Regarding, the government’s response to coronavirus, on March 13, the first meeting of the National Security Council (NHC) took place. The Prime Minister of Pakistan chaired the NHC meeting which includes top military and civil leadership. The purpose of the meeting was to look at the alarming threat to the health system. So he asked the relevant persons to lay out a plan and likewise inform him on this matter. On the other hand, the first case of coronavirus registered on February 26th. The person visited Iran recently. His contacts traced and isolated quickly. In short, until March 12, the total number of cases was 21 in Pakistan. For live stats, visit here. But there is a need for a strict action plan. Imran Khan on his speech on March 17, asked,” While there is a need for caution but no need to panic (Ghabrana Nahi hai).” He said that we can not completely lock down the country. Because of doing this, daily wagers can die out of hunger instead of coronavirus. For instance, India completely locked down the country without taking the view of the people who are below the poverty line. But Pakistan has the largest number of cases in South Asia, far more than its neighbor, India. Before any registered case, Pakistan decided not to strand the 800 students in Wuhan, Chian returned to the country. 18th Amendment According to the 18th Amendment to the constitution of Pakistan, it gives semi-autonomous status to provinces to adopt a different course of action from the central government. As a result, we saw varying lockdowns intensity in Sindh, Pakistan’s largest province hit by Taftan visitors. The government kept the visitors in camps for 14 days and let them go after screening. After that, they were allowed to return back to their homes and villages. But a large number of people got positive in their reports when tested by local health care workers. However, health experts alleged that people were badly mishandled by authorities. This provides the place to call military aid “act in aid of civil powers” but not until formally invited. PM and President Steps The Prime Minister of Pakistan has approved an economic fund of 1 Trillion rupees for people to help them in crisis. Meanwhile, the President of Pakistan visited China to learn from them as they have declined the number of cases now. Beijing pledged to help Pakistan as they now dealt with reducing the number of cases. The team from China has also come to help out. Ministry of Health Services As a result of this pandemic, the Ministry of Health Service has laid out a plan which shows the intention go government to respond to this outbreak. Vision A national effort to respond to COIVD-19 emergency in Pakistan Minimal National Morbidity and Mortality Long term Developing a structure ensuring timely response and plan for all pandemics. Problems to Government Above all, the government is doing all its efforts to stop this pandemic. But people are not serious about taking precautions. They allow their kids to play on grounds. Upon closing the grounds, they go to the open area for playing. Their parents are unwilling to quarantine them to crowded homes. Pakistan is the world’s fifth populous country. Similarly, the clerical community is refusing to help the government. They have not stopped large gatherings and offering prayers. About 150,000 clerics from around the world helped spread the virus in a religious gathering. Pakistan’s cases have risen from 250, a few weeks before to 1098 after that. The officials canceled it but participants already scale, eating, sleeping and living in close quarters. Steps announced by Government Ten steps announced by the government to prevent this pandemic in Pakistan which are: National Coordination Committee for coronavirus (COVID-19) will make decisions on a daily basis. All educational institutions, both public and private, are closed till 31st May. Pakistan will completely seal its border with Afghanistan and Iran for travelers and trades. Katarpur will be closed for Pakistani but Indians pilgrims will keep visiting. Pakistan will departure international flights from Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad for effective screens travelers. The government put a ban on all public gatherings and conferences. To prevent coronavirus, no visiting allowed in prisoners. The government will reach to religious leaders to work out the modalities for effective management of religious services. The government will devise a plan to avoid food supply shortcomings. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will cooperate with the district and provincial for necessary implementations. A corona relief tiger force will be working with government and security agencies. The force will provide food to people if we forced to lockdown. In short, the government has taken many steps on its behalf to avoid the separation of the pandemic. It will be achieved by the mutual corporation of people and the government. Because if we forced to lockdown, many peoples will die out to hunger. It is only possible by the individual and collective efforts. We should not be a hurdle in the way of prevention. Instead, we should play our role in this. For instance, Instacre is providing free consultation for coronavirus.
