About Anusha Subramanian

Anusha Subramanian, a British Chevening Scholar and a two-time award-winning journalist is a health, fitness and adventure enthusiast. She has combined her skills sets of writing and adventure training to be able to work for the larger good of the society by getting more people introduced to the outdoors and adventure.

February 10, 2021 By Anusha Subramanian 2 Comments

Here’s How The GOQii Vital ECG Saves Lives

Dr. Arvind Sinha has been suffering from hypertension for the last 3 decades and has had cardiac problems for close to 2 decades now. He first developed cardiac problems when he was around 46-47 years of age due to a sedentary lifestyle. About 25 years back, he underwent a coronary bypass operation. Almost a year ago his son Dr. Chandan Sinha came across the GOQii Vital ECG band, he decided to get it for his father to keep a check on his ECG. 9 months later, Dr. Arvind Sinha, one afternoon, suddenly developed palpitations. This kind of palpitations was something he had never experienced in 3 years. He had an oximeter by his bedside and so he first checked his SpO2 levels. His SpO2 levels were normal and BP showed 148-88mmHg. But, the palpitations continued for a while. Then around half an hour later, he again felt uneasy which is when he decided to use the GOQii Vital ECG band and check his ECG. The time was around 5:30 pm. The ECG reading showed abnormal – Atrial Fibrillation. Dr. Sinha was having palpitations when he took the ECG. He took his ECG (on his own) and the device helped him to understand what was happening to him.

Dr Chandan Sinha says, “We do have a proper ECG machine at home where we would take my father’s ECG readings. But, it would have taken a while before we took his ECG when he had palpitations. In such a scenario, the device is handy and it helped understand the abnormal situation immediately. What surprised us was we got a call from their Bangalore HQ and the person on the other side sounded concerned and was asking for the well-being of the patient. Moreover, he wanted us to connect to a doctor if required. Now, this is something which would help the elderly staying alone in smaller cities of India. I feel it’s a must have item for parents, not a normal fitness band but the perfect health tracker!” he adds.

1.53 mn deaths happen in India due to heart attacks every year

How often have we have heard of situations wherein a cardiac patient has felt uneasy due to a very high heart rate (upwards of 180 beats per minute), uneasiness in the chest, severe sweating, high BP and has been rushed to the hospital and the first thing that is done is to take an ECG. Imagine if the same can be taken immediately with a band on the wrist of the patient; it can save a life. The GOQii Vital ECG device, according to both Dr Arvind and Dr Chandan Sinha, is a good preventive device on the wrist that gives you an indication to take action immediately.

The likelihood of surviving a heart attack is over 80% if action is taken within the first 2 hours

GOQii Vital ECG provides ECG reports powered by Tricog Health, a platform that instantly and accurately interprets ECG readings with advanced technology and medical expertise. GOQii’s data shows that since August 2019, a total of over 10000 ECGs have been taken and the average age, of approximately 1000 users using the device, is 45 years of age. The ECG report is verified by Tricog & delivered within one minute in GOQii App. The ECG report in PDF format can be shared immediately with the doctors via Whatsapp, E-Mail, etc.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 17.7 million people lost their lives due to cardiovascular disease in 2015, making it the number one killer. In India, around 1.5-3 million deaths happen due to heart attacks every year. The high rate of mortality caused by heart attacks is mainly because the symptoms are often ignored or misunderstood. The likelihood of surviving a heart attack is over 80% if the action is taken within the first 2 hours. However, the average time between symptoms and treatment in India is over 6 hours.

“We at GOQii are fostering a preventive health ecosystem. Our aim is to focus on real-time and easy ECG diagnostics on your fingertip, coupled with lifestyle coaching advice. We are interpreting GOQii Vital EGG data along with state-of-the-art deep learning-based Arrhythmia detection algorithms. This is a big step towards the reduction in India’s mortality rate due to heart disorders and is in support of PM Modi’s Vision of #FitIndia,” says Vishal Gondal, Founder & CEO, GOQii.

According to doctors, Cardiac diseases is the number 1 killer in India, due to the lack of awareness and availability of necessary medical infrastructure. Most people only check their ECG once they have suffered a cardiac episode, even though it is a quick and inexpensive test. The reason being most primary care clinics are not equipped with ECG machines owing to their high cost and complex nature. Secondly, a lot of primary care doctors do not receive sufficient training in ECG interpretation.

“Heart palpitations which tend to get overlooked is a strong indicator or symptom of an underlying heart problem. By raising awareness & providing a band which easily provides an ECG report by means of a simple touch, GOQii is revolutionizing the prevention of serious heart and brain ailments,” says Rajashree Menon, Business Head- Healthcare, GOQii.

