Sunita Arora, Author at GOQii

June 1, 2021 By Sunita Arora Leave a Comment

Symptoms To Watch Out For When RT PCR Tests Negative

Earlier in April, my cousin visited three hospitals in Delhi with his father, trying to get an oxygen bed for him. His father was tested negative for COVID-19 in the RT-PCR test, but was showing symptoms of the disease. His oxygen levels dropped to <90 and HRCT showed infection and pneumonia. Due to the false negative RT PCR Test report, his father had not received proper and timely treatment and after a week, the disease progressed and damaged more than 50% of his lungs.

India is currently going through the second wave of COVID-19 and the virus is said to be more infectious than it was previously. Due to the new structure of the double and triple mutant variant of the virus, it is undetectable in the RT-PCR test. Earlier fever, cough and difficulty in breathing were said to be the most common symptoms of the deadly virus but now, it’s important to be aware of the newest symptoms (like diarrhoea, vomiting, conjunctivitis) to be able to identify them, to take timely treatment and avoid complications. It’s important to know the four broad factors which determine the accuracy of an RT-PCR test: the viral load in the person, the quality of sample collection and processing, the efficacy of the test kit itself, and also the benchmark for test interpretation.

The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention added new triggers and updated the list of COVID-19 symptoms:

Fever (mild or high)
Cough
Shortness of breath
Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
Loss of appetite
Muscle or body aches
Headache
Nasal congestion
Loss of taste or smell
Skin rashes
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps
Red Eyes or conjunctivitis
Hearing loss
Extreme lethargy and weakness
Dry mouth or not enough saliva
Confusion state and brain fog

According to AIIMS Director Dr. Randeep Guleria, there is always a chance that it is a false negative, “If the test is not properly done or a swab is not taken properly, it shall be a false negative. If the symptoms are there and you have been in contact with a COVID positive person, then you must assume you are COVID positive too and take the necessary steps as any patient would,”

Dr Anurag Agarwal, director of the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics said, “What people should remember is that PCR has a sensitivity of 70%. The load of the virus in one’s mouth and nose remain the highest a day before the symptoms start showing. Then the virus load gradually decreases. If people get tested late after 7 to 8 days, it is possible to get a negative test report because the virus may have travelled inside the body”.

So, the bottom line is this, if you test negative but still have any of the above-mentioned symptoms then take normal precautions as one would if tested positive. Consult a doctor and also isolate yourself, have plenty of fluids, a nutritional diet and supportive care.

How To Manage Mild Symptoms If The RT PCR Tests Negative

If the RT PCR tests negative, and you have any of the above symptoms, here’s what you can do to manage the milder ones.

Isolate yourself in a separate room with a working bathroom/toilet if possible.
Wear triple sharing masks covering your nose and mouth whenever you open the door. Those entering your room should do the same. Also, discard the mask after eight hours.
Make sure to wash your hands frequently with soap or use 70% alcohol-based sanitiser. You should also clean your room yourself with a disinfectant.
If possible, open windows for better ventilation.
Utensils should be cleaned wearing gloves with soap. Best to use disposables and it is strongly advised not to use personal items with others.
Frequently check your temperature for mild fever, body ache can take a paracetamol or Dolo 650.
Monitor your oxygen levels at least every 4-6 hours. If your breaths are too fast, take a six-minute walk and try again.
Keep yourself hydrated and have a healthy diet even if you can’t taste or smell a thing. Proper hydration and a healthy diet will ensure a faster recovery.

Seek emergency medical care in any of these cases:

Oxygen level on oximeter shows less than 94%
Shortness of breath worsens
Lips or face turn blue-ish
Feeling of disorientation increases
Fever of 101 F (38C) persists for more than three days
If you feel tightness pain in the chest
Slurred speech or seizure
Unable to wake up or sudden and extreme weakness

We hope this article helps you! Do be aware of these symptoms and take necessary precautions if your RT PCR tests negative.

To read more on COVID-19 management, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play. To directly reach out to a GOQii Coach, subscribe to personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu

Stay home, stay safe and #BeTheForce

May 13, 2021 By Sunita Arora Leave a Comment

How to Support Older Adults During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Currently, elderly people are vulnerable and at the highest risk of experiencing significant health complications due to the second wave of COVID-19. Being socially isolated also creates a panic, affects mental and physical health of the elderly. Due to the pandemic, most older adults are not able to take walks, exercise and have limited access to their daily healthcare needs. Though social distancing and self quarantine is necessary, it is essential for older adults to feel connected in order to avoid depression or helplessness. Loneliness, anxiety and uncertainty give rise to chronic stress, depression and insomnia in older people.

