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Vaccine

Covid vaccine

Johnson & Johnson Teams Up with Medical Center to Accelerate COVID ...

Navi Mumbai: Man held, over 4 lakh used gloves seized before resaleNavi Mumbai police on Wednesday arrested a man and seized over four lakh used hand gloves which were being washed and readied to be resold during the Covid-19 pandemic. The crime branch (Unit 1) also seized 17 packets of used blue-coloured latex gloves, packed as new, for sale. Senior Inspector Subhash Nikam said a raid was conducted on a godown in Gami Industrial Park in the MIDC area of the city following a tip-off and Prashant Surve, the owner of the godown used for printing and binding books, was arrested. “We found that the accused was using a washing machine to clean the gloves and a blower to dry them, before repackaging them to be sold in the market,” Nikam said. The value of the items seized is above Rs 6 lakh, he added. The senior inspector said considering the quantity of the latex gloves found with the accused, it is suspected that he had managed to procure the gloves disposed of by medical establishments.

As of now, two doses of the potential vaccine are given to the volunteers, keeping an interval of 28 days between the shots. Middle-strength dose seems to be working the best and four micrograms of the vaccine are injected each time.

Coronavirus update: India has recorded its worst single-day spike of 69,652 coronavirus cases, taking its total to 2,858,346. With 980 fatalities reported on Wednesday, the country’s death toll has surged to 54,245. India has left the US and Brazil behind in seven-day average of daily new coronavirus cases. Five most affected states by total tally of cases are Maharashtra (628,642), Tamil Nadu (349,654), Andhra Pradesh (306,261), Karnataka (249,000), and Uttar Pradesh (162,434). Maharashtra, the worst-hit state in India, recorded its highest one-day count of 13,165 coronavirus cases. Meanwhile, Delhi Disaster Management Authority has given its approval for opening of hotels and weekly markets in the national capital.

Coronavirus Vaccine: Scientists Strike Caution As ''Made In India ...

01/5Coronavirus vaccine will be available by December 2020; price less than Rs 10,000 for two dosesAs the novel coronavirus continues to ravage across the globe, scientists and medical experts are working day and night to develop an effective vaccine to combat the highly-infectious contagion. As we write this, there are more than 160 vaccine candidates in different stages of trials around the world and more than 30 potential vaccines have already entered the crucial human trials phase. While developing a vaccine fit for human use is a complicated and time-consuming process, scientists are aiming to develop a COVID-19 vaccine in an accelerated timeline. readmore

It will, almost inevitably, be less successful in older people, because aged immune systems do not respond as well to immunisation. We see this with the annual flu jab.

Сlinical trials demonstrated that 100% of volunteers developed immunity within 21 days. After the second vaccination, the immunity response was further boosted and provided for long-lasting immunity. All the volunteers are feeling well, no unforeseen or unwanted side effects were observed. Not a single participant of the clinical trials has caught COVID-19 after being administered with the vaccine.

Russia’s interest in India’s production facilities comes as no surprise. India is one of the global leaders in the world of vaccine production. Nearly 60% of the vaccines supplied to the world are produced, developed or manufactured in the country. Apart from this, the large population could help experts recruit volunteers for the vaccine trials in an easier way and test out any side-effects. The cost of manufacturing and conducting clinical trials in India is also cheaper than that in other developed countries.

While announcing a deal with pharma major AstraZeneca, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that all Australians would get vaccinated for free and went on to suggest that he would also like it to become mandatory for everyone in his country. “I would expect it to be as mandatory as you can possibly make,” Morrison was reported as having said in a radio programme.

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India has a great programme, Made in India, started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It has strongly developed the local pharma industry and let Russia and other countries see India as a potential hub for vaccine production. So, we will make the Russian vaccine available for India and other countries as well.

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Most nations, including India, are unanimous on the first recipients — frontline health workers directly interacting with Covid-19 patients. However, there is no straight answer to which population group comes next. For this purpose, several countries have set up expert committees to decide on the next tier of distribution as initially only a limited amount of vaccines will be available before mass production.

“Vladimir Putin’s daughter suffered unexpected side effects to the experimental Russian COVID vaccine and has passed away in Moscow. The Kremlin has yet to make a statement on her death. A source within Russia’s inner circle stated that Putin’s daughter – Katerina Tikhonova – suffered a rise in temperature shortly after her second injection, and then suffered a seizure. Doctors were not able to reverse the side-effects of the vaccine, and she was pronounced dead late yesterday evening,” reads the report.

