Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

New Delhi, Apr 28 () Researchers at Shiv Nadar University have discovered a set of chemical molecules that have the potential to cure acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by coronavirus infection, the Noida-based private university claimed on Tuesday. The team of researchers led by Professor Subhabrata Sen from the Department of Chemistry expects to complete the pre-clinical studies by the end of this year and after which the compound will be potentially ready for human trials, the university said in a statement.The new chemical entities (NCEs) hold potential to cure acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) induced by COVID-19 or other severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS), according to the statement.The researchers have filed a provisional patent in India to protect the new chemical entities and the novel molecule in discovery is being moved to the next stage of checking where its efficacy will be tested on animals.According to the researchers, the therapy would not only prevent COVID-19 from affecting a person's lungs but will also address lung injuries already inflicted by the virus, in cases, the ventilators are either not proving effective or are not available altogether that would bring in relief to COVID-19 patients suffering from ARDS."We hope our therapeutic approach will unravel solutions against maladies associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Our aim is to conclude the preclinical studies by the end of this year, post which the new compound will potentially be ready for the next stage of development along with human trials," Sen said.The two-fold strategy devised by the research team involved the application of the NCEs to inhibit attachment, entry and infection of the new coronavirus through a known target on the virus and co-administration of a known drug (that modulates a set of hormonal receptors in human) and these NCEs to attenuate ARDS caused by the novel coronavirus, Sen said. "This particular research holds out the promise for a drug that can combat COVID-19, SARS and MERS – this is highly commendable," Shiv Nadar University vice-chancellor Rupamanjari Ghosh said. PRS MRMR

Researchers at Noida university discover molecule with potential to treat COVID-19

<ul><li>Biotechnology major <keyword id="6358361" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="biocon">Biocon</keyword> on Monday said it will launch biologic drug Itolizumab for the treatment of moderate to severe COVID-19 patients at a price of around 8,000 per vial. </li><li>The company has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to market Itolizumab injection 25mg/5mL solution for emergency use in India for the treatment of cytokine release syndrome in moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to COVID-19. </li><li>Itolizumab is the first novel biologic therapy to be approved anywhere in the world for treating patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 complications, Biocon had earlier said in a regulatory filing. </li></ul> Biotechnology major Biocon on Monday said it will launch biologic drug Itolizumab for the treatment of moderate to severe COVID-19 patients at a price of around 8,000 per vial. As most patients need 4 vials, the cost of the therapy is around Rs 32,000, Mazumdar-Shaw said. The company has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to market Itolizumab injection 25mg/5mL solution for emergency use in India for the treatment of cytokine release syndrome in moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to COVID-19. Itolizumab is the first novel biologic therapy to be approved anywhere in the world for treating patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 complications, Biocon had earlier said in a regulatory filing. "Until the vaccine comes, we certainly need life saving drugs. I think what we are doing across the world is to see how we can either repurpose drugs or develop new drugs to treat this pandemic," Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said in a virtual press conference. Even if we get a vaccine by the end of this year or early next year, there is no guarantee that there will not be reinfection, there is no guarantee that it will work the way we expect it to work, so we must be in a state of preparedness, she added. "When COVID happened, we said it actually gives us a very strong case to try it (Itolizumab) for COVID, because we do believe that the unique mechanism of action that it has can help us deal with this storm that we have seen is killing patients,'' Mazumdar-Shaw said. Itolizumab is approved for moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to COVID-19, she added. On being asked if the company is ramping up the capacity to manufacture more vials on account of the pandemic, she said: "We have the manufacturing capacity and the supply and distribution network in place, however post this approval we are looking to ramp up production capacity to meet the expected surge in demand. Our aim is to reach a larger number of patients across the country". The drug will be manufactured and formulated as an intravenous injection at the company's bio-manufacturing facility at Biocon Park, Bengaluru. When asked about the steps the company is taking to ensure availability of the drug, Mazumdar-Shaw said: "Alzumab is already in market, we will be supplying to hospitals as per protocol against a medical prescription and patient consent form. Currently, there is a huge demand and Biocon wants to ensure Itolizumab first reaches those patients who need them the most". AKT BAL

