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Dr. Srinivas Kakkilaya says 99% of Covid cases recover in 3-4 days without any need for medication
Fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, sudden loss of smell and taste, and diarrhoea are the symptoms of Covid-19. Anyone who develops these symptoms must stay at home, and call helpline 14410.
There is no need at all to go here and there seeking tests and treatment. Covid-19 is a self- limiting infection, meaning that it gets cured by one’s own immune system in more than 99% of cases. There is no need for any tablets, or Kashaya, or AYUSH, or the so-called immunity boosters. All over the world, of the 1.25 crore cases reported more than 75 lakh, and in India, of the 8.5 lakh reported more than 5.5 lakh have recovered without any Kashaya or AYUSH, and most of the remaining will recover too.
Risk categories
The risk of Covid-19 worsening is higher in those aged 60 and above, and those who are suffering from severe diabetes, hypertension, coronary or cerebrovascular diseases (heart attack, stroke), chronic diseases of the lungs, kidneys and liver, and severe obesity. Such people must protect themselves from the infection and if they get the infection and start showing the symptoms, must keenly observe the status of their body and report to hospitals at the earliest signs of the symptoms worsening.
More than 99% cases of Covid-19 recover within 3-4 days. Continuing or worsening symptoms may indicate development of severe Covid-19. Continuing or increasing fever, worsening cough, onset of difficulty in breathing, that gets worse on walking or lying down, are indicators of severe Covid-19. Anyone with these symptoms must immediately report to a hospital.
Blood oxygen factor
Covid-19 affects the lungs and disturbs the oxygenation of blood. If the infection worsens, the oxygen saturation in the blood starts dropping. By monitoring the oxygen saturation, one can identify worsening infection at an early stage. A simple device called a pulse oximeter (costing Rs. 2,000-4,000), when clipped to a finger, shows within a minute the oxygen saturation and pulse rate. In a normal individual, the oxygen saturation (SpO2) is 97-100% and pulse rate (PR) is 60-100 per minute. SpO2 below 95% and PR above 100 may indicate severe Covid-19. Patients of chronic lung disease may have a lower SpO2 even otherwise and in such patients, a drop in saturation by 4% or more after walking for 6 minutes may suggest worsening Covid-19. Such patients must immediately go to a hospital.
Summing up
In more than 99% cases, Covid-19 gets cured by the body itself, and there is no need for any tests or medication. Therefore, anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 must stay at home, isolate from others to prevent its spread, and inform helpline 14410.
Those who have risks for severe Covid-19 must take precautions. If such patients develop symptoms, they must keenly watch for worsening illness, usually after 6-7 days of the onset. They can monitor the blood oxygen saturation with the help of a pulse oximeter and if SpO2 drops below 95%, they must go to a hospital immediately.
(Dr. Srinivas Kakkilaya is an MD and consultant physician based in Mangaluru)
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