The GOQii Vital ECG along with Tricog is here to bring in a new generation of heart monitoring on people’s wrists. “Undetected Arrhythmias can lead to potentially life-threatening conditions like strokes, that can be prevented with the use of technology and medicine,” says Dr. Charit Bhograj, Chief Cardiologist and CEO at TricogBhograj.

Adding and echoing Dr Bhograj’s words is Dr. Vanita Arora, Director and Head Cardiac Electrophysiology Lab & Arrhythmia Services, Max Hospital, Saket. She adds, “The GOQii Vital ECG band will help diagnose symptoms of arrhythmia that are transitory in nature, thus aiding in quick analysis and interpretation as the symptoms exist only for a brief period. The patient can understand that the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat is irregular in a period of 30 seconds, and can take immediate action to prevent any fatalities.” Atrial Fibrillation increases the risk of Stroke and associated complications.

The GOQii Vital ECG wrist wearable can record a single-lead ECG, off the user’s wrist and makes diagnosis readily available to the masses. Also, users can book an online consultation with a cardiac specialist for a nominal fee. The consultant can help analyse the ECG report along with the lifestyle data, to recommend changes.

The band also has a feature to detect serious heart conditions like Atrial Fibrillation. This has been made possible due to Tricog Health’s deep learning-based Arrhythmia detection algorithm -DeepRhythm™. It will provide GOQii’s users with accurate interpretation of their single-lead ECG. DeepRhythm is Tricog’s proprietary algorithm* (FDA pending) that has been developed with over three years of research, using 30 million traces of ECG recordings to detect several forms of Arrhythmias. The GOQii Vital ECG is only a screening device and not a medical-grade device.

Want to know more about the GOQii Vital ECG and why you should get it? Click Here

To read more about GOQii, check out Healthy Reads!

#BeTheForce

October 2, 2020 By Anusha Subramanian 1 Comment

GOQii’s Mental Health Study Reveals 43% Indians Plagued With Depression

The current Pandemic situation across the world has taken a toll on people and Indians are no different. It has led to fear, panic and anxiety among people. The corona-stress is taking a toll on the mental health of people world over. To add to it, social distancing – key and essential steps taken to curtail the spread, is leading to minimal human contact and negligible physical social connections. The pandemic has only intensified depression.

With the fear of losing livelihood and going out, insecurity for oneself and loved ones, anxiety, health scares and the overall volatile environment, stress levels are at an all-time high. Copious amounts of stress can lead to depression.

A recent study undertaken by GOQii indicates that 43% of Indians are depressed and are learning to cope with it. Another 26% Indians are facing mild depression, 17% face a more strenuous kind. It is concerning to note that 6% Indians are severely depressed, the study indicated.

How Has The Lockdown Affected Mental Health?

The study was conducted by GOQii, across 10000+ Indians, to understand how COVID has changed lifestyle and how Indians are adapting to the new normal. This is a comparative study and highlights the glaring difference in lifestyle habits pre-corona and post lockdown. As per the study, a large section of the population has little interest in doing things in the current scenario.

There is a cause of concern with more than 59% of the population having little pleasure in doing things these days, out of which 38% have this feeling on a few days and 9% feel so more than half of the days. 12% of the population have little interest almost every day in these times.

“Anxiety is one of the symptoms of depression. Most people are anxious on various counts. For some it is about not having a regular routine as they did in normal times,” says Divya Thampi, an Emotional Wellness Coach on GOQii Play, the interactive video coaching platform.

As a counsellor, she has found that for many individuals, it’s related to the work from home (WFH) situation. Work hours have invariably extended, there is lack of boundaries, lack of sleep, lack of motivation to work and lots of nervousness – all leading to anxiety.

Many are experiencing the ‘MEH’ feeling. This is an emotion that says a lot without saying much. It is a feeling where one has little interest in doing things, does not want to get up from the couch, wants to eat copious amounts of food and especially the urge to eat sugary things, procrastinating to do certain tasks that need to be done and many such things.

Key Insights of the Study

As per the GOQii study, approximately 10% feel down and depressed more than half of the days or nearly every day. The study further indicates that a large section of the population has little interest in doing things in the current scenario. There is a cause for concern with more than 59% of the population having little pleasure in doing things these days, out of which 38% have this feeling on a few days, 9% feel thus on more than half of the days and 12% of the population have little interest in anything almost every day.

The fact that there are no boundaries, no routine to follow and also that many have yet not been able to adjust to the new normal is creating problems for some. “Most people feel energetic when there is sense of purpose or a goal to achieve,” Thampi adds.

Counsellors and mental health practitioners say that from a pandemic perspective, the number of people reaching out for help is increasing and many are newcomers. The common feeling among most is that of ‘not feeling okay’.