Biocon to launch drug for COVID-19 patients at ₹ 8,000 per vial

Washington, Apr 16 () Regular exercise may reduce the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome, a major cause of death in patients infected with the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, according to a review of studies. Researchers from University of Virginia in the US suggest regular exercise may be a potential treatment approach for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The study review, published in the journal Redox Biology, shows that there is strong support for the possibility that exercise can prevent or at least reduce the severity of ARDS, which affects between 3 per cent and 17 per cent of all patients with COVID-19. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 20 to 42 per cent of patients hospitalised for COVID-19 will develop ARDS, the researchers said. The range for patients admitted to intensive care is estimated at 67 to 85 per cent, they said. Research conducted prior to the pandemic suggested that about 45 per cent of patients who develop severe ARDS will die, the researchers said. "All you hear now is either social distancing or ventilator, as if all we can do is either avoiding exposure or relying on a ventilator to survive if we get infected," said Zhen Yan of the University of Virginia School of Medicine. "The flip side of the story is that approximately 80 per cent of confirmed COVID-19 patients have mild symptoms with no need of respiratory support. "Our findings about an endogenous antioxidant enzyme provide important clues and have intrigued us to develop a novel therapeutic for ARDS caused by COVID-19," said Yan. Yan compiled the review of existing medical research, including his own, looking at an antioxidant known as "extracellular superoxide dismutase" (EcSOD). This potent antioxidant, he explained, hunts down harmful free radicals, protecting our tissues and helping to prevent disease. Our muscles naturally make EcSOD, secreting it into the circulation to allow binding to other vital organs, but its production is enhanced by cardiovascular exercise, said Yan. A decrease in the antioxidant is seen in several diseases, including acute lung disease, ischemic heart disease and kidney failure, Yan's review shows. Lab research in mice suggests that blocking its production worsens heart problems, while increasing it has a beneficial effect, he said. Research suggests that even a single session of exercise increases production of the antioxidant, prompting Yan to urge people to find ways to exercise even while maintaining social distancing. "We cannot live in isolation forever. Regular exercise has far more health benefits than we know. The protection against this severe respiratory disease condition is just one of the many examples," he said. Yan's review also suggests EcSOD as a potential treatment for ARDS and many other health conditions. Gene therapy, for example, might one day be used to increase production of the antioxidant so that its protective presence in the lungs is enhanced in patients battling COVID-19, he said. SARSAR

Exercise may protect against deadly COVID-19 condition: Study

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 12 (ANI): The World Health Organisation has confirmed the human case of <keyword id="3653784" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bird-flu-in-india" source="Orion">bird flu in India</keyword>, after the <keyword id="15897682" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="H9N2-virus" source="Orion">H9N2 virus</keyword> was detected in a four-year child in West Bengal. Overall, this is the second <keyword id="21166335" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="human-infection" source="keywords">human infection</keyword> of <keyword id="2663051" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Avian-Influenza-A" source="Orion">avian influenza A</keyword> (H9N2) notified to WHO from India, with the first being done in 2019. The child has recovered and was discharged from the hospital. WHO received a notification from the International Health Regulations (IHR) National Focal Point (NFP) for India, regarding a human case of avian influenza A(H9N2) virus infection in West Bengal, the health body said in a press release. "The patient is a 4-year-old child residing in West Bengal state. The case, previously diagnosed with hyperreactive airway disease, initially presented to the paediatrician with fever and abdominal pain on 26 January 2024. He developed seizures on January 29 after which he was brought to the same paediatrician. The patient was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) of a local hospital due to the persistence of severe respiratory distress, recurrent high-grade fever and abdominal cramps. The patient tested positive for influenza B and adenovirus. He was discharged from the hospital on February 28 but with a recurrence of severe respiratory distress, he was referred to another government hospital and was admitted to the pediatric ICU and intubated on March 3. His nasopharyngeal swab was sent to the Kolkata Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory and tested positive for influenza A (not sub-typed) and rhinovirus. On April 26, the sample was sub-typed as influenza A(H9N2) through a real-time polymerase chain reaction. The patient was discharged from the hospital with oxygen support on May 1. WHO said that the infected patient had exposure to poultry at home and in the surroundings. It, however, also affirmed there were no known persons reporting symptoms of respiratory illness in the family, the neighbourhood, or among healthcare workers at health facilities attended by the case at the time of reporting. The health body further warned that sporadic human cases could occur in the future as this virus is "one of the most prevalent avian influenza viruses circulating in poultry in different regions." Animal influenza viruses normally circulate in animals but can also infect humans. Infections in humans have primarily been acquired through direct contact with infected animals or through indirect contact with contaminated environments. Depending on the original host, influenza A viruses can be classified as avian influenza, swine influenza, or other types of animal influenza viruses, the WHO stated in the release. The health body further said that it is providing continued support to the government of India through technical advice, updates on risk assessment and updating contingency plans- both in the human and animal sectors in line with the global guidance.