How To Prevent Corona Virus Through Telemedicine? Telemedicine is providing health care when patients and physicians (doctors) are not physically present there. An advancement in telemedicine has given people the choice that whether to visit doctors physically or approach doctors virtually. While using telemedicine, doctors and patients can share screens and share information from one computer to another. In addition, it is useful for people living in rural areas to access physicians virtually who previously had difficulty in approaching them physically. Using telemedicine, patients can see a doctor for diagnoses and treatment of diseases. Patients can do all this in the comfort of their homes without waiting hours for an appointment. Types of Telemedicine There are three common types of telemedicine health care and it is not only limited to these methods. Interactive Medicine: The interactive Medicine method allows patients and doctors to communicate in real-time just. Store and Forward: The store and forward method include a 3rd party in the chain. The patients send their information to the provider of service. The providers share their information with the practitioner who is at his place. Remote Patient Monitoring: This method allows caretakers to monitor the patient’s blood pressure and sugar who resides at home by using mobile devices to keep the record. Difference between Telemedicine and Telehealth According to the World Health Organization (WHO), telemedicine is “healing from distance.” It is a practice through which a physician checks the patients with the help of technology. The doctors use digital imaging, video consultation, and remote medical diagnosis. The individuals do not need to visit the physicians in person for a check-up. The use of telemedicine methods makes possible for specialists to check the patients in remote areas. Unlikely, telehealth is the “use of information and telecommunication technology to provide health care service and public health administration remotely.” There is one distinct difference between which is that telehealth cover non-clinical processes as well as meetings, conferences, physician’s training, and continuing medical education (CME). It is not a specific service like telemedicine. It is a collection of services to improve patient care, health management, and administration. Benefits of Telemedicine A patient does not require to physically visit a doctor. Saves time and travel costs. Less time away from work. Privacy. No danger to expose any contagious diseases. Less interference of the child and eldercare responsibilities. The distance and time differences can limit access to care. Fortunately, Telemedicine overcomes the demographic differences, especially for specialized doctors. It can be used to serve the unserved communities and geographically rural areas. Telemedicine can improve the quality of health care in both physical and mental health problems. Easily diagnoseable diseases It is useful in psychotherapy and teledermatology. Other common health issues that can be addressed appropriately through telemedicine include: Coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnose Cold and FLu cough Diarrhea Bites Burns Sore Throat Fever Rashes Skin concerns Dental problems Using telehealth, patient and provider will be able to communicate virtually. This will help patients by reducing unnecessary office and hospital visits, lowering the risk of contacting COVID-19. Coronavirus gives telehealth a new horizon and many telehealth services are providing free telemedicine services. “COVID-19 is different because we do not know all the factors surrounding transmission and we do not know its effects on patients,” Jason Hallock (Chief Medical Officer for SOC Telemed)points out. “There have been a significant number of deaths, the uncertainty surrounding that is scaring both patients and the general public. Our healthcare workers do not have all the answers yet. Telemedicine can be useful to evaluate and reassure patients in alternative settings. It can be used to help patients decide who needs to be seen in the hospital or an alternative setting like urgent care.” Telemedicine is itself a tool to fight against coronavirus. It can be used to connect a doctor and patient via smartphones. It can be used to provide counseling in remote areas or areas with a higher number of patients. Dr. Stephen Parodi (an infectious disease specialist) said that it is critical to use telehealth services for managing this pandemic. He is one of the leaders in the use of virtual visits for its patients. In a short part of preventing the coronavirus, it is important to keep the sick people out of contact with other patients and doctors. Telemedicine is very useful in managing this crisis. For more info, contact us.
How To Consult Doctor Online in Pakistan After the massive global outbreak of coronavirus human lives are at great risk. Especially the lives of our young and olds. People are advised to practice social distancing as well as self-isolation during this hard time. Most of us are in quarantine to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Now, what if you want to consult a doctor online or need medicines while there’s a deadly virus outside? Don’t worry you can still Consult Doctor Online with telemedicine. With telemedicine, you can have a virtual visit for an online checkup with the doctor. You can even convert the video consultation into audio as per your need. With this super useful technology, you can enjoy the comfort of your home without waiting in long queues and have a checkup with your favorite medical professional. InstaCare also offers online medicine delivery in Pakistan to help you get both live consultations as well as medication at your doorstep. So here’s how you can avail all these services: How to consult doctor online with Telemedicine We have made it very simple for you to consult doctor online. You can simply visit InstaCare.Pk or call our helpline numbers 03171777516 or 03354832273. Our male and female advisors will guide you about the whole process of telemedicine easily. With this service, you can immediately get online video checkups as well as book appointments with the doctor. So if you are practicing social distancing and protecting yourself and others from the deadly virus then our team at InstaCare is also making sure to give you the best care in your home by making healthcare services accessible and convenient. What about My Privacy in Online Checkup with Doctor? When you consult doctor online with telemedicine in Pakistan then your privacy is the first priority for InstaCare. We ensure you the safest experience. InstaCare’s platform is the safest healthcare platform in Pakistan that ensures complete privacy and security of your information. What are the Payment Method of Telemedicine? For online consultation with a doctor, you have to pay digitally or through the Internet. You can use the service of Easypaisa, jazz cash, internet fund transfer or even by using voucher codes. How doctors can join InstaCare to start telemedicine in Pakistan InstaCare is a pioneer of telemedicine services in Pakistan. We have built a strong technology platform to serve a large community nationally as well as internationally. You can join InstaCare by calling our onboarding team at 03354832273. If you want to buy the best telemedicine software in Pakistan to start practicing your own then we have wrote a brief article on how to start telemedicine in Pakistan here. Few Words from InstaCare Taking good care of yourself is really critical and important but taking care of others is called humanity. So it is important for us to stay home / stay safe during the pandemic. Give time to yourself, your loved ones and your mental strengths.
