ASCF FOUNDATION SERVED FREE MEDICINES ON DEATH ANNIVERSARY OF APJ ABDUL KALAM TO 100 SENIOR CITIZENS

Dr. Ashu Shah a Doctor & philanthropist She & her team is working proactively protecting Cancer patients & senior citizens, Other citizens from deadly COVID-19 virus and to reduce the burden on hospitals.

On the death anniversary of A.P.J ABDUL KALAM, she has served about 100 poor socio-economic families, senior citizens, providing free consultations, general medicines, and supplements essential to fight against this virus. She has informed the local President to keep local physicians on call, ready to serve this needy and vulnerable section of society. She also advocated providing essential equipment for night emergencies like Pulse-oximeters and oxygen concentrators to be kept available all the time. She explained about COVID-19 testing processes and home isolation tips, Quartining, sharing her thoughts on ways to reduce the unnecessary crowd in the already overwhelmed hospitals.

She explained about recent COVID-19 symptoms like fatigue, diarrhea, metallic taste, loss of smell, chills, blood pressure fluctuation, and blood sugar fluctuation. For the majority of the masses, fever is the first indication of possible COVID-19 onset but she observed that fever is no longer the most critical symptom for the diagnosis of COVID-19. Among the patients she treated, only 17% had a fever, which is a very crucial observation because many asymptomatic patients don’t pay any attention to the above-mentioned symptoms like fever only focus on symptoms of cough & cold, Fatigue body aches, throat pain, cough, etc.

Dr. Ashu is of the view that if fever is around 98 with oxygen

saturation between 92%-94% such patients can be treated at home. She said that such

COVID-19 can be treated at home via frequent telemedicine consultation and self-isolation.

Since they are not at high risk and symptoms are mild, home isolation and care will be good in

observing and keeping a regular check on their vitals. This will, in turn, reduce the burden on

already overcrowded hospitals and ensure that hospital beds and ventilators are being

efficiently used for those patients who are severely affected by the virus and are in the critical

stages. COVID-19 pneumonia patients, immunocompromised patients like cancer patients, chronic kidney disease patients, chronic neurological patients e.g., stroke, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD) patients, serious heart disease patients should be taken care at hospitals. COVID-19 with pneumonia, if oxygen saturation is less than 90% and a fever greater than 102℃ should also be monitored in hospitals. Their recovery period is 4-6. weeks and post-recovery when they are shifted to home, they should be kept in an isolated and well-ventilated room for a few days and family should also keep oxygen concentrators at home for precautionary reasons in case if the need arises.

Best screening for COVID-19 is either Antigen test or Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test. If people are affected, sometimes there would be fluctuations in RT-PCR because of late results as COVID-19 So, there is no need to panic as there are options available.j

People should adopt American guidlines like,

a) Cover your face with a mask b) Wash hands regularly with hand sanitizers c) Maintain physical distance. d) if you would want to outside go with your own people dont go outsiders

For a COVID 19 patient in home isolation, diet and exercise is equally important. A high protein diet and light exercises is recommended for patients fighting this virus at home along with being in well ventilated room.

Home Isolation tips Covid patients ; 1.Patient should wear compulsory mask at home 2.patient should be isolated at the separate room with all things clothes, toilet, Utensils separately with well-ventilated room 3. Cancer patients should take double safety measures care, not go unnecessarily outside.

Dr. Ashu and team appeal people not to stigmatize the disease (like T.B patients were stigmatized in the early stages of the disease) rather provide moral support to patients,

From the advent of lockdown, she is providing night consultations to thousands of Citizens free of cost through Ascf foundation arranging beds for COVID-19 patients in hospitals along with her volunteers MP South Corona Taskforce providing free oxygen concentrators and home isolation kits.