The Booster Dose
Covid-19 Alert: In our constant effort to keep our readers safe in the midst of Covid-19 cases. Bharat Express spoke to Dr. Mohan Gandhi, General Medicine Physician and expert with 45 years experience in professional practice and research on how to keep oneself and secure with the detection of new cases and variants of Covid-19.
Dr. Gandhi does not predict Doomsday at all. Things are definitely going to be under control if India just takes personal steps to ensure personal and public safety.
Bharat Express : Corona-19, how is the situation different from when the virus first came?
Dr. Gandhi: The first cases of Corona virus came into being in 2020 in India. Currently with three waves already underway people are more aware and trained. India was very fortunate to get the vaccines in a very fast manner and it was circulated free of cost to all the people.
Seeing the Indian population and the way it was administered turned out to be the best amongst all the vaccines available. The first dose was given at a very large scale. The second was taken by more than 70 percent of people, though the booster dose was not taken by a lot of people as they felt that Corona was over and a lot of people took it very easy. Still we are in a much better position.
Another round of vaccination will be starting as the second booster dose or 4th dose of vaccination if the virus spreads rapidly.
Covid-19: Bharat Express :How does the vaccine help us? Are those who have taken all the vaccine doses more protected?
Dr. Gandhi: Our body makes antibodies which fight against the virus. That antibodies counter fights the virus and eliminate it. The antibody mechanism cannot stay forever and gradually it reduces. All the vaccines are made from the virus itself. So that when the vaccine is injected then the antibodies come into play.
Someone who has taken all three doses also is vulnerable but the severity of infection will be low as far as the antibodies are circulating in the body. Those who had one dose are at a more severe risk, those with two doses are less severe, those with all three doses will have very few symptoms and will easily come out.
Covid-19: Bharat Express :What if someone has missed their booster dose? Is there a time limit up to which one can take the dose for it to be valid?
Dr. Gandhi: This is a fear mechanism being circulated by pharmaceutical giants. You can take the booster dose or any other dose any time. From the time of taking the dose within a few days your antibody mechanism will again come into play. There is no problem if you have missed the dose or there is a time gap. The dose can be taken at any time and is definitely advisable to do so.
India is a much better place as the vaccination facility was always open, most of the people took the dose and the old situation like 2020 may not come again. The reason there is some quantity of antibodies still available.
Currently the Government is getting ready and within a week or so the fourth dose will be available. The Nasal dose which has just come into being and is currently being circulated through private hospitals and will be available at Government hospitals very shortly.
Bharat Express :What is the Nasal Vaccination which is now going to be available?
Dr. Gandhi: It is the administration of the vaccine through the nasal and it is the easiest way to curb the situation as the virus also attacks through the respiratory system . It is considered a very potent way of vaccinating. Just 2-2.5 drops are administered and have to be done twice within a gap of 28 days. It is absorbed by the blood through the respiratory system.
Bharat Express :Why is Corona back with so many variants?
Dr. Gandhi: This virus is continuously mutating means new genomes are coming up with small modifications. Even if the mutants are coming we are fully prepared as far as our own body is concerned as the vaccine is fully potent for all the mutants right now. The mutants may be different as they come into the countries where the medical systems were improper including China. They were hiding the data and instead should have allowed people to recover. They even were circulating fake vaccines which did not give any antibodies to the people. When the infection came back and that’s why they are facing so many deaths.
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Bharat Express :Are there different symptoms for the new mutations and variants?
Dr. Gandhi: The BF7 virus presently coming into India is spreading three times faster than the other earlier virus. If an infected person comes in a crowd he/she can spread it very fast.
Secondly, the symptoms are more or less the same i.e. fever, cough, cold, throat infection, weakness in body, headaches and backaches. The latest is that it also affects your GI system Gastro-Inetstinal system with symptoms like diarrhoea or vomiting in few cases should be taken note of by the affected person as well as the doctor to get the person tested.
Bharat Express :What precautions are you advising?
Dr. Gandhi: The precautions are already known to the public. Wear a mask, avoid crowded places, maintain social distance. People now are fully aware. Specifically if a case of fever immediately gets the rapid antigen test done if not the RT PCR. Cold and cough with GI problems should be taken seriously.
Personally request the public to not get panicky, very few people actually ever need hospitalization. Keep your vitamin and fluid intake optimum. In case of fever go for a paracetamol. Do not take antibiotics to treat any virus as it reduces resistance also no steroids. Incase of infection also Follow instructions of the doctor and stay at home post quarantine 5-7 days you will be fine.
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