But I would urge a note of caution. We are past phase I and phase II, the initial results look quite promising: Probably the vaccines are safe, probably they are able to mount an immunogenic effect there. But the real test of the vaccine would lie in phase III trials when hundreds and thousands of individuals and healthy volunteers participate in this study, and then we will try to find out whether the vaccine is really safe, really beneficial, what is its protective effect. It might take about six to nine months or a year before the phase III studies are completed and we start getting a clearer picture as to where we are. But right now, I would again urge a note of caution. Speed is of essence, but while we are speeding, we should not lose sight of science and ethics as well.

11:28 (IST)20 Aug 2020 Normal life affected in Bengal due to bi-weekly lockdownWith the bi-weekly lockdown underway, all government and private establishments, shops, markets and banks remained closed in West Bengal on Thursday. Medical shops, milk booths and petrol pumps, however, were kept out of the purview of the lockdown. According to PTI, Kolkata and other districts wore a deserted look as people remained indoors and public transport and other vehicles, barring those engaged in essential services, were off the roads. Police personnel kept a strict vigil on major intersections in Kolkata and other districts and put up guard rails to prevent people from venturing out without any valid reason. Flight services out of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport here remained suspended, while long-distance trains were rescheduled at Howrah and Sealdah termini.

“The company might be testing the efficacy (through this route) as ID requires less dosage. Also, the cost to the company will go down if immunogenicity (ability to induce an immune response) attained is comparable or better against the intramuscular route,” Dr Tyagi said.

But it would be extremely crucial to capture and record almost every adverse event. This could be a small fever, pain, swelling, giddiness or skin rashes, or serious complications as well. Because right now, we do not know whether this vaccine is really safe, effective, how much its protective effect is. And if past experience of vaccines is anything to go by, we do know that certain vaccines were found to have very delayed but very serious toxicity. There were a few controversies as well–for example, certain vaccines have been associated with autism; the rotavirus vaccine in India was associated with a peculiar intestinal obstruction in some kids. Unless we capture these adverse events and establish a cause-effect relationship between the vaccine and these adverse events, it will be very premature to celebrate victory and break into victory dance. So I would always say that while it is important that speed is of essence, please do ensure that you make haste slowly.

GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES

Government activities on COVID

COVID-19 pushes more government activities online despite persisting digital divide 10 July 2020, New York Denmark, Korea and Estonia top the 2020 UN e-government ranking. As the COVID-19 pandemic forces lockdowns, most countries and municipalities are pursuing digital government strategies, many with innovative initiatives – but vast numbers of people still do not have access to online services, according to the 2020 edition of the United Nations E‑Government Survey, released today. The 2020 ranking of the 193 UN Member States in terms of digital government – capturing the scope and quality of online services, status of telecommunication infrastructure and existing human capacity – is led by Denmark, the Republic of Korea, and Estonia, followed by Finland, Australia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the United States of America, the Netherlands, Singapore, Iceland, Norway and Japan. Among the least developed countries, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Cambodia have become leaders in digital government development, advancing from the middle to the high E-Government Development Index (EGDI) group in 2020. Mauritius, the Seychelles, and South Africa are leading the e-government ranking in Africa. Overall, 65 per cent of Member States are at the high or very high EGDI level. “The pandemic has renewed and anchored the role of digital government – both in its conventional delivery of digital services as well as new innovative efforts in managing the crisis,” said Mr. Liu Zhenmin, UN Under‑Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. In responding to the health emergency, governments have put in place new tools, such as dedicated COVID-19 information portals, hackathons, e-services for supply of medical goods, virtual medical appointments, self-diagnosis apps and e-permits for curfews. Many countries were quick to deploy tracking and tracing apps, and apps for working and learning from home. Innovative digital government responses to COVID-19 include online dashboards in Canada and Australia to share information and track emergency responses. In China, chatbots are used to assess patients’ risk of being infected. A community engagement app in Estonia allowed local governments to directly interact with their constituents, including through sharing COVID-19 information, posting photos and videos and even organizing virtual events. In Croatia, a “virtual doctor” is powered by artificial intelligence and developed by technology firms in cooperation with epidemiologists. In London, the use of cameras, sensors and AI algorithms, normally intended to control traffic, now measures distance between pedestrians to control social distance. E-government progress still hindered by digital divide As a development tool, the E-Government Survey examines countries’ strengths, challenges and opportunities, and informs policies and strategies. The 2020 edition found that progress has been made across all regions, even in the least developed countries. Over 22 per cent of countries were promoted to higher levels of e-government development. “While e-government rankings tend to correlate with the income level of a country, financial resources are not the only critical factor in advancing digital government,” added Liu Zhenmin. “A country’s political will, strategic leadership and commitment to advance digital services, can improve its comparative ranking.” Yet, despite the gains and major investments in e-government by many countries, the digital divide persists. Seven out of eight countries with low scores are in Africa and belong to the least developed countries group. The regional average index scores for countries in Africa are almost one third lower (at 0.3914) than the world average EGDI of 0.60. Alongside these trends, the COVID-19 pandemic has now not only reinvigorated the role of digital government in its conventional delivery of public services and in ensuring business continuity, it has also brought about innovative ways in managing the crisis, such as in contact tracing, e-health, online learning, and remote working. About the UN E-Government Survey The UN E-Government Survey, published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), is prepared over a two-year period following an established methodology.

