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Hydration is vital not to descend into complications
The importance of hydration if infected by the virus, is what Dr. Geethal Perera talks of and how it can lead to more hospitalizations if ignored.
“This is a big issue,” he says, as he and his colleagues have seen firsthand the lack of hydration in those having mild COVID-19 and its domino effect.
n Lack of hydration (drinking adequate fluids) and poor nutrition lead to dehydration. This, in turn, can cause complications especially in debilitated people such as the elderly or those who have had strokes. The carers of such people should ensure that they are properly hydrated. It can lead to renal (kidney) issues followed by further debilitation. This may complicate an otherwise ‘simple’ COVID-19 infection.
n Due to these patients with complications needing hospitalization, valuable beds would fill up, causing disruptions in the management of other critical conditions such as dengue, heart attacks, etc.
n Then there could be deaths due to the health system being overburdened and the healthcare staff being exhausted.
“If there is a COVID-19 patient at home, keep him/her very well hydrated,” these Respiratory Physicians say, adding that if there is fever, the person should take an antipyretic (paracetamol) and if there is an allergy condition an anti-histamine.
Here is more advice from these doctors:
n If you have co-morbidities and come down with COVID-19-like symptoms, you may not need hospital admission, but it is better to contact a doctor.
n Do not take any ‘cocktail’ of drugs including antibiotics being touted on social media by anyone – this is because without indication if you do take these drugs, when you really need them to battle severe disease, they will not work.
A virus has to take its course and antibiotics don’t cure viruses – what will happen is that such antibiotics may kill the good bacteria in your system and leave you open to infection-causing bacteria which could get at you (secondary bacterial infection) after a viral infection.
nIf you have co-morbidities, don’t stop your regular medications if you get COVID-19.
n If you have wheezing, don’t stop your inhalers.
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