How Can Doctors Keep Going During Corona Outbreak Through Telemedicine In today’s time of coronavirus outbreak, which has now become a pandemic, there is a heavy workload on healthcare professionals. They are at great risk of catching the infection. In Italy, out of 67,814 reported cases of coronavirus, 6205 cases are of health care workers according to the 25th march report. These statistics show that even after the lock-down of the whole country, our health care professionals are at a huge risk of getting the coronavirus infection. This risk can be minimized if the patients consult the doctors via telemedicine. This would save them from getting the infection. In this article, we will talk about how the telemedicine applications are helping the doctors in this coronavirus outbreak and how can they cope with it? What Is Telemedicine? Telemedicine is becoming the first line of defense and the most useful tool for doctors nowadays. This helps them to consult with the patient over the phone or computer and let them prescribe the medicines as well. It is the platform where doctors can interact with their patients through a video-conference. Telemedicine helps the doctors to prescribe, diagnose, educate and monitor the patient remotely, with no physical interaction. Telemedicine lets the doctor ask relevant questions to the patient about the disease, they can discuss the signs, symptoms, and history through a virtual visit. If the patient’s health concerns the doctor, they first send them to get their chest x-ray and blood tests done. After that, they can rule out the final diagnosis. They can then make a further decision of either letting them stay at home or to get them admitted to the hospital. How Is Telemedicine Beneficial? If health care workers like the doctors and the nurses would get sick, there would be a rapid, unbearable impact that will affect everybody. Health care workers who keep working at hospitals while infected from coronavirus can transmit it to more people. If these workers go home to recover, they would eventually infect their family members. This would also put an immense load on their coworkers. If they are critically ill and need to get hospitalized, then there will be fewer resources available to treat the public. Eventually, if this keeps going on, we will have to face a shortage of doctors after this coronavirus pandemic. So to save the doctors it is necessary to shift on telemedicine. The hospitals can not manage the heavy volume of patients in this state of panic. They can manage it with the help of telemedicine applications. The telemedicine can protect the doctors because it will reduce their exposure to the patients. No physical contact would be there, by which there would be no chance of catching the infection. Hospitals’ waiting areas are already busy and so overloaded with people that anyone can catch an infection. The doctors are also at high risk when examining the patient suffering from COVID-19. Remote consultation by the doctor, therefore, reduces the risk of getting exposure and infection. Telemedicine applications like InstaCare help in keeping the patient and the doctor isolated. How Does Telemedicine Works? The telemedicine works by assessing the person remotely who is facing the symptoms of coronavirus and monitoring their progress. If deteriorated, the doctors advise them to shift to the hospitals. This technique helps in only shifting the patients who are having any complications. This also decreases the high volume of patients coming to the hospital’s emergency. The doctors and nurses also feel less stressed and can cope easily with the situation. Drawbacks It can be a solution for many, specially coronavirus, a highly contagious disease. But doctors need to examine the patient properly. Telemedicine can only help when the patient can tell the symptoms bothering them. They can discuss those symptoms with the doctors to have an expert opinion. The doctors can then make a further decision about what to do next. The doctors can replace some of their patients to telemedicine who are not critically ill. Still, they have to work day in and day out at the intensive care units and emergencies of the hospital where they can oversee the critically ill patients.