WHO confirms human case of bird flu in India! H9N2 virus detected in a four-year child in West Bengal

Beijing, Jun 25 () Using cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins is associated with a lower death rate in patients hospitalised with COVID-19, according to a large-scale study. The research, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, also showed that mortality risk and other negative outcomes were not increased by combination therapy consisting of statins and blood pressure-lowering drugs called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). "These results support the safety and potential benefits of statin therapy in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 and provide a rationale for prospective studies to determine whether statins confer protection against COVID-19-associated mortality," said study senior author Hongliang Li of Wuhan University in China. "Moreover, our findings represent an important contribution to the accumulating clinical evidence regarding the beneficial or detrimental effects of prescribing ACE inhibitors or ARBs to patients with COVID-19," Li said. Currently, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral drug approved to prevent or treat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, which causes COVID-19, the researchers noted. Because a vaccine or drugs for COVID-19 will likely not be available for months or even years, repurposing clinically approved therapies might be a more attractive option, they said. According to the researchers, statins may serve such a purpose because these drugs slow the progression of lung injury in animals, improve immune cell responses, and strongly reduce inflammation, which is likely responsible for severe COVID-19 complications such as organ damage. Although statins generally have an excellent safety profile in humans, animal studies have shown that they increase the expression of ACE2 -- the receptor that SARS-CoV-2 binds to and uses to enter host cells, they said. Animal studies have also shown that ACE2 protects organs such as the lungs against virus-induced injury, the researchers explained. It has not been clear how clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19 are affected by the use of statins, either alone or in combination with ACE inhibitors and ARBs, which are commonly prescribed with statins and also increase ACE2 expression in animals, they said. The researchers carried out a retrospective study of 13,981 COVID-19 patients admitted to 21 hospitals in Hubei Province, China. Among these patients, 1,219 used statins, primarily atorvastatin at an average dose of 20 mg/day. Among patients with hypertension or high blood pressure, 319 used statins combined with ACE inhibitors or ARBs, and 603 used statins combined with other antihypertensive drugs. The researchers analysed mortality rates and secondary outcomes, including the incidence of invasive mechanical ventilation, admission to intensive care units, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and liver, kidney, or heart injury. Over a 28-day follow-up period, statin use was associated with a lower death rate and a lower incidence of mechanical ventilation, the study found. Statin use was associated with 5.5 per cent mortality rate, compared to 6.8 per cent without statin use, representing a 19 per cent decrease, they said. When the researchers examined the matched cohort of 861 patients in the statin group and 3,444 patients in the non-statin group, statin use was associated with a 45 per cent decrease in the mortality rate, from 9.4 per cent to 5.2 per cent. In the matched cases, statin use was also associated with lower levels of three inflammation biomarkers, and a lower incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome and admission to intensive care units, the researchers said. In the unmatched sample, mortality and secondary outcomes over 28 days were not affected by the use of statins combined with ACE inhibitors or ARBs, compared to combination therapy consisting of statins and other antihypertensive drugs. However, in the matched cohort with 204 patients in each group, the use of statins combined with ACE inhibitors or ARBs versus other antihypertensive drugs was associated with a 65 per cent drop in the death rate, and a lower incidence of heart injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. However, the study does not prove that the lower death rate of patients with COVID-19 is directly caused by the use of statins, either alone or in combination with ACE inhibitors or ARBs, the researchers said. Researchers said it is also unclear whether the findings apply to non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19, adding that the results of retrospective studies should be interpreted with caution. SAR SAR