It looks at how digital government can facilitate integrated policies and services across 193 UN Member States. The Survey supports countries’ efforts to provide effective, accountable and inclusive digital services to all and to bridge the digital divide and leave no one behind. In the report of the Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation, the E-Government Survey is recognized as a key ranking, mapping and measuring tool, supporting the digital transformation of countries. Following the global launch of the 2020 Survey on 10 July, technical webinars are scheduled to share further insights and key findings at the global, regional and local levels, including on thematic areas such as e-participation, data governance and capacities for digital transformation. Regional information sessions will be held in the following months in collaboration with UN Regional Commissions. In addition to the English edition, the Survey will also be made available in Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish, thanks to the collaboration with external partners. Related information 2020 United Nations E-Government Survey

Giving some regions the green light to reopen, on the basis of relatively strong health and public readiness, is an opportunity to lift restrictive measures in a way that best balances health risks and socioeconomic concerns. And when a region sees a recurrence of the disease, this graduated approach makes it easier to drive swift but hard decisions to reimpose measures at a local rather than national level. If coordinated well, a staggered approach by region also presents an invaluable opportunity for regions to learn from the experience of “early restarters” and adjust accordingly. Giving some regions the green light to reopen, on the basis of relatively strong health and public readiness, is an opportunity to lift restrictive measures in a way that best balances health risks and socioeconomic concerns. For most countries, getting to an appropriate level of readiness in the virus monitoring system will be the greatest challenge. More testing provides better information about individual and local risk levels—and that enables better targeting of restriction measures. With limited testing, widespread lockdowns are necessary. But high levels of testing make it easier to detect disease, which in turn makes it more feasible to use contact tracing rather than other more restrictive measures to mitigate the spread of disease. As governments push to increase testing capacity, it will be vital to understand what level of disease detection is possible with a specific testing level and approach, such as the extent of testing of asymptomatic individuals. As an example, BCG modeling of the German population suggests that a testing rate of six or seven tests per 1,000 people per day would yield an 80% probability of detecting a chain of infection within 12 to 18 days of the initial infection and a 99% probability of detecting the chain within 18 to 30 days. Governments that are able to ramp up testing aggressively must also invest in robust tracking and tracing capabilities. Governments will need a large workforce to manually reconstruct infection chains and to ensure that authorities preventatively quarantine and test affected individuals. Many governments are already mobilizing furloughed workers, and even military reservists, to quickly ramp up these operations. This process should be supported by digital solutions, now widely available. Singapore’s TraceTogether app, an opt-in service for citizens, uses Bluetooth to map the people an individual has been in contact with, and for how long, and notifies users if they have been exposed to someone testing positive for COVID-19. The app’s software is open source, free to replicate and modify. In China, the digital Health Code app—with more than 800 million users—traces contacts and provides an individualized health certificate based on real-time information. A “green code” allows an individual to access common spaces, like office buildings and retail locations. Establish a Framework for How to Reopen. For each of the five readiness levels, national governments should then provide practical guidance for activity, including restrictions and expectations of behavior. These guidelines would articulate, for example, the people-related restrictions (such as movement, distancing, gathering sizes, and protective wear), place-related restrictions (such as temperature checks at entry points, maximum capacity, and hygiene and cleaning standards), and minimum testing, tracing, and tracking standards.

