healthcare conference

   As the current wave of  Covid-19  swept many  children  and young adults in its fold along with their family members, it was revealed that the majority of those who needed ICU care and  prolonged hospitalization  had one factor in common –  obesity  or high body mass index. Dr Ankit Mehta, paediatric intensive care specialist at Zydus Hospital, said that a good 50% of the children treated in ICU during second surge of Covid-19 at the facility were overweight or obese. “We have treated 45 children for Covid in ICU and half of them were obese. This is a serious indicator of obesity being a significant risk factor for Covid in children,” said Dr Mehta. He said that in obese children, Covid-19 disease was seen as it recorded in adults. “The children had lung involvement with CT scores ranging from 6-18, one girl even had 100% lung involvement. They had to be treated as adults with Remdesivir, steroids and anticoagulants,” said Dr Mehta. D...

  An Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras Research has called for greater government investment in public healthcare to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the elderly. The current pandemic poses a greater risk of social isolation among the elderly, which may lead to a greater adverse impact on their health. In a company release, IIT Madras said the poor among the elderly would suffer more than others. As a result, their access to regular primary healthcare services and continuity of care that is essential for those suffering from non-communicable diseases, given their dependency and lack of mobility, may have worsened further during this pandemic. Overall, given the evidence on the possible hardships that the elderly may have already gone through during the pandemic and hardships that they may face in the future, the importance of strengthening the public healthcare system cannot be over-emphasised, researchers opined. Based on the 75th round of the National Sample Survey (N...

  The onset of the global pandemic has challenged the existing healthcare systems and infrastructure. While doctors and healthcare practitioners across the globe are changing the way they approach healthcare, the viral outbreak has also led to changes in the design of hospitals and medical facilities. Some of these changes may be temporary to accommodate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic; a few fundamental changes will help healthcare infrastructure be better prepared for future trials. Typically, sites for developing healthcare facilities are selected based on factors such as financial feasibility, patient catchment, service area assessments, etc. In a post-pandemic world, it has become crucial for hospitals to have ‘flex’ facilities. Flex facilities like vacant areas or adjacent hospitals nearby will allow hospitals to use surrounding areas to accommodate the increase in patient-care requirements during unprecedented outbreaks or pandemics by multiplying beds or setting u...

  London: UK Health Minister  Matt Hancock  on Sunday said that the 'Delta' variant of Covid-19, first reported in India, is 40 per cent more transmissible than the 'Alpha' strain, detected in the UK itself. "We were previously told by the scientific advisory group for emergencies (Sage) that there would be problems if a variant was 40 per cent to 50 per cent more transmissible," Hancock was quoted as saying by the BBC. "The latest scientific advice is that the  Delta variant , first detected in India, is 40 per cent more transmissible than the Kent strain," he said. While  hospitalisations  currently remain broadly flat, majorly because of the vaccination programme, the rapid spread of Delta would likely "lead to a substantial resurgence of hospitalisations" and put pressure on the NHS, Hancock said. Hancock also said he "wouldn't rule out" the continued wearing of face masks and working from home measures and noted that ...