Use of statins linked to lower death rate in COVID-19 patients: Study

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Novel <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> patients who experience severe respiratory problems may need to be put on a ventilator to breathe.</li><li>Patients are sedated and can't eat or speak. Many don't remember the experience later.</li><li>"The ventilator is not fixing your lungs," <keyword id="47851" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="ICU">ICU</keyword> doctor Brian Boer told Insider. "You're buying time." Because it's so invasive, Boer says the ventilator is a last resort.</li><li>A UK study indicated that only <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/04/02/826105278/ventilators-are-no-panacea-for-critically-ill-covid-19-patients">a third of COVID-19 patients</a> on <keyword id="3939429" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="ventilators">ventilators</keyword> survived. In New York, the fatality rate for patients on the device has been closer to 80%.</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Most people infected with the coronavirus recover on their own after a few weeks. But some develop a severe respiratory infection that could land them in the intensive care unit on an invasive ventilator.Brian Boer, a pulmonologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, treated some of the first Americans infected with the coronavirus after they were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/diamond-princess-cruise-ship-67-passengers-positive-coronavirus-onboard-2020-2">evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship</a> in February.He told Insider doctors are trained to have frank conversations with ICU patients and their families about their options. The ventilator is always a last resort."What we say ahead of time is, 'We're going to try to get you through this without a ventilator. But if it looks like you are going to potentially die without one, would you want to go on a breathing machine? We don't know whether you'll be a person who makes it through with the machine or one who doesn't,'" Boer said.<h2>'It's almost like you're drowning'</h2>The novel coronavirus can start with a dry cough and trickle down to the lower respiratory tract, where it can damage the lung's air sacs, or alveoli, and constrict the flow of oxygen into the bloodstream. That damage causes the alveoli to fill with fluid, stiffening the lungs and leading to shortness of breath."You don't have nice air in contact with your capillary network and blood vessels, you can't get oxygen in and carbon dioxide out as effectively as normal," Boer said. "It's almost like you're drowning. You have a lung half full of fluid."In that situation, doctors will try a number of other treatments first.The least invasive is a nasal cannula, essentially a tube with prongs placed on the nostrils. It provides a steady, heated flow of oxygen at 70 liters per minute. Other options include a BiPap machine, which pumps pressurized oxygen through a mask that just covers the nose and mouth.<div type="image" title="Brian Boer says talking to families via iPad has been the toughest part of working in the ICU under coronavirus lockdown." height="266" width="400" msid="75190464" hostid="261"></div>"If we can't maintain stable vital signs with you breathing on your own power, or if we see a trend where you go from being able to breathe on your own to requiring escalating amounts of oxygen, that's when we make the decision… to let the machine do the work," Boer said.Other symptoms, including clots in the kidneys and injuries to blood vessels, can worsen the patient's overall condition. "It's not just acute respiratory distress syndrome," he said. "There's a whole body [full of] inflammatory stuff going on."The condition of someone with <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>, the disease caused by the coronavirus, can worsen five to 10 days after symptoms appear. But the time between ICU admittance and intubation, Boer said, often depends on the patient's baseline <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> and how long they waited before going to the hospital.There are reports of patients crashing in a matter of hours but, Boer said, usually symptoms escalate over a day or two. "The bottom line is they are getting such a bad inflammatory response in their lungs [that] their lungs are too filled with fluid and they need help."Some people have the wrong impression of what ventilators do, he added."The ventilator is not fixing your lungs. You're buying time. Your body needs time to recover and heal."<h2>How the intubation process works</h2>At the Nebraska Medical Center, there are typically three people in the room with the patient — an anesthesiologist or intensivist who performs the intubation, a respiratory therapist, and a bedside nurse to manage medications.Patients can gag during intubation and spray the coronavirus, so staff wear the maximum amount of personal protective equipment — including face masks, shields, gloves, and gowns — to limit exposure.<div type="image" title="To prevent spread of the coronavirus, doctors must wear face shields and other personal protective equipment." height="1219" width="2000" msid="75190465" hostid="261"></div>A member of the team will first administer a combination of sedatives and paralytic agents. Next, a doctor will pry the airway open wider with a speculum and slide a breathing tube down the windpipe to the lungs.Before the ventilator is started, a small cuff around the tube is inflated to prevent particles from escaping. Once it's on, the machine gently pumps highly oxygenated air at a steady rate, simulating the lungs' natural flow.Since patients can't eat while intubated, doctors place a temporary feeding tube through the nose or mouth and insert an IV containing electrolytes and sedatives into the neck. Technicians X-ray the area to check that both lines are in the right position, and perform a bedside ultrasound to make sure heart and lung function are good.Normal intubation can be completed in as little as 15 minutes, Boer said. But with the added effort to prevent coronavirus exposure, it can take as long as two hours."Doing it all safely, getting all equipment, and getting fully gowned and gloved up takes time," he said. "Intubation itself only takes a couple minutes, once you push the medications and place the tube."<h2>What it's like as a patient to be on a ventilator</h2>Patients are sedated for as long as they're on a ventilator, drifting in and out of consciousness and unable to speak. Boer said few of his patients can even remember the experience.Attorney David Lat <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/david-lat-coronavirus-harrowing-story-ventilator-2020-4">spent six days</a> on a ventilator in March after being diagnosed with COVID-19.<div type="image" title="David Lat with a nasal cannula providing oxygen." height="640" width="481" msid="75190468" hostid="261"></div>"I actually felt nothing," Lat, founder of the legal blog Above the Law, told Insider's Michelle Mark. "They sedate you quite heavily, so you're essentially asleep the whole time — which is a good thing, because it wouldn't be comfortable to have a tube down your throat.""That whole time is a bit hazy in my memory," he added, "partly because they give you a lot of drugs."A person in respiratory distress from a stroke or influenza typically will use a ventilator for four to six days. Some patients with COVID-19 have been on one for nearly two weeks.<h2>A move to use ventilators less frequently is growing</h2>The machine has been the go-to solution for respiratory failure for decades, but some doctors <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-ventilators-some-doctors-try-reduce-use-new-york-death-rate-2020-4">are trying to use them less often</a> because the required pressure can damage lung tissue.Some experts say ventilators aren't as effective against COVID-19 because the damage the disease inflicts is different from typical respiratory distress."We know that mechanical ventilation is not benign," Dr. Eddy Fan, a critical care physician at Toronto General Hospital, <a href="https://apnews.com/8ccd325c2be9bf454c2128dcb7bd616d">told the Associated Press</a>. "One of the most important findings in the last few decades is that medical ventilation can worsen lung injury — so we have to be careful how we use it."Boer said the balance "is between achieving acceptable vital signs and the potential injury to the lung in the process."Even under normal circumstances, the survival rates are discouraging: Up to half of patients with severe respiratory distress die on ventilators, according to the AP. A March study from the Intensive Care National Audit &amp; Research Centre in London found that only<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/04/02/826105278/ventilators-are-no-panacea-for-critically-ill-covid-19-patients"> a third of COVID-19 patients</a> on ventilators survived.In New York City, officials have put <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-ventilators-some-doctors-try-reduce-use-new-york-death-rate-2020-4">the fatality rate</a> for COVID-19 patients on ventilators at 80%.<h2>Having the end-of-life conversation: 'I don't sugarcoat stuff'</h2><div type="image" title="Brian Boer has treating coronavirus patients at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's ICU ward." height="1047" width="954" msid="75190469" hostid="261"></div>Because their patients are so ill, intensive care units already have some of the<a href="https://healthpolicy.ucsf.edu/icu-outcomes"> highest mortality rates</a> in medicine.Boer says ICU doctors always should try to be honest about the prognosis. If a patient needs an increasing amount of support from a ventilator, it's time to begin end-of-life discussions."I do not sugarcoat stuff," he said. "If it's bad I'm going to tell you what your general chances are, if you're getting better or getting worse, and if you're at the point whether there isn't a meaningful chance of recovery."If the machine is just prolonging the dying process, "that's when we start talking with family members about taking the breathing tube out," Boer said. "To let patients breathe on their own with medications, so they're not suffering, and allow them to die peacefully.""That's a tough one for people to wrap their heads around but sometimes it is the only choice," he added.Boer is used to having those tough conversations with family members, but they've always been in person. Because of the pandemic, visitor access is severely restricted and he's been forced to communicate with families via an iPad."To me, the hardest part has been the lack of face-to-face conversations," Boer said. "This has been very unique. It's unprecedented."Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-its-like-to-be-on-a-ventilator-with-coronavirus-2020-4">Insider</a>