How To Prevent Coronavirus COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease caused by a coronavirus that spreads from person to person via their respiratory droplets. The spread of coronavirus can be prevented by exercising some tips. In this article, we will discuss safety measures to prevent coronavirus and why are they necessary. It is important that along with the safety measures, we understand why are these measures necessary and what’s the logic behind these. For any further questions, leave a comment below. Washing Hands Frequently Wash your hands frequently, especially before eating, after blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing and when you come back home from outside. Wash your hands properly for at least 20 seconds because the soap requires at least 20 seconds to kill the virus and bacteria. Wet your hands with running water, then apply soap, scrub all the parts of your hands, rinse them with running water and then dry them with tissue paper or a clean towel. Use can also use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer on the go. Make sure it has at least 60% alcohol because high alcohol content helps in killing bacteria and viruses. Always wash your hands with soap and water, if they are visibly dirty. Washing your hands frequently is necessary because the coronavirus can stay on surfaces for a long time. If an infected person coughs or sneezes on that surface, and you touch that surface, you can easily catch coronavirus. Avoid Touching Your Face It is a part of human nature to touch the face, eyes, nose, and chin unconsciously. You should avoid touching them because hands touch many surfaces and can carry viruses and bacteria. This habit makes you prone to coronavirus infections, you can transmit the viruses and bacteria to your face that you have caught from surrounding or by touching other people. If you need to touch your face, make sure to wash your hands properly and then touch it. Stay At Home It is so important to stay at home, especially if you are having any flu-like symptoms or if you have a travel history of the past 14 days. It is beneficial for you and others as well. If you have traveled internationally, there is a chance that you are infected and your body is not showing any symptoms. You can infect others in this period, so it is necessary to quarantine yourself for at least 14 days to protect others from getting infected. Apart from any symptoms and travel history, it is good to stay at home as much as you can. Avoid exposure to crowded and closed places. The more you stay at home, the more protected you will be against coronavirus. Maintain A Social Distance Maintaining social distance is one of the most significant measures to prevent Coronavirus. You should maintain a distance of 3 feet (1 meter) from people who are having flu-like symptoms. Coronavirus is highly contagious, there is a high chance of getting infected if you are in close contact with someone who is suffering from it. A graphical illustration of social distancing is given below: Disinfect Surfaces Coronavirus can reside on surfaces. It is recommended to clean and disinfect high touch surfaces like doorknobs, switchboards, keys and cell phones, etc. There is a fair chance of transmission of coronavirus through these surfaces. If anyone touches them with contaminated hands, your hands can get contaminated too. You should also try to disinfect the products you are bringing home from the outside. You never know who has coughed, sneezed or touched them with contaminated hands. Cough And Sneezing You should cover your mouth with tissue paper while coughing and sneezing or cover it by an elbow. Throw that tissue paper in the dustbin and wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Wear A Face Mask It is necessary to wear a face mask if you are having an interaction with an infected person, or suffering from flu-like symptoms. It will protect others from getting infected. By wearing a face mask you would not transmit your infected respiratory droplets that would protect against coronavirus spread. Avoid Shaking Hands Stop shaking hands to greet people, instead, you can nod, bow or wave a hand to greet them. It is a tip to keep yourself and other people protected. Shaking hands can cause transmission of coronavirus from one’s hands to another. Conclusion Prevention is better than cure. You should exercise all the above-mentioned tips to protect yourself from catching a coronavirus infection. Everyone has to play their role to stop the dissemination of this coronavirus outbreak. You should take precautionary measures even if you are healthy because you can transmit it to someone with a weak immune system, an elderly or someone asthmatic. To them, it would be lethal, so everyone needs to take these safety measures to protect other people. If you need more information regarding coronavirus, you can visit InstaCare health articles for it.