The guidelines should be applied and implemented wherever possible by local governments. Localization is important because it recognizes that within a country different regions and cities will face different contexts requiring different approaches to meet the national guidelines. For example, reopening a retailer in a densely populated urban area is a different challenge requiring different precautions than reopening a store in a small rural town. At the same time, industry leaders, with specialized knowledge, can leverage the guidelines to create playbooks for how companies in their business should operate in areas that are at different readiness levels. This approach ensures that major employers, trade associations, unions, and other key players are actively engaged in and supportive of the reopening process. As areas move out of the “red” readiness level and prepare to reopen, a key question is whether specific types of businesses or activities should open first. One approach is a hands-off model, whereby government permits any activity that is consistent with the guidelines. While this avoids prioritizing one sector or industry over another, this approach leaves governments with fewer levers to reverse course if an outbreak materializes. The alternative is to establish a sequence in which sectors or industries that offer greater socioeconomic benefits open first. Such an approach ensures a more gradual resumption of activity while prioritizing activities that may deliver the most societal impact. For example, in Austria, small standalone retail shops and craft services will form the first wave of reopening (with maximum one customer per 20 square meters and mandatory face masks). The government is opening those businesses first owing to its commitment to support hard-hit small business owners and because small retailers are generally patronized by local residents, lowering the risk of transmission from one neighborhood to another. Under either approach, governments may need to think separately about how to reopen schools and day care centers. In some countries, those institutions are an essential enabler for the rest of the economy, allowing significant numbers of parents to return to work. Both Denmark and Germany have announced they will open schools in the first wave of reopening. Execute with Transparency and Ensure the Ability to Adjust the Strategy. Once the strategy is set, governments need to execute in a way that builds public trust and allows for adjustments as conditions change. Public trust and economic confidence are important for maintaining social cohesion and restoring economic growth. Trust in the approach is also important because citizens, businesses, and organizations themselves must play an active role in making the strategy succeed by adapting to the “new normal” behaviors. Ultimately, overly aggressive enforcement measures may undermine public support. That’s why governments should identify and support tools that encourage voluntary positive behavior. This includes, for example, supporting employers with appropriate signage to encourage distancing and hand washing, guiding retailers on placing distancing markers in their stores, and using public information campaigns to explain how each individual has an important role to play.

Governments should also be as transparent as possible in terms of both the strategy itself and the data used to drive decision-making and compliance activities. Many governments have adopted live dashboards to provide data and updates on the health crisis with the public. These dashboards can also share information relevant to reopening, such as the readiness status of a given area and what needs to happen for the status to change.Governments should also ensure they are able to adjust their strategy as conditions change, including by adopting scenario planning. The public should not expect governments to predict exactly how this pandemic will play out, but people can expect a plan to resume a new normal that anticipates likely scenarios, and the willingness to listen, learn, and adapt. The public should not expect governments to predict exactly how this pandemic will play out, but people can expect a plan that anticipates likely scenarios. At the same time, governments should develop rapid feedback loops to capture information and insights on how their strategy is working—or not working. This includes engaging with employers, unions, industry associations, and civil society organizations to get their input on how guidelines and standards are working in reality. Governments should also find ways to capture and acknowledge feedback directly from citizens. A starting point is to provide a digital platform to interact with citizens. In the UK, for example, local authorities are conducting public meetings using digital platforms, and the NHS has launched an online crowdsourcing exercise to explore ways to mitigate the effects of self-isolation. Enlisting citizens in this effort, so that they recognize real health and welfare benefits from being engaged in the restart, is an imperative. Governments around the world have weathered economic shocks before—most recently the financial crisis and recession of the late 2000s. But the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic is different. There is no modern analog for the shutdown of economic activity in most of the world. Governments will need to develop a novel strategy for reopening their societies and economies. The strategy must include clear national guidelines on when to reopen based on health care and public readiness. It should also provide national guidance on how to open, with execution driven by state, regional, and local leaders. The strategy must also be transparent in order to build public trust and include mechanisms for collecting feedback and adjusting as conditions change. Governments that develop and implement such strategies will be able to successfully navigate amid chaos and chart a clear path toward the new normal.

