Hyderabad: Vaccine, masks, social distancing to tackle third wave

Hyderabad: Historically the second wave is always more severe than the first wave and a third wave will also be there towards the end of year. But it would be on a lower scale. Even now we are using trial and error method The best way to combat the third wave is that the Government should go in for vaccination at a faster pace and people should also become responsible and follow health protocols like wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing says Dr Naveen Nimmala HOD, Emergency Medicine Medicover in an exclusive interview to Meghna Nath.

Experts predict there will be a third wave of Corona. How to prevent it? What measures the government should take and what measures people should take. Can vaccination help in preventing third wave?

The only way to combat the third wave is to vaccinate people as fast as possible, Once the vaccine is given, it takes almost four to six weeks for immunity to come up. Government should concentrate on giving the first dose to everyone. Even if they get infected after the first dose the infection itself will help as a booster, severity of disease would be quite low. Third wave can be prevented if people are responsible.

The Government and Doctors say that vaccines are a must. But there are many apprehensions among people particularly because some of those who took the vaccine have also tested positive. Why is it so?

Once you take a vaccine, it does not prevent infection. You can still get infected and test positive as the infection could have got you a few days before taking the vaccine or few days after the vaccination is taken. But people should be happy that after taking vaccine if they are tested positive the severity would be quite low. Once you take vaccine, your body will start preparing antibodies, even if you get a real infection the body knows how to fight with it.

There are many apprehensions about taking steam. Some say once a person is infected steam should not be taken as the virus would spread faster is it true?

Any form of aero solution that means any air filled with vapor is going to spread the virus more if you're taking steam make sure you are alone in the room. Person who is taking steam inhalation should be in proper ventilated room. Most of the time what the person does is that they do not maintain enough distance between the steaming equipment and their face , so they inhale the hot fumes or steam and once you inhale too much hot fumes, the internal tissue in the oral cavity and nose would get damaged trying to maintain enough distance while inhaling the steam. It would be better to stay away from steam and nebulisation if you have breathing difficulty.

We are in the second wave of COVID-19. Is there any treatment protocol for treatment of Corona? During first wave last year it was there more of a trial and error method?

Even now also we are using trial and error method , as in the first wave we were prescribing chloroquine to the patient now we have stopped and at present we are prescribing remdesivir injection and many more other drugs , as these drugs and injections are not proven to prevent death, it is only proven reduce hospital stay, recovery could be little quicker , people are thinking that this injection is a magic drug and running to get this. All treatment that are given to Covid patients are all supportive of treatment.

What would you suggest to people? What should be their role in breaking the present chain of the second wave?

People need to be highly responsible. Since end of last year, they had become negligent and felt Corona has gone. They are getting concerned and panicking only when they or their near and dear ones get infected. Unless all realise the importance and go in for vaccination and continue to use masks and ensure physical distancing, we cannot stop the mutations. If vaccines are taken faster, it would help in controlling the mutations faster or else even vaccines will not be of much use.