InstaCare is Recognized As The Best Telemedicine Software in Pakistan InstaCare has always been known in the healthcare industry due to its continuous innovation. Healthcare Automation and Digitalization are the main interest of the company. The company is among the pioneers of Telemedicine Software in Pakistan and has been recognized several times by media and industry. Prof. Dr Javed Akram, Vice-Chancellor, University of Health Sciences, in his recent interviews recognized InstaCare as the best telemedicine company in Pakistan. Why you need to use Telemedicine Software In the west, Telemedicine is being practiced by doctors, hospitals and healthcare organizations for decades however in Pakistan the technology considered to be new. No doubt it creates a win-win for everyone. For Doctors and Hospitals, it increases patient flow while for patients it increases accessibility to healthcare services. The key benefits of using telemedicine software are: Increase in Patients. Efficient Healthcare Services. Increase in Healthcare Accessibility. Doctors can practice and consult patients anytime anywhere. Low cost. How Much Telemedicine Software Cost As we already mentioned the technology is not very costly and is very flexible. A Telemedicine software in Pakistan can cost you anywhere in between PKR 10,000-PKR 100,000 depending on the complexity and comprehensiveness of the workflows. But since to start telemedicine you don’t need a clinic so it will reduce your electricity cost, organization and management cost and operational cost making it very cost-effective for any doctor to start telemedicine. How to Find the Best Telehealth Software in Pakistan While there are not many reliable telemedicine Companies in Pakistan, therefore, you need to be very careful about choosing the right telehealth software. InstaCare has won both national as well as international awards for its technology and has a proven technology stack that has served more than 10,000 patients. We offer free trials and demo to help you understand the technology and its workflows. Please feel free to contact us anytime. You can learn more about how to start telemedicine in Pakistan in this article.
Social Distancing – Why It Is Important To Stop Corona Virus? Pandemics do not stop on holidays just like us. So, there are some terms that are repeating on media and social media. You will be using it for a long time. Who knows when will this COVID-19 stops. Social Distancing Social distancing is increasing the physical space between persons. The minimum distance that you should maintain is 6 feet/ 1.8 meters. Examples of social distancing Cancellation of large gatherings and sports like PSL 5. Working from home. Closures of educational institutions. 14 days lockdown These precautions can help in reducing the number of coronavirus victims. Isolation Isolation is a health term that means remaining away from the people who have any contagious disease and virus e.g coronavirus(COVID-19). Self-Quarantine Self-Quarantinemeans put yourself in isolation, particularly for 14 days. Quarantine generally means that separation of the person who has exposed to communicable disease. But he himself has not shown any symptoms of that disease. The medical experts from all over the world including Instacare.com.pk say that 14 days period is enough for showing the symptoms of coronavirus. Flattening the Curve Flattening the curve means a reduction in an increasing number of victims of coronavirus. The numbers are increasing in direct proportion with time. By quarantining yourself, this curve will decrease. From above, we came to know the most trending terms on social media. Social distancing is the way that we can flat the curve and can reduce the spread of coronavirus. Coronavirus has become pandemic now and it will cost many human lives just like other pandemics of human history like Spanish Flu, Congo virus, and Plague. According to WHO, Spanish Flu kills almost a quarter of the world e.g 50 million. If it is not stopped then after some decades it will be added into the list of pandemics and one of the most deadly diseases in the history of humankind. Measures to stop coronavirus(COVID-19) Social Distancing Self-Quarantine Isolation The immediate action is set in ascending order and it depends upon the severity of the disease. Social distancing is an important and basic step that everybody can do to stop this pandemic and save oneself. If you feel any illness and have started to see symptoms of coronavirus, then immediately contact your nearby health center or contact here for counseling online. While Social Distancing, You can Read books Teach your kids as schools are closed Home Gardening Family Activities Stay in touch with loved ones through Skype e.t.c. Try new recipes of other cultures Walk but not in parks and crowded places While Social Distancing, You can not Arrange gatherings at your place Arrange unnecessary meetings Go for dinner outside Do unnecessary traveling Work out at public gyms Visit relatives especially elderly relatives like grandpa and grandma Study in an educational institution The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guides the public on their household plans during this lockdown. While creating a plan for this time and you can do the following: Talk with those who need to talk Talk with your family members because everybody has different interests. Plan activities by keeping in view the interests of every family member. Plan ways if your loved ones become ill “Expect good and prepare for the worst” thing applies here because if your family member falls ill. In case, you did not think about it then it will create panic and could cause great loss. Create a list of organizations For this, create a list of organizations that can properly guide you on what to do in that situation. For this purpose, the government of Pakistan created a helpline for the guidance of individuals. You can call on 1166 to ask for more details on coronavirus. Instacare is providing free counseling on this high time for serving the community. You can call on 0310-000-2273 for guidance from medical experts. Wash Hands Wash your hands frequently with soap for 20 seconds. But take care of natural water resources, you should not waste it for other calamities. Use sanitizers for outdoor purposes where water is not available. Understand how it spreads Coronavirus spreads from person to person but not from person to person who is 6 feet away from each other. Take necessary precautions like sneezing in your elbow and wear the, you will be safe. Protect Others In this state of crisis, it is an obligation to care for your loved ones but take care of other members of the community as well. If you are exposed to this disease or having symptoms of it then take precautions to protect yourself and your community. Social distancing is the basic and necessary step that can save millions of lives. No doubt, it is necessary to stop coronavirus. We can only stop it with social distancing because it’s vaccine not found yet. Here, we discussed a few steps that can help you do easily. We covered a few activities that you can do at this time to utilize this time in a productive manner. After this crisis will end, you will be happy to use this time for yourself and your family.