What is the World Economic Forum doing about the coronavirus outbreak? Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic requires global cooperation among governments, international organizations and the business community, which is at the centre of the World Economic Forum’s mission as the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. How can we collaborate to stop the spread of COVID-19? Since its launch on 11 March, the Forum’s COVID Action Platform has brought together 1,667 stakeholders from 1,106 businesses and organizations to mitigate the risk and impact of the unprecedented global health emergency that is COVID-19. The platform is created with the support of the World Health Organization and is open to all businesses and industry groups, as well as other stakeholders, aiming to integrate and inform joint action. As an organization, the Forum has a track record of supporting efforts to contain epidemics. In 2017, at our Annual Meeting, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) was launched – bringing together experts from government, business, health, academia and civil society to accelerate the development of vaccines. CEPI is currently supporting the race to develop a vaccine against this strand of the coronavirus. Show

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic requires global cooperation among governments, international organizations and the business community, which is at the centre of the World Economic Forum’s mission as the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. How can we collaborate to stop the spread of COVID-19? Since its launch on 11 March, the Forum’s COVID Action Platform has brought together 1,667 stakeholders from 1,106 businesses and organizations to mitigate the risk and impact of the unprecedented global health emergency that is COVID-19. The platform is created with the support of the World Health Organization and is open to all businesses and industry groups, as well as other stakeholders, aiming to integrate and inform joint action. As an organization, the Forum has a track record of supporting efforts to contain epidemics. In 2017, at our Annual Meeting, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) was launched – bringing together experts from government, business, health, academia and civil society to accelerate the development of vaccines. CEPI is currently supporting the race to develop a vaccine against this strand of the coronavirus.

Corona (COVID19)

Covid19 Precautions…

Exercise at home using various safe, simple, and easily implementable exercises is well suited to avoid the airborne coronavirus and maintain fitness levels. Such forms of exercise may include, but are not limited to, strengthening exercises, activities for balance and control, stretching exercises, or a combination of these. Examples of home exercises include walking in the house and to the store as necessary, lifting and carrying groceries, alternating leg lunges, stair climbing, stand-to-sit and sit-to-stand using a chair and from the floor, chair squats, and sit-ups and pushups. In addition, traditional Tai Ji Quan, Qigong exercises,15 and yoga16 should be considered since they require no equipment, little space, and can be practiced at any time. The use of eHealth and exercise videos, which focuses on encouraging and delivering physical activity through the Internet, mobile technologies, and television17 are other viable avenues for maintaining physical function and mental health during this critical period.

Since the pandemic reached India, there have been alarming reports of high-risk behaviour, such as suspected Covid-19 patients leaving hospitals without clearance. We don’t need to stress how dangerous this is — please cooperate with medical and government authorities.

Out to dinner with my cousin one night, we had to have our temperature checked before we could enter the restaurant, located within a large hotel. At a local supermarket, before I could pick up a basket or pull out a shopping cart, a security guard offered me some hand sanitizer and checked my temperature.

With this family of coronaviruses, that could potentially allow us to have a vaccine ready before the next one even becomes a pandemic. So theoretically, we could stop the next pandemic in its tracks.

Ventilation in the prone position improves lung mechanics and gas exchange and is currently recommended by the guidelines.29,30 The prone position, if planned, should not be a desperate final attempt but should be considered in the early stages of the disease,40 as the evidence suggests that the early application of prolonged ventilation in the prone position decreases 28- and 90-day mortality in patients with severe ARDS.41 Prone position ventilation is currently widely used for critically ill patients in Wuhan (fig. 9). Lung recruitment maneuvers, via transient elevations in airway pressure applied during mechanical ventilation, can open collapsed alveoli and thus increase the number of alveoli available for gas exchange. Lung recruitment maneuvers do not significantly reduce mortality but may improve oxygenation and shorten the length of hospital stay in ARDS patients.42 Overall, recruitment maneuvers are not supported by high-quality evidence,43 and caution should be exercised when using it because it can be irritating, incite coughing, and generate aerosols.

Steps to reduce risk of getting sickThere are things you can do to reduce your risk of getting sick. Keep space between yourself and others (stay 6 feet away, which is about two arm lengths). Wash your hands often. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of your elbow. Then wash your hands. Take precautions as you go about your daily life and attend events. Clean and disinfect surfaces and things you touch often. What You Can Do How to Protect Yourself

India is conducting only about 90 tests a day, despite having the capacity for as many as 8,000. So far, 11,500 people have been tested, according to The Associated Press.

“Our patient population represents the largest and densest immunocompromised population in the world,” says Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. “We must accept that we will co-exist with COVID-19 until we reach a widespread state of immunity. Our readiness to protect our patients and our workforce is crucial.”