Given The Situation, How Does One Cope With Depression?

What are the coping mechanisms that can ease the stress of those going through some or the other mental condition?

Coping mechanisms are varied. Under normal circumstances, walking in nature is advised, as it calms you and relaxes your mind. But in the current scenario, being indoors and not being able to step out is a challenge for many. Also, most look for a safe place to be able to talk to someone or their counsellors. Mental health practitioners say these days many are unable to do that. Given such a scenario what is the way out?

Thampi says, “When there a purpose or a goal set for yourself, you will be occupied to get that task or goal completed. Taking up something as a challenge works well as it gives you some engagement. Secondly, if you cannot go out, having plants around you is a good option as that is a connection to nature as well.”

Mental practitioners recommend that individuals in this condition should talk to people with whom they feel safe. One should also reach out for therapists if necessary. The positive factor is that people are reaching out for counselling. Counsellors and Mental Health practitioners echo one point that mental health is now being discussed openly by families, parents and even corporations. It is being taken seriously.

Mental health is an important part of overall health and wellbeing. It affects how we think, feel and act. It may also affect how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices during an emergency. We need more conversations around the issue and people need to realise its ‘okay’ to talk about it.

March 19, 2020 By Anusha Subramanian Leave a Comment

Social Distancing & What You Need To Do!

Missing out on your daily diet of social interactions? Feeling anxious and irritated about being cooped up at home? Well, we have no choice but to adhere to the directive that has been put out in the wake of the recent widespread and rapid outbreak of the Coronavirus infection across the world, including India.

As few states and cities across India confront the rapid spread of COVID-19 cases, doctors say that the next two weeks is the mitigation phase of the outbreak. The virus has already spread into our communities, so now, the idea is to mitigate or reduce the risk and damage from the disease.

Newspapers, TV channels and social media are abuzz with updates revolving around COVID-19. Schools, colleges, gyms, clubs and religious places of worship have been shut till the end of the month. Public gatherings have been banned and most businesses have asked their employees to work from home.

In the wake of all this, the buzzword doing the rounds is Social Distancing. A phrase that has never seen mention in normal course but since the past week, it has been drilled into our heads constantly, reminding us to maintain distance from one and all. Social Distancing is going to be the key phrase that is going to remain for the next few weeks to come.

What is Social Distancing?

In simple terms, it means maintain distance or avoid contact with another individual. In the current scenario, it refers to staying away from another individual so as to avoid catching the virus yourself and to also avoid passing it on.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one should maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing because when someone coughs or sneezes, they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain the virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has been infected.

Lots of us might be relatively healthy or so think we are and hence feel that we might be able to withstand the rigors of an infection, but there is a concern about spreading it to vulnerable individuals and also the pressure it can put on our healthcare system if we are unable to stop the spread.

According to doctors and also directive by WHO, everyone has to practice social distancing as it helps to stop or slow the spread of infectious diseases. It means less contact between you and other people. Social distancing is critical at this point in time as COVID-19 is spreading fast and how.

It is spreading through:

Direct close contact with a person while they are infected or in the 24 hours before their symptoms appeared
Close contact with a person with a confirmed infection who coughs or sneezes
Touching objects or surfaces (such as door handles or tables) contaminated from a cough or sneeze from a person with confirmed infection, and then touching your mouth or face

According, to doctors staying home as much as possible, even if you believe you aren’t infected, is the type of altruistic decision that, when performed en masse, has the potential to slow the infection rate. When you maintain social distance as recommended, the harder it is for the virus to spread.

What Should One Do?

It is all about getting back to simple actions that can help reduce the risk to you and others.

Staying away from people if you are sick. In the current COVID-19 scenario stay more than 1 meter from people). When at home and if you are sick, ensure you are inside your room – that is the most important thing you can do.
Practicing good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene
Washing your hands frequently with soap and water, before and after eating, and after going to the toilet
Cover your cough and sneeze, dispose of tissues, and use alcohol-based hand sanitizer,
Regularly disinfect high touch surfaces, such as tables, kitchen floor, and tables and doorknobs
Increase ventilation in the home by opening windows or adjusting the air conditioning
Visit shops sparingly and buy more goods and services online
Consider whether outings and travel, both individual and family, are sensible and necessary

All these simple things if followed well during social distancing will help slow the spread of disease in the community. Think of this as an ethical and moral obligation towards our society and curb your activities, practice social distancing and substitute it with safer alternatives such as was video calls, skype, hangout meetings and calls instead of in-person meetings. Let us all work towards and support our Government and our doctors who are tirelessly working towards containing the spread of COVID-19.

