Covid protocols need to be strictly […]

Despite the promise of a vaccine, the pandemic is still very much out there and all precautions need to be maintained. Conservative estimates of a global vaccination cover will take us to the end of next year (December 2021) at the very least, hence the social distancing and other Covid protocols need to be strictly in place till then, and even later. Therefore, those who are suffering from Covid fatigue and are venturing out without following these norms need to pause and think again. If not for themselves, then for our overworked and overburdened healthcare system that has not taken a single day’s break since the epidemic broke nearly ten months ago. 

Apart from keeping ourselves safe, here are some dos and don’ts. For one, do not hesitate to quarantine yourself at the first sign of symptoms. You may be erring on the side of caution but when there are others in the family at risk, particularly the elderly, this cannot be recommended enough. Second, once the tests are confirmed, go in for a video consultation with any of the Covid doctors. Third, do not question the treatment. This is very significant for there are enough WhatsApp prescriptions floating around. The best would be to have faith in your doctor and not second guess him or her. Nowadays everyone is an expert on the subject, especially because almost every patient ‘knows’ someone who has been ill and thereby will try and match his/her prescription with the other patient. This is not always advisable. Also, avoid taking tips from Google and know-it-all relatives.

Also, do not panic. The doctors cannot handhold you through every symptom simply because they are overworked. So try and avoid messages such as, “My domestic help is showing symptoms. Should I get him tested?” Also, do not create WhatsApp family groups and add your doctor into it. They are already “Whatsapped” out. 

Speaking to doctors across the board, they point out that one of the biggest hurdles they face is when they prescribe steroids. According to some doctors, in the battle against Covid, steroids are fast becoming the game changer but there are many misapprehensions regarding this. Most misapprehensions are justified but in the fight against Covid, the medical fraternity insists that this is only used as a last resort but if patients fail to take it at the right time then it could have a massive setback. Again, there are no clear answers here so I would go with “Trust Your Doctor”. 

Also, the need to take second and third opinions only burdens the already overburdened healthcare system. Having said this, it is difficult not to do all that you can to ensure a loved one is getting the right treatment and so the relatives prefer to push the envelope rather than have regrets later. What makes it worse is that the patient is usually isolated with little or no access and this only heightens the concerns of the relatives. There are no easy answers here except to remember you are not in this alone, however isolated you feel. This is a pandemic that has gripped us all, leaving no one out, whether you contract the virus or not. There is no one who is not affected by it. 

Which is why I come back to my first point—about not letting go of the safety protocols just because the first vaccine shot has been taken. For don’t forget we still don’t know how long the immunity (of a vaccine) lasts. Some studies say not over three months, others longer. Also what are the aftereffects? There are too many questions still to be answered.

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