Cancer patients are uniquely vulnerable to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 , because their immune systems are compromised due to disease and/or treatment. That’s why MD Anderson has taken special precautions to protect the health and safety of our cancer patients when they visit our campuses during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, many people have volunteered to take part in a controversial testing method called human challenge trials. As of April 27, a global initiative called 1DaySooner had registered 3,817 people in 52 countries who had signed up for such trials. The method, which involves intentionally infecting volunteers with the novel coronavirus, is being promoted in order to “speed up” the process of preparing a vaccine.

We are increasing the number of video visits, as appropriate, to limit your exposures and travel. These are being scheduled in place of in-person visits for your safety and convenience. Get your questions answered about virtual visits. Patients may enter at the following locations on our Texas Medical Center campus:

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Data on whether pregnant women have more severe cases of COVID-19 or less are unclear. Reports from China involving more than a dozen women infected with COVID-19 late in pregnancy suggest their symptoms, if any, are similar to those of other adults. But Denise Jamieson, an expert on emerging infectious diseases and pregnancy at Emory University, says it is too soon to understand the full impact of the disease during pregnancy. “I’ve stopped saying the data we have are reassuring,” she says. “We don’t have nearly enough information to draw conclusions.”

Exclusive Corporate feature This feature is limited to our corporate solutions. Please contact us to get started with full access to dossiers, forecasts, studies and international data.

The morning of his esophageal cancer surgery, Dustin Pruett kissed his wife goodbye on the skybridge outside the Rotary House Hotel. He was nervous about just one thing. Not the seven-and-a-half-hour surgery or the weeks of recovery on a feeding tube. For Dustin, the hardest part was knowing he was about to be away from his wife and four children for about 10 days. Like other hospitals, MD Anderson has temporarily restricted visitors at all of its campuses in order to protect its patients and workforce members from the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. That meant Dustin’s family couldn’t visit him in the hospital while he recovered from his surgery. “I’m glad the visitor policy is in place. The processes and policies at MD Anderson are top-notch, and I feel completely safe,” Dustin says. “But knowing I couldn’t have my family with me took the wind out of me. I had this huge support system and they couldn’t be there with me.” “Fortunately,” he says, “we found ways to stay in touch, and my team at MD Anderson helped me through this tough time.” Coming to MD Anderson for esophageal cancer surgery When Dustin first came to MD Anderson in late February after being diagnosed with stage III adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, he brought his wife, dad and stepmom. At his first appointment, he met his care team, which included oncologist Mariela Blum Murphy, M.D., radiation oncologist Michael O’Reilly, M.D., and thoracic surgeon Ara Vaporciyan, M.D. Together, they planned his treatment, which would start with six weeks of chemoradiation. That meant he would undergo chemotherapy while simultaneously getting daily doses of radiation therapy. The goal was to shrink the tumor that stretched from the bottom third of his esophagus into the upper portions of his stomach. Once the tumor had shrunk, he would undergo surgery to remove the rest of it. “We came to MD Anderson because everyone we talked to had told us it was the best. After being there it was easy to see why,” Dustin says. “I was confident in the plan my doctors had laid out for me.” Dustin’s initial esophageal cancer treatment Dustin started chemoradiation in March. Every Monday, he had a three-hour chemotherapy infusion. He wore a chemotherapy pump through Friday. “That pump felt like a part of me. I took it with me everywhere I went. And it wasn’t a part of me I necessarily liked,” Dustin says. “But I was a free man on Saturdays and Sundays.” In addition, he had daily radiation therapy. Each morning his wife or dad would drop him off at MD Anderson, then go get breakfast while he had his treatment. “It wasn’t that bad,” Dustin says. “I had a great group of radiotherapists who always put my favorite music on, made me comfortable and asked how I was doing. They made something that was not so enjoyable almost enjoyable.” At the start of his treatment, Dustin and his family rented a studio apartment in Houston. Originally, they flew home to Georgia on the weekends, but as COVID-19 cases increased across the country, they decided it was safer to stay in Houston for the rest of his treatment. “It worked out better because I was not feeling up to traveling,” Dustin says. Esophageal cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic After a short return home in May, Dustin, his wife, his dad and stepmom, and his two oldest children traveled to Houston in June for his surgery. During the procedure, called a transthoracic (or Lewis) esophagectomy, Vaporciyan removed the tumor, part of the esophagus above it and some of the stomach below it. His surgery team also removed Dustin’s gallbladder because it had a stone in it. They then pulled his stomach up to where his esophagus now ended and connected the two so he could swallow again. After surgery, Dustin stayed in his hospital bed two days, just resting. He didn’t even turn on the TV. But he made sure to FaceTime with his family multiple times a day to help lift his spirits. Knowing he was missing his family, Dustin’s care team, especially his nurses, stopped by to visit often and went out of their way to make sure he was comfortable. They encouraged him to take walks down the hall to help ease his recovery. COVID-19 visitor policy didn’t keep him from connecting with family Four days after his surgery, Dustin took a walk and stopped to look out the window in the floor’s common area. Although he was seven stories up, he immediately recognized the view, just outside a parking garage. He called his wife and asked her to bring the kids to that spot. For the first time in four days, Dustin was able to see his family in person, even if it was at a distance. “When I saw them standing on the sidewalk, I burst into tears,” Dustin says. “It was a sight for sore eyes.” Vaporciyan, who was checking on his patients on the floor, spotted Dustin standing near the window. Dustin “introduced” Vaporciyan to his family over speakerphone, and Vaporciyan gave an update: Dustin, who was cancer-free after the surgery, was continuing to do well. Vaporciyan even took a picture of Dustin and his family through the window before visiting his next patient. “I was so happy Dustin was able to see his family, and it showed what an important part of the recovery process that is. It’s motivated me to do everything I can to help my patients stay in touch with their families while upholding our necessary visitor policies,” Vaporciyan says. “This has showed me the courage and bravery our patients have.” Life after esophageal cancer Seven days after his surgery, Dustin returned home. About a month later, his feeding tube was removed. Little by little, he’s been able to expand the portion sizes of his meals. He plans to come to MD Anderson every three months for follow-up appointments. “It’s been baby steps,” he says. “But I’m feeling some normalcy again.” Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or by calling 1-877-632-6789.

Patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 should be regarded as having an augmented risk of presenting potentially difficult and complicated intubation for the following reasons. First, when a patient requires intubation for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, they have minimal to no respiratory reserve, and their compensatory mechanisms have already been exhausted. It is common to see a patient who starts with a dangerously low Spo2 quickly decline after loss of spontaneous breathing, followed by a slow recovery with manual facemask ventilation. Second, due to strict infection control and the urgency of intubation, a careful airway evaluation is frequently not possible. Third, the personal protective equipment mandated by the level III scaled precaution makes the performance of the procedure clumsy, which may easily compromise the intubation process. Fourth, strict infection and traffic control restrict backup supplies and helpers from being readily available when they are needed. Fifth, the psychological pressure related to concerns of cross-infection challenges the providers, which may make an otherwise easy intubation complicated.

user light iconSteps to reduce risk of getting sickThere are things you can do to reduce your risk of getting sick. Keep space between yourself and others (stay 6 feet away, which is about two arm lengths). Wash your hands often. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of your elbow. Then wash your hands. Take precautions as you go about your daily life and attend events. Clean and disinfect surfaces and things you touch often. What You Can Do How to Protect Yourself

“If you have minor symptoms, such as a slight cough or a mild fever, there is generally no need to seek medical care. Stay at home, self-isolate and monitor your symptoms. Follow national guidance on self-isolation. However, if you live in an area with malaria or dengue fever it is important that you do not ignore symptoms of fever.””Seek immediate medical care if you have difficulty breathing or pain/pressure in the chest. If possible, call your health care provider in advance, so he/she can direct you to the right health facility.”

Not all masks are created equal. So, the one that’s best depends on three things: who you are, where you are and what you’re doing.

Then, spotlight falls on Remdesivir as a possible treatment for critical cases of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Globally, it is one of the four possible lines of treatment being investigated in the Solidarity trials under the aegis of the World Health Organization (WHO). While the drug is yet to get approval in any country to treat COVID-19, recent studies have claimed they have found promising results.

Chinese medical guidelines on the new coronavirus recommend newborns be isolated from infected mothers for at least 2 weeks or until the mother is no longer considered infectious. They also recommend against infected mothers breastfeeding. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also takes a cautious stance, recommending that “facilities should consider temporarily separating the mother who has COVID-19 … from her baby until the mother’s transmission-based precautions are discontinued.” However, CDC adds that “risks and benefits of temporary separation of the mother from her baby should be discussed with the mother by the health care team.”