An ICU doctor explains what happens when you're put on a ventilator with the coronavirus

WHO says Nipah virus can be a potential epidemic in future. The outbreak of Nipah virus recognized in Bangladesh in 2004 was said to be caused by consuming date palm sap that was exposed to Nipah virus infected fruit bats. Nipah virus outbreaks were noticed in Kerala in India, Bangladesh, Singapore, Malaysia, and eastern Australia. The recent death of three members in the Nipah virus affected family in Kerala made the Kerala State Health Department to put the state on high alert. The nature of Nipah virus has not been ascertained so far. Symptoms and signs of Nipah virus infection in humans Human beings infected with Nipah virus can show up asymptomatic infection or acute respiratory infection ranging from mild to severe states in addition to encephalitis that can prove fatal. Some of the symptoms developed by persons infected with Nipah virus include headaches, fevers, muscle pain, sore throat and vomiting. They might also feel drowsiness, altered consciousness, and some neurological conditions like acute encephalitis or brain inflammation. In some affected individuals, Nipah virus can lead to severe kind of respiratory problems and acute respiratory distress. In some other serious cases of Nipah virus infection, the individuals might experience severe respiratory difficulties, atypical pneumonia, and seizures. Such conditions can also progress to the level of coma within a period of 24 to 48 hours. Convulsions and pulmonary signs can also be noticed in some infected persons. The incubation period of this virus is found to be between 4 to 14 days and in some cases, this can even drag on for as long as 45 days. The symptoms of Nipah virus are often confused with Japanese encephalitis. The outbreak of Nipah virus in Malaysia led to the death of more than 50% of the cases infected with Nipah virus. How to treat Nipah virus As on date, there are no drugs or vaccines available with us to treat Nipah virus infection. In fact, the WHO has identified Nipah virus as a priority disease for their Research and Development. Severe cases of Nipah virus infections are to be treated to prevent severe respiratory disorders and neurological complications including seizures. Since the vaccine to treat this deadly virus is absent today, prevention is the best way to stop the infection and spread of Nipah virus. Appropriate detergents must be used for a thorough cleaning of the infected pigs if any instances of Nipah virus outbreak is noted in animals, the farm must be immediately quarantined. In order to reduce the risk of Nipah virus outbreak the WHO suggests culling of infected animals, burial or incineration of the carcasses such steps can minimize the risk of transmission of Nipah virus to people. Nipha virus Treatment Treatment of Nipah virus is highly limited. Only supportive care can be given to the infected persons. There is no specific treatment plan available to the medical industry today. Extreme precautions are necessary for the healthcare workers dealing with Nipah virus infected persons and while handling the laboratory samples.

