Day: May 25, 2021

What is Yellow Fungus? Know causes, effects, prevention and more.

The second tide of coronavirus is finally slowing down with daily cases in India dropping to below 2 lakhs. But new fungal infections are followed by its result. The most recently reported one is the deadly “yellow fungus”. After Black and White fungus, cases of yellow fungus appear in U.P. First case of yellow fungus was reported in Ghaziabad. The 45-year-old patient, who is undergoing treatment, is suffering from yellow fungus as well as black and white fungus. Yellow fungus is known to be more dangerous because it originates internally, which makes it more difficult to detect and treat. 

 Symptoms of yellow fungus 
• Weight loss 
• Sunken eyes 
• Failure of organs 
• Wound heal slowly 
• Permanent death of cells 
• Leakage of pus 
• Malnutrition 

 Causes of yellow fungus 
 Yellow fungus is mainly caused by a lack of hygiene. Poor hygienic people are more tend to be affected by this deadly infection. Humidity levels below 30-40 per cent can also stimulate the growth of fungus. Dull and old food can also lead to the growth of this virus. Remove old food and faecal matter in and around your house to help prevent the growth of bacteria and fungus. 

 Treatment of yellow fungus 
 The only known treatment till now for this infection is Amphotericin B injection, which is an antifungal drug. It is also used in the treatment of black fungus. Precautions to take 
• Keep your house and surroundings clean. 
• Do not consume dull and old food. 
• Check the humidity in the room often. Too much humidity promotes the growth of yellow fungus. Start to maintain cross ventilation. 

• To avoid complications of the yellow virus, covid-19 patients should begin their treatment as soon as possible.

Understanding black fungus

This disease is caused by a kind of mould called ‘micromycetes, present in our surroundings. The infection affects those who are highly immunocompromised and have diabetes. Another cause of its growth is that to deal with COVID-19 patients, steroids are used to lessen the inflammation in the respiratory tracts. Such patients have been detected to be more prone to get this infection. Moreover, people with pre-existing morbidity such as diabetes, impaired kidney function or cancer are at higher risk of getting infected and they need to be very carefull.


The onset of white fungus

White fungus or ‘aspergillosis’ affects people with low immunity and comorbidities such as diabetes. Over usage of steroids is yet a factor in the onset of this disease. Unlike yellow and black fungus, this variant affects numerous parts of the body such as the nail bed, skin, stomach, kidney, brain and reproductive organs.


So, stay informed and alert of health changes arising due to the Covid-19 infection and keep in touch with a doctor.Whether it is about symptoms or side-effects, it is crucial to be doubly sure, so that you don’t run into crisis in any way. The only thing one must do, while dealing with Covid-19 at home, is to be in continual touch with a trusted doctor. If there are any serious symptoms, including low oxygen concentration, chest pain, and more, then it’s necessary to take immediate action. As we know, prevention is better than cure anyway.

Worst hit pandemics thorough ages

The novel Coronavirus has created a catastrophe in the entire world bringing it down to its knees with cases counting more than 16.7Cr, (as per the data provided by Wikipedia).

It’s not the first time that a pandemic has engulfed this large number of people from around the world. History has records of many deadly diseases creating havoc in the world.

Human civilizations have evolved and developed continually, causing population bursts. With no efficient knowledge of sanitation and hygiene, and poor health facilities people have unknowingly created fertile situations for the growth of these deadly infections.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has defined a pandemic as “an epidemic that has spread over several countries or even continents. Pandemics usually affect large segments of the population”.

Here’s a list of the worst hit pandemics through history.

Plague of Justinian, 541-542

Saint Sebastian pleads with Jesus for the life of a gravedigger afflicted by plague during the Plague of Justinian. (Josse Lieferinxe, c. 1497–1499)
Source pic- Wikipedia


The plague of Justinian was the worst pandemic recorded in history caused by the fatal bacterium called Yersinia pestis.
The plague was brought to Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, in 541 CE from Egypt. During the time Egypt was paying a tribute to Emperor Justinian in grains.
The plague-laden fleas infected the rats eating grains.