For more information about the Coronavirus, building immunity and home workouts during social isolation or self-quarantine, visit GOQii Play. You can also purchase N95 Masks and sanitizers from the GOQii Health Store within the App.

#BeTheForce

March 15, 2020 By Anusha Subramanian Leave a Comment

GOQii app launches ‘Contact Tracking’ feature

To help users self-track potential virus carriers to contain the spread of COVID19

Last week in Pune when the couple and their child were tested positive, immediately, the health authorities tried and traced back all those people with whom the couple and child came in contact. Tracing helped them detect two positive cases from Mumbai including the cab driver who drove them from Mumbai airport to Pune. A statement then from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme of the Public Health Department, Maharashtra then said an “aggressive contact tracing activity” is in progress on a war footing after two Dubai returnees from Pune were found positive for coronavirus.

The last time, I remember reading and hearing about contact tracing was during the wild outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa. The early rollout of all measures alongside contact tracing efforts in Liberia was considered to have played a major role in the rapid decline of the country’s cases in September 2014.

In the current scenario, Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been declared a pandemic by the WHO. The virus is fast spreading and it is imperative to act quickly, cautiously and focus on prevention given that there is no cure yet. In the wake of coronavirus and the call by PM Modi to caution and not panic, GOQii, as a preventive healthcare platform has launched a first of its kind ‘Contact Tracking’ features, to help users track every movement, activity and also track those who have been in close contact with them and this app feature will effectively help in social distancing as is recommended by the WHO.

This app will help especially in cases of a positive detection, where users can immediately backtrack every movement and individuals that one has come in contact with, in the last few days. This will ensure prevention, quick detection of virus carriers and thus curtail the spread of the virus.

But, before we understand why such an app feature could be important for individuals and public health workers and institutions, it is important to understand What is Contact Tracing and why is it important during an outbreak is important?

Several international research and also the WHO describes that Contact tracing is an important strategy in epidemiology and refers to the identification and diagnosis of those individuals who have come in contact with an infected person. It ultimately aims to reduce the time span required to detect and treat a case of infectious disease and hence significantly minimizes the risk of transmission to the subsequent susceptible individuals. In-fact, contact tracing continues to remain an important measure, as it aids the epidemiologist in containing the infection.

Contact tracing is closely linked with case detection and investigation processes so that subsequent symptomatic patients can be effectively managed.

Contact tracing can feel like drudgery, but in an outbreak, it’s vital to public health. During this current COVID-19 outbreak, contact tracing will help make possible early diagnosis and getting care to people who need it. The information it uncovers also helps public health authorities contain epidemics.

Given this scenario, GOQii felt ‘self-tracking’ is also essential and should be followed to track one’s daily routine. Thus, it has specially updated the app to help users self-track, to the level of keeping a tab on every person one must have come in contact with, like cab sharing apps like Uber, Lyft, Ola, E-commerce and food delivery services like Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy and Zomato. One can record the person’s name, contact number as well as photographs of course with their permission.

COVID19 Tracking related App Features

Track Body Temperature, Weight, Heart Rate, Blood Sugar and other vitals.
Symptoms like Cough, Cold, Difficulty in breathing etc
Food and activity log with location
Log contacts – time spent with people at various occasions
Uber, Lyft, Ola rides with driver details
Food delivery and other delivery services, name and phone number of delivery persons

You can download the app from Android Store and iOS Store

GOQii app follows the privacy policy. The data logged by the user is private to the user. The privacy settings in the app let the users decide whether they want to share their logs publicly, with just their friends or keep them visible only to themselves.

GOQii’s Founder & CEO Vishal Gondal believes that the GOQii COVID-19 related App features will help with contact tracing and remote quarantine management. We are hoping that we could play a major role in helping people take all precautions as well as help the government and health authorities, to be able to contain COVID19. We hope our combined efforts will rapidly lead to a better epidemiological understanding of COVID-19. Our goal is to improve the outcomes of the global community—as more people become infected”. “GOQii will do all within its ambit to implement caution as a clarion call by the PM. PM Modi’s efforts are being praised worldwide “as India is ahead of the curve to contain the virus,” Gondal added.

Healthcare authorities and professionals can leverage GOQii’s cutting-edge wearable, artificial intelligence & coaching ecosystem to accelerate COVID-19 surveillance and interventions. GOQii is supportive and open to helping all Government bodies in a step towards prevention and adequate health management.

Apart from tracking daily activity, GOQii app will also enable users to track symptoms related to coronavirus and distinguishing symptoms including headache, cough, cold, flu and difficulty in breathing etc. Keeping your immunity intact is important in such a crisis situation. Users can have free access for 3 months to GOQii Play live for workouts and access to updates from experts while working out in the confines of your home to avoid social contact.