All you need to know about Nipah Virus Symptoms and Treatment

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Human metapneumovirus spiked this spring as cases of COVID and RSV fell. </li><li><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/hmpv/natl-trend.html">According to the CDC,</a> 19.6% of antigen tests and nearly 11% of PCR tests for HMPV were positive in the US in early March.</li></ul>Cases of another type of respiratory virus spiked this spring, just as COVID-19 and RSV rates were finally falling in the US. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/hmpv/natl-trend.html">According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,</a> 19.6% of antigen tests and nearly 11% of PCR tests for human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, were positive in the US in early March.The nearly 11% of positive PCR cases is up 36% since before the COVID-19 pandemic when PCR tests for HMPV were coming back with a rate of 7% positivity, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7029a1.htm">per CDC</a>. In contrast, COVID-19 cases were down nearly 30% at the beginning of March, <a href="https://covid19.who.int/region/amro/country/us">according to the World Health Organization</a>, and the number of people being hospitalized for RSV was down to 1.2 people per 100,000 in March from 4.5 people per 100,000 in January, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/research/rsv-net/dashboard.html">according to CDC data</a>.Virus experts say this illness pattern looks a little more like the seasonality they typically saw in the US pre-pandemic, when RSV cases would spike first in the fall, then influenza would surge, and later in the season parainfluenzas and human metapneumovirus would circulate, into the spring. "They would come in waves," Dr. Pedro Piedra, a professor of molecular virology and respiratory virus expert at Baylor College of Medicine, <a href="https://www.insider.com/why-kids-are-sick-rsv-flu-flooding-ers-2022-11">previously told Insider</a>. "These viruses, whether they be influenza, or RSV, or human metapneumovirus, can have a significant consequence on our health."<h2>How to treat an HMPV infection</h2><div type="image" title="Miami Beach, Florida, Navarro Pharmacy, cough medicine, cold and flu, over the counter medication aisle." height="1400" width="1866" msid="100629607" hostid="261" sizebytes="411340"></div><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/human-metapneumovirus.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Symptoms of HMPV</a> mimic other viruses, and include a cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath. The infection can also progress into bronchitis, pneumonia, or other illnesses that cause upper and lower respiratory distress.Some people with HMPV might get sick for longer than others, depending on the severity of their illness. Most people with respiratory infections caused by viruses like HMPV are sick for about a week to two weeks. At home, <a href="https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/human-metapneumovirus-hmpv/treatment-recovery#:~:text=How%20hMPV%20Is%20Treated,)%2C%20along%20with%20a%20decongestant." target="_blank" rel="noopener">you can treat symptoms</a> of HMPV like you would other mild viral illnesses. Fever, aches and pains can be soothed with over the counter medications like Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen) as well as decongestant drugs. There's no vaccine for HMPV, nor is there an antiviral drug like Paxlovid or Tamiflu developed to treat it. Stay hydrated, and get lots of rest.HMPV is spread by coughs and sneezes, close personal contact, and touching surfaces infected with the virus, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.

