Hi guys, Doctor Prasoon here. There are a lot of myths regarding the coronavirus outbreak in China and all over the world. These myths are spreading fast because of the false information and the hype in the media. In this video I am going to bust some myths regarding coronavirus. There is no need to worry if you are in India or in any other country other than China. This is the truth about coronavirus infection. Welcome back to Dofody, the simplest online doctor consultation platform in India. So let’s get started.
UPDATE: As of 14 February 2020, 1350 persons have died & 41000 persons have been confirmed with the Corona virus disease (COVD2019)
Today it’s February 8th 2020 and as of this date 640 persons have lost their life due to the coronavirus infection. 31500 Persons have been confirmed with the coronavirus infection all over the world. Majority of the persons who have lost their lives and also from China. Only 3 cases have been reported in India and all 3 cases are from Kerala, and due to this fact persons from Kerala have been facing a kind of discrimination from other parts of the country. We should actually be much more informed regarding the spread of coronavirus infection. I have made two videos on this topic earlier and I highly recommend you to go through those videos.
More number of persons have been reported in the state of Kerala because the Department of Health Service in Kerala is the best in the country. More number of people are suspected, more number of people are being tested and that is the simplest reason why most number of cases have been reported only from Kerala. You need not panic, because all the three confirmed cases in Kerala all of them are stable and they are being observed. The persons who have come in contact with these three persons are also being closely observed and monitored and all measures are being taken to contain the spread of the infection.
Obviously, there will be more confirmed cases in India in the coming days. But that doesn’t mean that Kerala is more vulnerable to coronavirus infection. World Health Organization recently declared the novel coronavirus infection in China as a public health emergency of international concern, and that was actually not meant to panic you or make you fearful. It was actually intended to educate people about the dangers associated with the spread of the infection to make all the persons in the world well informed and not just to create panic among the world population.
Another myth surrounding the novel coronavirus infection is the use of surgical face masks. The surgical face masks are actually medical equipment and these are intended to be used by patients who are sick. these masks should be worn by patients who have the symptoms of coronavirus infection.
The health care professionals including doctors nurses, attenders and all the other professionals who come in close contact with these patients should also be using such surgical face masks. Surgical face masks, disposable masks and respirators are running out of stock, because people are trying to get their hands on these devices. Simply because of the fact that they want to keep themselves protected.
The disposable face masks should not be worn for more than eight hours and they should be changed very frequently and most importantly they should be changed when they become wet or moist. They should not be reused and only the respirators, the n95 mask can be reused. There is a proper way of using face masks, and if you are trying to get your hands on this face mask, make sure that you are aware of the proper technique of using the face mask and you should also be aware of the proper way of disposing these face masks.
If you think that wearing a disposable face mask and then going into a public or a crowded place is going to prevent you from a novel coronavirus infection?. Then you are mistaken. Properly washing your hands with soap and water and covering your face when you become sick. These two measures will go a long way in preventing the transmission of the virus. When you go out into the public and reach back home, make sure that you maintain proper hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene. if you are not practicing the hand hygiene and the respiratory hygiene practices, then you will be at more risk than not wearing a face mask. These face masks are running out of stock even in online stores ,and even if you get your hands on a dozen of these medical devices. you are going to be exposed to it very rapidly. because, the proper use of a face mask requires them to be changed very frequently.
There is a huge hype regarding the coronavirus infection. Simply because of the fact that it is a new virus infection. The H1N1 virus or the swine flu virus have been around in India for many years now, and this virus has taken more lives than coronavirus has actually done. Just think about it, only three cases of confirmed corona virus infection in India and no one has lost their life.
There is a term called as “case fatality rate”. The case fatality rate can be calculated by dividing the number of persons who died from an infection by the total number of confirmed or diagnosed persons suffering from the same infection. In case of Nipah virus, the case fatality rate was at a staggering 40 to 75%. In case of H1N1 virus infection or the swine flu infection, the case fatality rate is at a low of 0.4%, and till now if we calculate the number of deaths that has happened due to the Novel corona virus infection, it is standing at two to three percent is only. Did you know that the measles virus infection which usually affects small children has a case fatality rate of 15%. I am not saying that the case fatality rate of the novel coronavirus infection is confirmed and we should not be actually looking at the percentages. But what I am trying to say is that you don’t have to panic.
Thinking about the death rates and the mortality associated with this infection. The numbers are going to change, more confirmed cases are going to be reported and I sincerely hope that the number of persons who die from this infection stops now and today. Two days back a doctor, dr. Lee lost his life in China and he is considered as one of the pioneer, who took the first step to inform the world about this new virus infection which had symptoms and characteristics just like the SARS virus. It is a sad thing that a healthcare professional lost his life. We should be actually appreciating all the healthcare professionals all around the world who are putting their life on a line to contain this infection and prevent the transmission of this dangerous virus.
If you haven’t watched the previous three videos that I am made on this topic, you can find the links here. Kindly share this video so that all your friends and family members become informed about the China Coronavirus infection. There is no need to panic, there is no need to worry. You just have to be careful and mindful of this virus. So, that’s it for this video. If you haven’t subscribed to our channel yet, please consider subscribing now. I will talk to you in the next video it is me, Doctor. prasoon signing off, take care, stay healthy and thank you so much for watching.