How Can You Help Older Adults In Your Neighborhood?

During this time, it becomes important to help older adults in our neighbourhood, especially the ones living alone. Here, I’ll be sharing some tips which families and caregivers can use to keep older adults disease-free, happy and mentally fit!

If you have parents or grandparents you’re not living with, give them a call to provide regular emotional support.
Ensure that an older adult’s daily needs and essential requirements like medicines, fruits, food, etc. are taken care of.
Take additional efforts to check and confirm that they are maintaining proper hand and respiratory hygiene.
Older Adults are more sensitive in the current situation. To safeguard them, it’s better that they should avoid stepping out for any reason as much as possible.
If routine check-ups can be done via phone consultation, please do so. Go to the hospital only when necessary.
Guide and educate the older adults in your area with the latest updates, precautionary measures, etc. Keep them informed!
Provide extra care if needed as some of them are on multiple medications due to chronic illnesses and sensory problems such as loss or difficulty in vision, hearing, etc.
Before self-medication with any drug, please consult a doctor.
Family members need to be super sensitive to the early symptoms of COVID-19 and testing if needed should be promptly done. This, however, should not give rise to panic, self-isolation and stigma.
Psycho-social issues are vital and families need to be sensitive to them. It is natural to be stressed, but signs of excessive panic, depression, sleep problems need urgent attention from a qualified mental health professional.
The elderly need to be involved in decision making even in times of crisis. Their rights, self-respect and dignity must be preserved and protected.

We hope this article helps. For more information or sessions on helping older adults, tune in to experts on GOQii Play.

Stay home, stay safe and #BeTheForce

April 27, 2021 By Sunita Arora 1 Comment

How To Survive The Heat With A Mask On

With the pandemic gripping the whole world, every small step we take towards prevention is an essential one. Wearing a mask is one such effective way of halting the pandemic. When a healthy person wears a mask, it acts as a wall of defence against the virus that is floating in the air. On the other hand, it’s not very comfortable and gives some people rashes too. In the hot summer weather, due to wearing a mask, moisture gets built up under a mask, which irritates the skin. However, it may be less common for people who are wearing cloth masks compared to healthcare workers wearing less-breathable surgical or N95 masks. Just to help in this extreme weather, I am sharing some ways to survive the heat with a mask on.

Surviving the Heat With a Mask On

Choose the right fabric: Masks are made out of using a lot of different material, so If you want to be comfortable wearing a mask during summer, make sure it’s something that feels soft against your skin. Always go for lighter, soft, breathable cotton material, which can help you to avoid chafing, heat rashes, keep your face cooler and absorb sweat when you wear them.
Try a mask made with Bamboo material: As it absorbs 3 times the amount of water as cotton, ideal for people who sweat often on the face. Secondly, while engaging in physical activity, a face-covering made of bamboo fabric may be a smart choice. Although, they are slightly more costly as compared to cotton masks.
Masking up without makeup: Makeup is very irritating under some kind of covering. It clogs the pores and contributes to acne breakouts and rashes on the face. As per skin experts, a bit of moisturizer is fine (preferably with some SPF), if you plan to go out in the daytime.
Keep a spare mask: On increasingly hot and humid days, pack multiple masks because when you’re outside with the mask on, that mask has a limited lifespan. Changing masks is the better remedy if you feel your mask is getting icky and sticky. Just make sure that you follow all safety guidelines when changing outside, avoid the crowded areas, prefer changing inside and sanitize the hands before swapping your mask.
Time management: It’s better to avoid going out during the hottest parts of the day. Try to stay at home if possible but If you feel it’s necessary to go out for some important errand then stay well hydrated, carry an umbrella to safeguard your face from the heat and direct sunlight, take frequent breaks in the shade.
Check the fit always: Your mask should be somewhat snug on your face but shouldn’t be so tight that it’s uncomfortable or difficult to breathe through. So, use the mask which always has adjustable ties, which would be probably much better as every face shape is different. Adjustable ties have the potential for a more comfortable fit.
Avoid dark colour masks: To avoid overheating in the hot sun, lighter coloured masks are also a better choice. This is because ultraviolet rays from the sun are easily absorbed by materials made using darker colours, which will cause them to heat up faster.
Use clean masks: The best way to prevent germs from lingering between uses is to wash the mask after each use in hot water and dry it on high heat. If needed, masks can also be ironed as an additional way to kill germs.