Just when we were starting to see COVID and RSV rates drop this spring, another type of virus contributed to a spike in respiratory infections

Sky NewsA still from footage inside a hospital in Bergamo, Italy, broadcast by Sky News on March 19.<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sky News recently <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-tour-coronavirus-icu-ward-bergamo-italy-worst-apocalyptic-2020-3?r=US&amp;IR=T">broadcast footage</a> of critical coronavirus patients in Bergamo, Italy, wearing bubble-shaped containers over their heads in a makeshift intensive-care unit.</li><li>The containers are mobile ventilators. </li><li>COVID-19 - the disease caused by the coronavirus - can cause respiratory infections, so the balloon-like ventilators can help people get enough oxygen while preventing the spread of infection.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Harrowing footage <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-tour-coronavirus-icu-ward-bergamo-italy-worst-apocalyptic-2020-3">taken in a makeshift intensive-care unit in northern Italy</a> shows critical coronavirus patients with plastic, bubble-shaped containers over their heads.The video was broadcast Thursday by Sky News inside a hospital in Bergamo, the worst-hit city in Italy, and showed the degree to which Italy's healthcare system has been overwhelmed by the outbreak. Italy has confirmed nearly 60,000 cases as of Sunday, and 5,400 deaths. Italy has a population of about 60 million.For comparison, China, where the virus originated, has had more than 81,000 confirmed cases and 3,265 deaths, but its population is around 1.4 billion.Some people may find the video below, of Italy's makeshift ICU, distressing to watch.The bubble-shaped containers over the patients' heads in the video are mobile ventilators. Ventilators in general mechanically pump breathable air into the lungs of patients who have trouble breathing on their own. They're sometimes called life support, and they're often used for patients with pneumonia.The helmets seen here both pump oxygen into patients' lungs and also help prevent infected patients from passing on the virus. (The coronavirus can t<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-passes-between-people-6-feet-apart-2020">ravel between people in tiny droplets</a> or saliva and mucus, which typically spread 3 to 5 feet.)Typically, ventilators are attached to face masks, which have tubes that go in a person's mouth and down their throats. But these types of transparent, airtight helmets can be less invasive for patients with severe respiratory symptoms, according to a University of Chicago study <a href="http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2522693">published</a> in the journal JAMA in 2016. In a study of patients who used facemask respirators and helmet respirators, those with the helmet respirators had higher survival rates.<h2>Severe cases of coronavirus</h2>The Sky News footage shows medics in hazmat suits rushing around a crowded, makeshift emergency room, tending to coronavirus patients. The patients were put in the space because the hospital's regular intensive-care unit was full, according to Sky News. The coronavirus can cause severe respiratory infections. The virus can inflame the lining of the lungs and the air sacs at the bottom of the lungs. When these air sacs don't work, not enough oxygen is pumped into the bloodstream, and not enough carbon dioxide is removed from the body.Sky NewsA man in Bergamo, Italy, is seen wearing a plastic head covering intended to regulate oxygen levels the lungs.In severe cases, patients' lungs can fill with fluid. The virus can also cause <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-survivors-lung-damage-ards-fcim-intensive-care-research-2020-3?r=US&amp;IR=T">acute respiratory distress syndrome</a> (ARDS), in which a person's lungs are prevented from providing their vital organs with enough oxygen. ARDS can be fatal.Two recent studies from Wuhan found that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-survivors-lung-damage-ards-fcim-intensive-care-research-2020-3?r=US&amp;IR=T">as many as 29% of people who get severe cases of coronavirus go on to develop</a> ARDS.A case <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30079-5/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> published in the medical journal The Lancet in February said ventilators are "the main supportive treatment" for patients in the critical stages of COVID-19. <ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-recovery-damage-lung-function-gasping-air-hong-kong-doctors-2020-3">Some people who recover from the coronavirus might be left with '20 to 30%' less lung function, Hong Kong doctors said</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-show-worlds-first-human-trial-of-potential-coronavirus-vaccine-2020-3">Photos capture the world's first human trial of a potential coronavirus vaccine</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-virus-everything-we-know-deadly-2019-ncov-wuhan-spread-2020-1">Everything we know about the novel coronavirus</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-google-youtube-microsoft-reddit-twitter-fight-coronavirus-covid19-misinformation-2020-3">Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Reddit, and Twitter say they're working together to fight coronavirus misinformation</a></li></ul> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/novel-coronavirus-covid-19-symptoms-day-by-day-2020-3">What COVID-19 symptoms look like, day by day</a></h3>

Critical coronavirus patients in Italy are being treated with bubble-shaped containers over their heads. Here's what they do.