Disasters Due To Medication Errors And How To Avoid These? Everyone has to take medicines at different stages of their life. They take the medicine or receive it to recover soon, but sometimes these medications can cause them serious damage or even cause death. In this article, we are going to discuss the causes, case studies, and prevention of medication errors. According to an estimate, a medication error is the third leading cause of people’s death, after heart disease and cancer. Over 250,000 people in the United States die annually because of medication errors. The consequences of medical error include 2.4 million extra hospital days and increased costs of approximately $17 to $29 billion per year. The United States National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention defines a medication error as: “Any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer. Such events may be related to professional practice, health care products, procedures, and systems, including prescribing, order communication, product labeling, packaging, and nomenclature, compounding, dispensing, distribution, administration, education, monitoring, and use” Causes Of Medication Errors The causes that result in medication errors occur at different sites. It can occur due to accidents by the pharmacist, doctor, nurse or consumer. Some errors that eventually result in medication errors are; Error in prescribing the dose, route, patient, time, frequency and drug. Ambiguous prescription by the doctor. Prescribing drugs to which the patient is allergic or any drug interaction is there. Not reading the prescription properly. Dispensing the wrong preparation or an expired drug. Labeling errors. Administration errors in route, dose, time, drug, frequency and patient. The drug is not administered or double-checking omission. Wrong setting of the infusion pump. Lookalike sound-alike drugs. The patient not seeking proper counseling by the doctor or pharmacist. Case Studies Regarding Medication Errors CASE #01. A case study reveals a medication error when a 71-year-old recently widowed female was hospitalized for uncontrolled hypertension and acute kidney injury. She improved clinically and upon discharge, her prescription included Norvasc 10mg twice daily, metoprolol 50mg twice daily, doxazosin 2mg daily and torsemide 30mg daily. After that, they readmitted her in the hospital because she began experiencing worsening fatigue, slow movements, personality changes, and uncontrolled blood pressure. This time they admitted her due to chest pain, and the doctor diagnosed her with anxiety and depression. The doctors prescribed her citalopram and alprazolam for anxiety and depression. She was then re-hospitalized following a fall due to lightheadedness. An admission medication reconciliation revealed that the patient was taking Navane (thiothixene), an anti-psychotic drug, instead of the Norvasc. After further investigation, they came to know that the pharmacy has accidentally dispensed the wrong medication upon the prescription that was clear enough to be read. CASE #02. Another case study reveals the accident likely of ‘confirmation bias’. This medication error case happened at a public school clinic in Missouri and was discovered from an investigation from the Saint Louis County Department of Public Health. The nurse administered Humalog U-100 insulin to the people instead of an influenza vaccine. After administration, the first two patients complained about sweating and lightheadedness. The other two patients required hospitalization for their symptoms. One of them had a blood glucose level of 23mg/dl. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the influenza vaccine vial and the 10ml vial of Humalog U-100 insulin were kept together in the nurse’s office refrigerator. They were not stored in separated, labeled containers or bins. The influenza vaccine manufacturer conducted a detailed analysis of their product. They tried to rule out the error that could have occurred due to the quality control problem. CASE #03. Another case study showing administration error is discussed. This medication error occurred when a 40-year-old female was rushed to the emergency room after eating seafood. She was complaining about shortness of breath and had rashes on the body. Upon examination by the doctors, they found that she was having edema on the throat with mild stridor upon inspiration. Her body temperature was 98.7 F, blood pressure was 100/69 mm Hg, and pulse was 70 bpm. The doctors placed her on supplemental oxygen and ordered the nurse to administer a 0.5mg (1:1000) dose of epinephrine. After receiving IV epinephrine, she started complaining about chest pains on her left side along with tingling fingertips. The ECG showed ST elevation and serum creatine kinase levels were increased consistent with myocardial infarction. The doctors gave her two doses of 0.4mg sub-lingual nitroglycerin over the next ten minutes until her heart rate and blood pressure became normal. Her ECG then showed that the ST levels have returned to baseline. Upon investigation, they concluded it, while the doctor ordered 0.5mg (1:1000) dose of epinephrine, the route of administration was unspecified. The nurse administered the epinephrine intravenously instead of