23 March, 2020

Indian Council of Medical Research claims that India can conduct 10,000 Covid-19 tests a day

India is capable of conducting 10,000 coronavirus tests a day and conducted 5,000 tests last week, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), here on Sunday.

India is capable of conducting 10,000 coronavirus tests a day and conducted 5,000 tests last week, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), here on Sunday.

Speaking to the media, ICMR Director-General Balram Bhargava said the testing capacity could be increased above 10,000, if needed.

“In the last one week, we have tested 5,000 cases and the total could be around 15,000. It’s important that indiscriminate testing is not done. Those returning from abroad should go for isolation,” he said.

On indiscriminate testing, Bhargava said people were running for tests. “We ensure that unless there are symptoms, there should not be any test, but isloation,” he said and added, it was essential to understand the ailment.

“About 80 per cent of the people will experience cold-like fever and will recover. 20 per cent may experience cough, cold, fever, and some of them may need admission to hospital,” he said.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

23.03.2020

You don’t always get what you wish for; you get what you work for

March 2, 2020

Indians at higher kidney disease risk due to air pollution

Researchers have found that people living in countries with higher levels of air pollution such as India and China may face higher risks of developing kidney diseases. The findings may be especially important for parts of the world with higher air pollution where fine particulate matter levels are five to 10 times higher than in the US, the study said.

It’s known that breathing in air pollution can have detrimental health effects beyond the lungs, but few studies have shown how it impacts the kidneys, which act as filters for the blood. “As rates of chronic kidney disease rise worldwide, it is important to understand whether and how exposure to air pollution plays a role,” said study researcher Matthew F. Blum from the Johns Hopkins University in the US.

For the findings, published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, the research team examined information on 10,997 adults across four sites in the US who were followed from 1996-1998 through 2016. The researchers estimated the monthly average levels of tiny particles of air pollution — called fine particulate matter — based on participants’ home addresses.

Fine particulate matter comes from a variety of sources including fossil fuel combustion, industrial processes, and natural sources, they said. The team found that exposure to higher amounts of fine particulate matter was associated with a higher degree of albuminuria — a marker of kidney dysfunction — as well as a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease over time. According to the researchers, future studies should examine whether efforts to improve air quality yield health benefits, including reducing rates of chronic kidney disease.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

02.03.2020

Not only must we be good, but we must also be good for something