This lethal disease spread like a forest fire across Europe, Asia, North Africa, and Arabia killing an estimated 30 to 50 million people, almost half of the world’s population.

Black Death (1347-1351)


This was a global bubonic plague that hit Europe in 1347-1351, astonishingly taking a toll of 200 million in just 4 years.
It was a type of plague that was spread via the bite of infected rat fleas.
This plague caused religious, socio-economic upheaval with a profound impact on European history. The bacterium that caused this was the same that brought the Plague of Justinian.

During this time the sailors that had came to Europe were required to stay on their ship for 30 days, which was known as “Trentino” in Venetian law. Later, the Venetians increased the forced isolation to 40 days or a “quarantino”. From here quarantine word was introduced which is now in great implementation.

The painting “Blessed Bernard Tolomei Interceding for the Cessation of the Plague in Siena” by the Italian artist Giuseppe Maria Crespi.
Source pic- Britannica

Spanish Flu 1918:

Source pic- World Health Organization


Spanish flu was the most severe and devastating influenza pandemics that the world ever witnessed. Also known as the 1918 influenza pandemic, it infected 500 million people – about a third of the world’s population at the time – in four successive waves.
Though the flu engulfed Europe, America, and parts of Asia, the exact place and cause of its origin are unknown to this day.
Some say that the flu showed itself in the military camp in Kansas, and from the US it spread to Europe when the troops traveled east in World War I.

Though the name is Spanish flu the pandemic did not originate in Spain, the British Medical Journal referred to the virus as “Spanish flu” because Spain was hit hard by the disease.

Small Pox 15th Century:


Smallpox has been estimated to have killed over a 500 million people.
It was in 1980 that the World Health Organization declared smallpox to be eradicated.

Edward Jenner giving the boy smallpox vaccine.
source pic- Smithsonian Magazine

Smallpox became the first death-dealing pandemic whose vaccine was developed in the late 18th-century, by a British doctor named Edward Jenner.

Edward Jenner observed that some local milkmaids were not exposed to the harsh virus and just showed mild symptoms which were called “cowpox”. Edward then decided to extract a small sample of milkmaid’s pus and inject it into the arm of a young boy named James Phipps. After that, he exposed the boy to the smallpox virus, and to his amazement, the boy showed no illness. This was the first vaccine ever discovered in history.

Social Media Giants to be banned in India?

Four ways social media platforms could stop the spread of hateful content in aftermath of terror attacks

 

Is this true that Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram will be banned in India from 26th May 2021?

 

  • In February 2021, the Central government of India came up with  a new set of IT rules and regulations. These rules imply authority over social media by appointment of compliance officials, giving their name and contact address in India, complaint resolution, monitoring of objectionable content, compliance report and removal of objectionable content. As per sources, some platforms have demanded six months deadline to take up this matter in the US Headquarters and wait for their decision . Currently only Koo App has complied with the  new rules and is ahead of the deadline. The question here is what if these platforms do not comply with the new IT rule? If the government plans on banning these platforms, is our individual rights at risk?

 

  • It’s important to know the sub section(1) of section 79 of IT Act. The IT Act gives protection to social media companies and web services by making them “intermediaries”. This means they are not responsible for user content. So here the government means that if any Social Media company fails to adhere to the new rules then they might lose the protection that the  “intermediaries” have.

 

  • As per data cited by the government, India has 53 crore WhatsApp users, 44.8 crore YouTube users, 41 crore Facebook subscribers, 21 crore Instagram clients, while 1.75 crore account holders are on microblogging platform Twitter. Koo has close to 60 lakh users, making it a major social media intermediary under the new guidelines. Many Indian are upset with this news but as of now all the social media apps are working in India so let’s wait for further information.

Source:

Advantages of multilingualism

Knowing one language is essential human need but learning more than one dialect can bring about new opportunities for any person. Multilingualism not just opens up career opportunities for an individual but also the cognitive benefits of being multilingual are further more than people know. Studies reveal that about 60 to 75 percent of the world population is multilingual. Even certain countries have more than one official language and have made the option to learn a second language mandatory in their school curricula.

Let’s know further the lesser known benefits of multilingualism.

>Sharpens mind

A study at Spain’s Pompeu Fabra University reveals that the effect of a second language acquired later in life can be seen in the growth of brain. While learning a new language sharpens the brain, it also causes the brain to grow and develop proficiency in the first language. Multilinguals have better concentration and observation and analytical skills than monolinguals.

>Improves learning abilities

Memory is a fundamental in learning languages where one gets familiar with not only new vocabulary and rules but also requires the ability to recall the information. The more the use of brain, the better it performs. This enhances one’s learning and memorizing abilities.

>Enhances decision making

Multilingualism leads to flexible and critical thinking and logical reasoning enhancing the decision making ability. Innovative and creative decisions for the betterment of everyone and the society are a part of the improved ability.

>Lessens mental decline in old age

It has been suggested by studies that requirements associated with bilingual or multilingual people act as mental exercise for the brain which may lead to delay in the symptoms of Alzheimer′s disease and other forms of dementia.

>Increases career opportunities

Business companies these days look for individuals of bilingual or multilingual ability considering the diversity of the world. Companies operating in more than one country prefer multilinguistic candidates. Also, tourism and marketing sector provide wide range of opportunities to multi-lingual individuals.

Poverty and Social Life

 

        

               POVERTY AND SOCIAL LIFE

What is poverty?

Poverty is the state of not having enough material possessions or income for a person’s basic needs. Poverty may include social, economical, and political elements.   

Absolute poverty is the complete lack of the means necessary to meet basic personal needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter. The floor at which absolute poverty is defined is always about the same, independent of the person’s permanent location or era.

Relative poverty occurs when a person cannot meet a minimum level of living standards, compared to others in the same time and place. Therefore, the floor at which relative poverty is defined varies from one country to another or from one society to another.

Effects of poverty-

Issues like hunger, illness, and poor sanitation are all causes and effects of poverty. That is to say, that not having food means being poor, but being poor also means being unable to afford food or clean water. The effects of poverty are often interrelated so that one problem rarely occurs alone. Bad sanitation makes one susceptible to diseases, and hunger and lack of clean water makes one even more vulnerable to diseases. Impoverished countries and communities often suffer from discrimination and end up caught in a cycle of poverty.

 Effects of poverty on health-

 Over 10,000 children die every day because they live in poor housing.

Without effective sanitation in their home, children are especially vulnerable to life-threatening diarrhea and intestinal infections. And in houses where there’s insufficient ventilation, people are especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases.

Clean, warm homes provide protection from the elements and help improve a family’s health by preventing illness and diseases such as tuberculosis, diarrhea, and malaria. Families who live in a properly constructed home are less likely to fall prey to such diseases and are better equipped to recover from any illnesses they may contract. It goes without saying that the mental health of individuals and families is greatly improved when physical health concerns are taken away.

Effects of poverty on education and schooling

Home gives children opportunity for the future by providing a stable foundation where they can study and do as well as they can at school.

Children are also able to develop into responsible adults as they experience security and see their own parents taking care of the home. For adults, home is key to maintaining employment and provides opportunities for income generation by the creation of home-based small businesses.

Effects of poverty on children and families

Home is indeed where the heart is and a stable, well constructed home is at the center of family life.

When families have a home where they feel safe and secure they will draw together as a family unit to love and support one another. There is also an added sense of pride and dignity that comes with a decent home which translates to a hopefulness for the future well being and success of the family.

There is plenty enough research showing that growing up in an unsafe environment not only affects children’s health seriously but also as a result of this the attendance at school (and ability to get a degree or diploma).

Perspectives-

Economic theories-

Causes of poverty are a highly ideologically charged subject, as different causes point to different remedies. Very broadly speaking, the socialist tradition locates the roots of poverty in problems of distribution and the use of the means of production as capital benefiting individuals, and calls for redistribution of health  as the solution, whereas the neoliberal school of thought is dedicated the idea that creating conditions for profitable private investment is the solution. Neoliberal think tanks have received extensive funding, and the ability to apply many of their ideas in highly indebted countries in the global south as a condition for receiving emergency loans from the International Monetary Fund.