Photo by Ronny Hartmann / AFP via GettyGerman doctor Michael Grosse takes a sample from a car driver through the window on March 27, 2020 at a drive through testing point for the novel coronavirus on a parking in Halle, eastern Germany.<ul class="summary-list"><li>COVID-19 is a cunning disease that has taken many medical experts by surprise.</li><li>The COVID-19 virus acts differently than other viral pathogens, capable of jumping from one person to the next before a patient shows symptoms.</li><li>Like the common cold, it can cause a loss of taste and smell, but unlike the cold, it does this without much nasal congestion. </li><li>Patients with COVID-19 who seem to be on the road to recovery can suddenly crash and go into respiratory distress within a few hours.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>COVID-19 is a respiratory illness first identified in humans in late 2019. Because it's so new, researchers are still learning about the virus's behavior as it rapidly spreads across the globe. In addition to its ease of transmission, the following three aspects of the disease have caught the attention of medical experts.<h2>Patients can spread the virus for days before they show symptoms</h2>The incubation period for COVID-19 can run from <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html">just two days to nearly two weeks</a>."The problem with this virus is that it is able to be transmitted before symptoms manifest," said Dr. David Hamer, an infectious disease specialist at Boston Medical Center and a professor of global health at Boston University's School of Medicine and School of Public Health. "Most viral pathogens aren't transmitted until symptoms are present." Asymptomatic patients also make screening more difficult. Airport screenings for fever, for example, won't catch patients who aren't showing symptoms but are still contagious.Medical experts also believe that there are a large number of people out there who have either had the bug and didn't know it, or have it now and are showing few or no symptoms.Because of this, medical experts have been pushing social distancing as the most effective way to control the spread of the disease.<h2>Patients lose their sense of smell</h2>One odd aspect of the illness is that some patients lose their sense of smell while they're sick. While it's still unclear what percentage of patients experience this, the phenomenon may help identify asymptomatic or mildly ill patients.Other respiratory infections, like the common cold, can also cause a loss of smell and taste, but it's a bit different for patients with COVID-19."Whenever you get a cold and have a stuffy nose, you can lose your sense of smell and have trouble tasting because of that," said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, an infectious disease specialist at Brigham &amp; Women's Hospital in Boston. "What seems to be unique with COVID-19 is that the sense of smell is lost without much in the way of nasal congestion. We are now considering this a symptom of COVID-19 infection."<h2>Patients who seem to be recovering can suddenly crash</h2>Doctors say another unusual aspect of COVID-19 is how patients who appear to be doing well can deteriorate within a few hours to the point where they're in respiratory distress."We've had a fair number of people progress to severe disease that had a period of improvement followed by a sharp decline," said Kuritzkes. He added this could be due to an immune response kicking in that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-coronavirus-damages-the-lungs-2020-3">negatively impacts</a> the lungs.Because of this, experts recommend that people who have been diagnosed with or suspect they have COVID-19 carefully <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html">monitor their symptoms.</a>"Worrisome symptoms would be persistent fever, severe cough and increasing difficulty breathing, initially with such activities as walking or climbing stairs but if severe, even at rest," said Hamer. He added patients should contact their physician if they notice such changes.Dr. Gabriela Andujar Vazquez, an infectious disease physician at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, said patients should also watch for chest pain, and advised anyone experiencing chest pain or breathing difficulty to head to the emergency room."People need to really monitor themselves for the first week. After the first week, you'll either get better or worse," said Adnujar Vazquez.Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email <a href="mailto:covidtips@businessinsider.com">covidtips@businessinsider.com</a> and tell us your story.And get the latest <a href="/coronavirus-covid19">coronavirus analysis and research</a> from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is impacting businesses. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-treatment-vaccine-cure-drugs-2020-3">4 potential coronavirus treatments that researchers are working on right now</a></h3>

You Searched For "respiratory distress" and got 10 results

Researchers at Noida university discover molecule with potential to treat COVID-19

PTI

Biocon to launch drug for COVID-19 patients at ₹ 8,000 per vial

PTI

Exercise may protect against deadly COVID-19 condition: Study

PTI

WHO confirms human case of bird flu in India! H9N2 virus detected in a four-year child in West Bengal

ANI

Use of statins linked to lower death rate in COVID-19 patients: Study

PTI

An ICU doctor explains what happens when you're put on a ventilator with the coronavirus

Dan Avery

All you need to know about Nipah Virus Symptoms and Treatment

BI India Bureau

Just when we were starting to see COVID and RSV rates drop this spring, another type of virus contributed to a spike in respiratory infections

Rebecca Cohen

Critical coronavirus patients in Italy are being treated with bubble-shaped containers over their heads. Here's what they do.

Bill Bostock,Bill Bostock,Hol…

3 surprising traits of how COVID-19 affects patients, according to experts

Val Brickates Kennedy

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides