Indian doctors face challenges in diagnosing long covid
New Delhi: Doctors in India are grappling with the complexities of diagnosing and treating long Covid due to a lack of comprehensive guidelines and limited research on the condition. Although the World Health Organization has declared the end of Covid-19 as a global health emergency, there remains a crucial need to assess the long-term impact of the virus.
Long Covid encompasses a range of persistent symptoms that can affect various parts of the body, lingering well beyond the initial infection. Common manifestations include cough, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, brain fog, and difficulties in concentration.
Recent studies shed light on the prevalence of long Covid globally. A Harvard Medical School study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases found that:
- 31% of moderately to severely infected individuals in North America
- 44% in Europe
- 51% in Asia
experience long Covid. In India, a study from Maulana Azad Medical College revealed that 45% of recovered Covid patients reported ongoing symptoms, with persistent fatigue and dry cough being the most frequently noted issues.
Doctors are increasingly seeing patients presenting symptoms that were absent before their Covid infections, such as asthma-like conditions and neurological complications. However, there is currently no specific test or standardised guidelines for diagnosing long Covid. Dr. Neetu Jain, a senior consultant at Pushpawati Singhania Hospital, stated, "We really do not have any test to diagnose long Covid... We diagnose based on clinical symptoms and quality of life."
In response to the urgent need for better understanding and management of long Covid, a research team from Shiv Nadar University has developed a fluorescent probe designed to detect inflammation in brain cells related to Covid infection. This innovative tool measures nitric oxide levels in microglia cells.
Experts call for increased research efforts focused on sleep disorders, the biological mechanisms behind long Covid, and the development of targeted interventions. Dr. Rajesh Sagar, a Professor of Psychiatry at AIIMS, noted, "Looking at the current state of long Covid studies in India, it is too premature to say that we understand the condition well enough." The Indian medical community is eager for more dedicated research to tackle the growing awareness of neurological complications associated with long Covid.
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Sambhal violence: Prohibitory orders issued, outsiders barred from entry till Nov 30
Sambhal (UP) (PTI): The district administration has imposed prohibitory orders and barred the entry of outsiders till November 30 after three men were killed and scores of others, including security and administration personnel, injured in a violence by protesters opposing a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque.
The order has been issued under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), said District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya late on Sunday.
"No outsiders, other social organisations or public representatives will enter the district border without the permission of the competent officer," said the order, which came into force with immediate effect.
Violation of the order will be punishable under Section 223 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the BNS.
Violence broke out in the district on Sunday as protesters opposing the survey of the Jama Masjid clashed with security personnel. The protesters torched vehicles and pelted the police with stones while the security personnel used tear gas and batons to disperse the mob.
Divisional Commissioner (Moradabad) Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said on Sunday, "Shots were fired by miscreants... the PRO of the superintendent of police suffered a gunshot to the leg, the circle officer was hit by pellets and 15 to 20 security personnel were injured in the violence."
A constable also suffered a serious head injury while the deputy collector fractured his leg.
"Three people, identified as Naeem, Bilal and Nauman, have been killed," Singh said.
Twenty-one people, including two women, have been detained and a probe has been launched, the official had said, adding that those accused in the violence would be booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).
District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya said, "The casualty count stands at three. The reason for the deaths of two is clear -- bullet wounds from countrymade pistols. The reason for the death of the third person is not clear but it will be after post-mortem."
Internet services were soon suspended in Sambhal tehsil for 24 hours and the district administration declared a holiday in all schools for Monday.
Tension had been brewing in Sambhal since November 19 when the Jama Masjid was first surveyed on the court's orders following a petition claiming that a Harihar temple had stood at the site.
Trouble started early on Sunday when a large group of people gathered near the mosque and started shouting slogans as the survey team began its work.
District officials said the survey could not be completed on Tuesday and was planned for Sunday to avoid interference with afternoon prayers.
Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, who is a petitioner in the case, had earlier said the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) ordered the constitution of an "advocate commission" to survey the mosque.
The court has said a report should be filed after conducting a videography and photography survey through the commission, he had said.
On Sunday, Jain urged the Archaeological Survey of India to take control of the "temple".
Gopal Sharma, a local lawyer for the Hindu side, had earlier claimed the temple that once stood at the site was demolished by Mughal Emperor Babur in 1529.