intramuscular route. The patient should have received intramuscular epinephrine as she was suffering from anaphylaxis. The doctors reserve intravenous epinephrine normally for the patients with myocardial infarction. How Can The Consumers Prevent The Medication Errors? AT HOME: Maintain a list of all the medications you are taking. Keep that list with you when you are going for a review to the doctor. Read the educational material from a reliable internet source. AT CLINIC/ OUTPATIENT CARE: Ask the prescriber about the drug, its effect and side effects. Recheck the drug’s name and also the indications after the doctor has prescribed it. AT PHARMACY: Re-check the name (brand or generic) on the container. Seek pharmacist’s counseling, even if you already know about it. Ask for written literature of the drug. Recheck the drug’s name and indications after the pharmacist has dispensed. AT HOSPITAL/ INPATIENT CARE: Ask the doctor or nurse about the drug and its reason for administration. Give a proper history regarding every medication you have been taking. Also, tell them about your prior health conditions. Before the discharge from the hospital, make sure to ask
Transmission Of Coronavirus Through Pets Many people have pets in their houses, living in close contact with them. Some people eat and sleep with their pets also. But nowadays when coronavirus pandemic has taken over the world, which is highly contagious, it is important to know either a pet can get infected or transmit coronavirus. Early Observations If you are comfortable with what is Coronavirus, then you’re ready to read further. Coronavirus belongs to the family of viruses called cornoviridae. There are different types of coronaviruses. Virus, that the world is facing in 2019, causes coronavirus is Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Previously, in 2002-03, we discovered SARS. And then in 2012, researchers found Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). SARS was transmitted through “Masked palm civet”, and MERS from Dromedary camels in the Middle East. Since SARS-COV-2 is from the same origin as SARS and MERS, scientists thought it could also transmit from an animal. How Does Coronavirus Transmit? SARS-CoV-2 seems to have emerged from an animal source, but now it is spreading from person to person,. Respiratory droplets are the main source of spread; often when an infected person coughs or sneezes. According to researches, a virus can infect animals and might not show its symptoms or transmission. The virus can remain silent in their body, but there is no information about either it transmits the virus in that phase or not. How Animals Can Be A Source Of Infection? Researchers say that a pet could become a source of coronavirus transmission if someone touches them with contaminated hands. If a person who is suffering from coronavirus sneezes or coughs on the hand and touches the dog with the same hand. After that, if another person touches that dog, they can easily catch coronavirus. So it is necessary to wash your hands after sneezing, coughing and after touching any animal. What Is The Story Of The Dog Who Died Recently? The pet owners became anxious when they got to know about the death of Pomeranian, a 17-year-old dog in China. The veteran tested this dog ‘weakly positive’ for coronavirus, having no symptoms and illness in quarantine, but it died after three days when he came out from quarantine. Experts say it maybe because he was already suffering from multiple health conditions and was elderly. The second dog in the same house was a negative Coronavirus. So they can not make the statement that the dog died because of coronavirus. What If I Am Infected With Coronavirus? According to the Centre of disease control, there is no evidence of coronavirus transmission through animals, but if coronavirus infects you, you should avoid close contact with your pets. Do not kiss, snuggle them or share food with them. Ask anyone else in your household to take care of them and maintain a distance with them. Do not forget to wash your hands after touching your pets and wearing a face mask when interacting with them, if you are the only one to serve them. Can Canine Vaccine Protect My Pet? The canine coronavirus vaccine for dogs is to protect them from enteric coronavirus. These vaccines are not licensed to be used for protecting against respiratory infections. There is no evidence that vaccinating dogs with commercially available coronavirus vaccine will protect them from COVID-19, which causes respiratory illness. Conclusion In this hard time of self-solation, you can play and walk with your pets. It is good to relieve your stress and anxiety and it will let you feel calm and healthy but do not forget to take safety measures. If you have pets, keep them clean, bathe them regularly and always wash your hands after touching them. If you are having any symptoms like cough, breathing difficulty, fever, and sore throat, maintain a distance with them and isolate yourself. There is not enough information up til now to say whether Coronavirus spread through pets or not. But prevention is better than cure, so maintain yours and your pet’s hygiene to protect yourself from coronavirus. For further read, you check WHO’s FAQ on a similar subject here.
How much progress has been done on Coronavirus vaccine? Coronavirus vaccine is an arduous, million-dollar task nowadays when the coronavirus has become a global health crisis, killed thousands of people, and spreading throughout the world at an alarming rate, Considering the whole situation of pandemic created by the coronavirus, it puts huge pressure on scholars, researchers, and scientists, to create an effective vaccine for this disease. In the rest of the article, we’ll explore the top four pharmaceutical research going on in the world. These are: Novavax Corona Vaccine Experiment Moderna’s mRNA-1273 Regeneron’s REGN 3048-3051 INOVIO’s INO-4800 NOVAVAX CORONAVIRUS VACCINE EXPERIMENT Novavax is trying a new technique to create the coronavirus vaccine as a recombinant vaccine. In this, the genetic code for the protein spike on the surface of SARS-COV-2 is extracted, which is responsible to cause an immune reaction in humans. Then they pass over this genetic coding to bacterium or yeast that produces a large quantity of protein. Along with it, Boston company, CureVac, and Moderna are also trying to produce coronavirus vaccines out of messenger RNA. Up to date, there is no approved vaccine that is produced by the genetic material of RNA or DNA. MODERNA’S mRNA-1273 CORONAVIRUS VACCINE EXPERIMENT Moderna Inc. Of Cambridge, has started the phase I human clinical trial testing mRNA -1273 to produce the vaccine. The researchers are conducting this research to invent the vaccine in Washington, currently going through the first phase of the trial. In phase I trial, the researchers have tested 45 healthy human beings, adults aged between 18-55 for over 6 weeks. The subjects received the injection on day 1 and day 29 and will be monitored for 12 months after the second shot. Phase I focuses on the safety of the vaccine and to know if it is producing the immune response in humans. Later phases will focus more on its effectiveness against preventing the infection. This coronavirus vaccine differs from the traditional vaccines because they use the virus itself, while this vaccine uses the genetic sequence from messenger RNA of COVID-19. REGENERON’S REGN 3048-3051 VACCINE EXPERIMENT Regeneron’s pharmaceutical of Tarrytown, New York, is trying to produce a vaccine that will provide passive immunity to the people. It will work on the principle of directly injecting the preformed antibodies. The scientists of this pharmaceutical are working by modifying the immune system of mice to produce the vaccine. They have altered the mice’s immune system to that of humans, exposed them to the coronavirus and infected them. Then they have separated and isolated these antibodies. They have also isolated the antibodies produced by the people who have recovered from coronavirus. They will combine both antibodies and will formulate it as a vaccine. The advantage of combining both the antibodies to produce the vaccine is, that it will remain effective even if the virus mutates. This vaccine targets the spike protein present on the surface of the virus. This spike protein binds the virus to the host cell and causes an immune reaction. The Regeneron’s vaccine will target to block the spike protein interaction with the host cell, eventually neutralizing the virus. The doctors can also use this vaccine also as a drug for treating coronavirus, but according to the company, they will use it as a preventive measure for healthy people. INOVIO’S INO-4800 VACCINE EXPERIMENT Inovio’s pharmaceutical of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, is also approaching to produce the vaccine with the same technique of Moderna’s. Their approach is to insert DNA plasmids directly into the cells. They have optimized the plasmids and reorganized them by computer sequencing technique. The plasmids will replicate inside the human body and strengthen the natural human immune response. The company has already conducted its research on animals for the vaccine. They are hoping to start the trials on humans by April 2020, which will involve 30 healthy people. CONCLUSION The health care professionals are working day and night to design a vaccine. Experts say it will still take a year or more to create it. We have to be patient about the vaccine because scientists can not design these overnight. To market the coronavirus vaccine, scientists have to make sure it is safe and effective. The pharmaceutical companies are trying their best to invent a potent vaccine. We will soon get the way out for fighting against this contagious virus. Stay positive and protected! In case you feel any signs of coronavirus in you, get a certified doctor’s opinion through InstaCare Telemedicine; remotely, safely, and instantly.
