Dr. Naresh Trehan on How Covid Has Enabled Us to Do Things Remotely

COVID-19 has been the worst nightmare of 2020 that the world had to face. Originating from Wuhan in China, it didn’t take long for the virus to spread and affect the entire world. Although the pandemic had negative implications that have been beyond one’s imagination, there are also good things that began to be followed as a consequence. Taking adequate hygiene measures, boosting immunity, staying with closed ones to name a few. Another trend that the pandemic led to includes work from home and social distancing which according to experts such as Dr. Naresh Trehan, Medanta has enabled us to carry out most of the things remotely. 

With regards to the delivery of easy access to healthcare, Dr. Trehan suggested the categorization of patients into different segments. If someone is ambulatory, for instance, it’s worth taking into consideration whether they require ancillary services as well. If an elderly person requires physiotherapy with minimal equipment, doing it can home is a much more convenient and economical option. He also suggests the implementation of in-built programmes for senior care, as done in the UK. Talking about Medanta, he said that COVID-19 has been instrumental in enabling us to do things remotely and think of more progressive systems. There has been a steep rise in the number of telemedicine consultations from 100 to 500-600 per month. With the introduction of new tools, about 50% of the patients don’t require to travel to the hospital and can have their preliminary diagnosis done at home. 

Talking about the evidence of cardiac symptoms among COVID-19 patients, Dr. Trehan said that the initial understanding of the virus had been blurred, leading to many misconceptions such as the virus affecting the airway tract, multiplying there and affecting the lungs, thereby leading to difficulty in breathing. 50 autopsies conducted in Italy reflected that although the lungs were affected, this wasn’t the prime cause. Instead, the virus stimulates a fighting response in the body, known as cytokine response. This leads to a lot of inflammation and clot formation in the arteries that limits oxygen exchange. Besides the lungs, this inflammation also affects the heart, liver, kidney, and brain. The level of inflammation was found to be more severe in those with pre-existing cardiac ailments than those with normal heart functioning. 

 Dr. Trehan believes that the virus has led to a lot of learning. The first being that any predictions about the virus aren’t worth it. It requires a self-protective approach and not assuming things to better deal with the virus. It has also taught that the future is unpredictable and nobody is powerful enough to rule their future. It reflects the forces that can create instant havoc on the life of human beings. 

Also Read: 5 Things You Should Do to Keep Your Heart Healthy