We hope this article helps you survive this ungodly heatwave with a mask on. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Ensure that you stay safe. Your best bet to beat the pandemic is to follow the WHO guidelines.

For more summer health tips and tricks, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce

January 26, 2021 By Sunita Arora Leave a Comment

5 Ways To Keep Your Lungs Healthy

Even though the heart gets a lot of attention, healthy lungs are also crucial for overall health — particularly in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Lung infections often develop as a complication of other chronic illnesses. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exposure to air pollution results in 4.2 million deaths worldwide each year. Cigarette smoking is the cause of death for one in every five people in the United States. So, lungs should not be taken for granted. Though the body has a natural defense system to protect the lungs, there are some ways to keep your lungs healthy!

How To Keep Your Lungs Healthy

1. Practice Deep Breathing
Although lung capacity can diminish as you age, certain deep breathing exercises can help you breathe better. Breathing exercises can help healthy people as well as those with breathing problems. You can try these two types of deep breathing techniques to keep your lungs healthy.

Diaphragmatic breathing helps in building lung capacity and helps people with COPD. Inhale through your nose for two seconds, feeling the air move into the abdomen and breathe out for two seconds.
Pursed-lip breathing: Breathe in through your nose and then breathe out slowly through pursed lips.

2. Detox Your Lungs
Our lungs are mostly self-cleaning organs but there are certain simple ways which help cleaning lungs, so that they function at an optimum level.

To break down the mucus, start your day with 1-2 crushed cloves of garlic in one tsp of raw honey.
Drink 250ml of lemon water, add a pinch of cayenne pepper and drink it in the morning to loosen up the mucus.
Drink fenugreek seed water and chew the soaked fenugreek seeds to break down the mucus.
Steam inhalation with peppermint and eucalyptus oil for 5 minutes twice a day is an effective way to keep your lungs healthy.
Castor oil has properties to destroy mucus, massaging your chest deeply with warm castor oil is good to cure congestion.

3. Get Fit & Stay Active
Exercise forces the muscles to work harder, which increases the body’s breathing rate, which in turn gives a good supply of oxygen to the muscles. It also helps in improving circulation and making the body more efficient in removing the excess carbon dioxide that the body produces when exercising.

4. Stay Hydrated
The best way to keep your airways moist is to stay well hydrated. Staying well-hydrated is very important if you have breathing problems because it helps the lungs to do their job better. It keeps the mucosal lining in the lungs thin and this thinner lining helps the lungs function better.

5. Prevent Infection & Avoid Exposure To Pollutants
Sometimes respiratory infections become very serious. To safeguard your lungs from various infections you should:

Wash your hands often with soap and water or use alcohol-based sanitizer
Maintain good oral hygiene, brush your teeth twice a day and see your dentist every six months
Avoid crowded places during cold and flu season. Get yourself vaccinated against influenza and pneumonia every year
Minimize exposure to outdoor air if the quality is not good and avoid exercising outdoors on bad air days
Don’t exercise near heavy traffic to avoid inhaling polluted air
Avoid exposure to indoor pollutants which worsen lung disease. Make your home and car smoke-free
Dust the furniture at least twice a week. Keep your home clean as much you can, use natural cleaning products and make sure you have adequate air ventilation at home.
Instead of using synthetic air fresheners and candles, you can use an aromatherapy diffuser, essential oils like lavender oil, peppermint oil, rosemary oil, etc.
Stop smoking as soon as possible because it causes chronic inflammation in the lungs and destroys lung tissues which can lead to chronic bronchitis and lung cancer.

Apart from the above therapies, you can add some anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich foods to your diet which helps in reducing the inflammation of the lungs. Try adding turmeric, green tea, cherries, blueberries, olives, walnuts, beans and lentils, etc. to keep your lungs healthy!

We hope this article helps you. To know more ways to keep your lungs healthy, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce