COVID-19 3rd Wave- Possible threats and Solutions

Dr.Parinita Kaur, 3 mins read

The havoc that Covid-19 second wave created in India is still fresh in our memory, talk about the anticipated third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India has started and could hit the country in the next six to eight weeks, as per the experts. The first wave, COVID-19, too, claimed many lives in the world but was not as devastating as the second wave. As we know that Covid-19 second wave created an unprecedented situation in India. The inflow of critical COVID-19 patients was increasing every minute. ICU Beds and Oxygen were not available. We received scary and stressful news from everywhere. The statistics were very scary. It came like a storm. Hats off to healthcare and frontline workers who worked tirelessly and saved many lives.

Risk Factors

In any pandemic, the virus depends on the two factors-

1.Virus Mutation- Virus mutates and becomes more infectious. It is not in our control. This type of mutation can be avoided by following COVID appropriate behavior like- Wearing mask, social distancing and proper hand hygiene

2. Human Behaviour- Covid restriction has been eased in several states, and crowds have started increasing in the markets where people could be seen without masks, which could lead to increase in cases again.

Possible Signs and Symptoms:

Long COVID is a range of symptoms that can last for weeks or months after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.

Who is at risk?

It can happen to anyone who has had COVID-19, even if the illness was mild or they had no symptoms. The risk of the symptoms could be dangerous for those who were on oxygen support for longer period.

People with long COVID report experience following symptoms-

1. Chronic pain and Aches - Pain can be a symptom of inflammation when you go through the infection. The most common forms of the pain include: back ache, muscle pain, body aches. These pains could become severe if a person tries to do some chores. To avoid these pains from becoming more severe, pause and do your chores instead of rushing into them.

2. Anxiety - There is rise in mental health issues like stress and anxiety which could make it difficult for a person to sleep well. Some form of medication and self-care could help feel better.

3. Shortness of breath - Breathlessness is counted to be a serious COVID-19-symptom and chances of getting this symptom is more for the patients who had some level of lung involvement during their infection. Respiratory organ can take a while to fully heal. So patients should focus on restoring lung function by doing some breathing exercises and should also not overstress themselves.

4. Gastrointestinal issues - Virus could impact cells along the Gastrointestinal tract and disrupt function, which could lead to symptoms like nausea, acidity, digestive problems, pain in the stomach for weeks or months while recovering from the virus. Many patients can develop intestinal ulcers, so if you experience it for a longer period, consult your doctor for advice.

5. Weakness and fatigue - This symptom is the common issue post-covid recovery and it leaves the body extremely tired. It may take time to get fully recovered. One must concentrate on including anti-oxidants, fluids, and protein-rich foods in their diet and must also do moderate exercises for proper functioning of the body.

6. High blood pressure and change in Glucose reading- post-covid recovery, inflammation in the body could show up due to rise in Blood Pressure and High Glucose readings. Good diet and lifestyle changes become more important to get fully recovered.

Solution:

Vaccination remains the core weapon against the virus and increasing the gap between the two doses of Vaccine may not be a bad approach to provide more people with the protection. Also, following COVID appropriate behaviour like wearing masks, social distancing, sanitizing hands on regular intervals could lead to decrease in the cases.

Aakash Healthcare witnessed a huge burden and an unprecedented situation during the second wave of COVID-19 but a huge thank you to highly skilled doctors and dedicated front-line workers who worked tirelessly to save lives.