Environmentalism-

A report published in 2013 by the world bank, with support from the climate and development knowledge network, found that climate change was likely to hinder future attempts to reduce poverty. The report presented the likely impacts of present day, 2 °C and 4 °C warming on agricultural production, water resources, coastal ecosystems and cities across Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and South East Asia. The impacts of a temperature rise of 2 °C included: regular food shortages in Sub-Saharan Africa; shifting rain patterns in South Asia leaving some parts under water and others without enough water for power generation, irrigation or drinking; degradation and loss of reefs in South East Asia, resulting in reduced fish stocks; and coastal communities and cities more vulnerable to increasingly violent storms.  In 2016, a UN report claimed that by 2030, an additional 122 million more people could be driven to extreme poverty because of climate change.

Spirituality-

Among some individuals, poverty is considered a necessary or desirable condition, which must be embraced to reach certain spiritual, moral, or intellectual states. Poverty is often understood to be an essential element of renunciation in religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism (only for monks, not for lay persons) and Jainism, whilst in Roman Catholicism it is one of the evangelical counsels. The main aim of giving up things of the materialistic world is to withdraw oneself from sensual pleasures (as they are considered illusionary and only temporary in some religions – such as the concept of dunia in Islam). This self-invited poverty (or giving up pleasures) is different from the one caused by economic imbalance.

Some Christian communities, such as the Simple Way, the Bruderhof, and the Amish value voluntary poverty; some even take a vow of poverty, similar to that

of the traditional Catholic orders, in order to live a more complete life of discipleship.

 

 

 

 

 

5 Hacks to Physical Fitness

Physical fitness is essential to lead a happy and healthy life. Being physically fit is important to be able to carry our family responsibilities, professional duties and perform day-to-day activities. The trio of eating nutritious food, staying active physically, and taking ample rest can help achieve physical fitness.

The pointers below are crucial in maintaining our physical fitness. These simple hacks are great for everyone, simple to follow as they can be easily weaved into our daily life but the benefits go a long way. As it is rightly said – “A healthy life is a happy life!”

  1. Do NOT hit snooze – Remember having the alarm set for & 7 a.m. but you kept hitting snooze until you realized it was 9 and you were already late for work? This is exactly what we need to avoid. Hitting the snooze button means getting off-track from your schedule, and then been constantly late for the other important events of the day. Missing breakfast, being fuzzy, and the guilt of missing your workout again – all of these consequences would affect your physical health. So take charge – start your day right to enjoy a productive day and physical fitness would follow.
  2. Move your body – One of the most important aspects of maintaining your physical health is being active. The lifestyle we have today is sedentary, with mostly desk jobs and also the Covid-19 pandemic restricting us to the four walls of our homes. This makes being active even more important, as a sedentary lifestyle is the root cause of many diseases. Indulging yourself in any physical activity you like – Cardio workouts, exercises, and weight training or even hobbies like dance helps in movement and keeps us active. Yoga too has proven to increase physical endurance, flexibility, and strength. Pick up one or more of these and your physical health is bound to improve.
  3. Eat the right food – The fuel you give to your body in the form of food is how healthy and fit you will be. We all know by now the importance of a balanced- diet which is a proper blend of proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats, fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Avoiding highly processed, oily and fried food items and replacing them with healthy choices go a long way. Don’t get me wrong-a few cheat meals here and there are alright – as long as you have them in moderation.
  4. Having a sleep schedule – Having a sleep schedule – One can never stress enough the importance of a proper sleeping schedule and how it contributes towards physical fitness. Sleeping on time and waking up early in the morning is the mantra to a healthy life. In addition to that, getting ample sleep of seven-to-eight hours daily is equally important. Studies have proven to show that sleep deprivation has numerous health hazards and can give birth to potential issues like diabetes, heart attack/failure, decreased immunity, mood changes, and many more dangerous physical health conditions. It can also reduce the body’s ability to function properly, which means that for achieving physical fitness you have to start getting the required number of sleep hours, starting today!
  5. Emotional and Mental well-being – Being emotionally sound and mentally stable and strong is another very important aspect of being physically fit – but sadly also a point which is highly neglected. Be it stressing a lot or being worried and anxious, all of these are directly related to our physical health. Studies have shown that these conditions impact our health and other cardiovascular diseases. Stress is also related directly to gut health. Controlling your stress and anger levels proves to be beneficial in managing your physical health. If remained uncontrolled it can stand as a barrier between you and your goal of being physically fit and healthy.

1 INGREDIENT FOR SUCCESS RECIPIE: PASSION

 “PASSION WITHOUT PURPOSE LEADS TO FRUSTATION, PURPOSE WITHOUT PASSION LEADS TO PROCRASTINATION AND PASSION WITH PURPOSE LEADS TO SUCCESS”

1 INGREDIENT FOR SUCCESS RECIPIE: PASSION, the force that always pushes us to come out from our comfort zone. A burning passion coupled with absolute detachment is the key of for all success in life because nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion. Passion is the uncontrollable force that infuse our life completely with happiness and joy by bringing stubborn commitment and determination. Passion is our inner flame that drives you and lets the reason to hold reins.

A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from their passion as people with great passion can break the boundaries and make the impossible happen. There are only 3 things you need to change the world “Vision, Passion and Action”. Passion gives us the strength to overcome fears, to ignore what other people think of us, to be disciplined and to promotes us to make sacrifices in pursuit of our dreams.

If you can’t figure out your true purpose, figure out your passion which will in turn lead you to right into your purpose and thus if you have strong purpose in life you don’t have to be pushed to achieve it as your passion will drive you there. Passionate people never make excuses and never look for shortcuts as it is the single fastest way to speed yourself to massive success.

do check out the habits of passionate people : http://liveboldandbloom.com/12/passion-in-life/passionate-people. https://www.pickthebrain.com/the-ten-habits-of-passionate-people

        BEST ILLUSTRATION FOR “1 INGREDIENT FOR SUCCESS RECIPIE: PASSION “

The best illustration to check whether we are truly passionate or not is in mountaineering. It is easy to spot those who are not passionate about the process. People who want to stand on the tip of the mountain but are not extremely interested in enjoying the journey towards the top. For such people success without the true hard work and passion is completely not the work which they are loving to do. Their passion gives them the energy to work the hardest, fight the longest and never ever gives up in life.

1 INGRIEDIENT FOR SUCCESS RECIPIE

do check out how to find your passion effectively https://www.wikihow.com/Find-Your-Passion

1 INGREDIENT FOR SUCCESS RECIPIE: PASSION IN BUSINESS

The best feeling in this world is when you are getting paid to do what you are passionate about. The crucial difference between a successful businessman and a poor one is that the successful businessman loves the work of business management on the other hand the poor business man looks his work as a job and does not enjoy and love doing it. The value of passion for business is highly recognized. Many innovating centers, companies success stories is purely based on this ingredient, their company employees are been taught to be passionate about their work.

 

The yellow fungus: 2021 has one more fatal disease to offer

Looks like the torments are going to take up new dimensions this 2021. While 2020 introduced us to the new normal, 2021 superseded its predecessor and comes bearing a variety of diseases to offer. We faced the mutated Covid-19, the wave of black fungus originating from Rajasthan, a few days ago we came across white fungus and its implications. As a ‘cherry’ on top of it all, today, India reported the first case of yellow fungus in Uttar Pradesh.

What is yellow fungus?

Yellow fungus otherwise known as mucor septicus, is a fungal infection just like black fungus and white fungus. It is said to often occur in lizards rather than human beings and has been classified deadly when compared to black and white fungus. The reason for its fatality is that it is harder to detect it, thus reducing the time to treat it at its earlier stages. In the worst case, it can also lead to organ failure and thus is not to be taken carelessly. The cause of fungal infections, be it black white or yellow, is said to arise due to poor hygiene. Fungal infections grow rapidly in atmospheres with higher humidity(30-40%).

Symptoms

Initial symptoms of yellow fungus are lack of appetite, lethargy and weight loss. The generality of early stage symptoms is the reason for its difficult detection. As the infection spreads, it can lead to sunken eyes, more time to heal wounds, development of pus and ultimately, it can induce necrosis(death of body cells and tissues), affecting organs leading to organ failure and in the worst case, death.

Out of the blue, why are fungal infections surfacing now?

Fungal infections are more likely to attack people with reduced immunity much than people with enriched immunity. Due the backlash faced by people due to Covid-19, the immunity system of people affected remained vulnerable. This vulnerability along with poor hygiene was taken advantage of, leading to rising cases of fungal infections. The director of the New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Randeep Guleria, stated that another reason for the spread is due to the irrational use of steroids for the treatment of Covid-19 contributing to compromised immunity. Find what Randeep Guleria said regarding this here.

Preventive methods

What can be done on our part to fight fungal infections? The obvious answer to it is clean environment. Some methods to follow:

  • Keep your residing place dry and clean as humidity is a growth factor for fungus.
  • Avoid using damp towels, shoes etc as they can become breeding grounds.
  • Do not wear tight clothing which can lead to absorption of sweat causing humid patches
  • Dispose stale food as soon as possible
  • Covid-19 patients should be careful and should report to hospital immediately on encountering symptoms

Be on the look out during these crazy times. Stay indoors and come out only if it is absolutely necessary. Be safe and take care.

Mucormycosis {Black Fungus}

Mucormycosis, formerly known as zygomycosis, is a fungal disease caused by a variety of fungi in the Mucorales family. This family of fungi is commonly found in the environment – in soil, for example – and is often connected with decaying organic matter like fruit and vegetables. Mucormycosis is a very uncommon infection. Mucor mould, which is widely found in soil, plants, manure, and decaying fruits and vegetables, causes it. It’s everywhere, in soil and air, and even in healthy people’s noses and snot. It affects the sinuses, brain, and lungs, and it can be fatal in diabetics or persons who are extremely immune-compromised, such as cancer patients or HIV/AIDS patients.

Mucorales fungi are opportunistic, which means they frequently infect humans who have a compromised immune system or damaged tissue. Immune function can be harmed by medicines that suppress the immune system, such as corticosteroids, as well as a variety of other immunocompromising illnesses, such as cancer or transplantation. Tissue damage can occur as a result of trauma or surgery.

Inhaling spores, eating spores in food or medicines, or having spores contaminate wounds are the three ways humans might get mucormycosis. The most common method is inhalation. Every day, we inhale the spores of a variety of fungi. However, if our immune systems and lungs are in good shape, they are unlikely to cause an infection.

Covid-19 infections are more severe in people with diabetes and obesity. They’re more likely to be given corticosteroids as a result of this. However, corticosteroids, in combination with diabetes, raise the risk of mucormycosis. Meanwhile, the virus that causes Covid-19 can harm airway tissue and blood vessels, putting them at risk of fungal infection. Mucormycosis can go to the eyes and cause blindness, or it can move to the brain and cause headaches or convulsions.

Controlling these fungal infections would necessitate improved awareness, better testing to detect them early, as well as an emphasis on diabetes management and the prudent use of corticosteroids. Patients will need access to surgery and antifungal treatment as soon as possible. However, more research into the prevention of these illnesses is required.

Conflict Theory | the fight of our lives

In the 19th century, renowned political thinker Karl Marx purported the Conflict Theory. The Conflict Theory is a sociological theory that suggests that society is constituted by the perpetual conflict between social groups. These groups generally compete for resources, i.e money, power, status, etc.

24 Sociology Images ideas | sociology, inequality, political cartoons

Conflict Theory stands in opposition to Functionalism, which states that society is based on consensus where social institutions work in harmony to maintain social order. Conflict theory states that social order is maintained by domination and the struggle for power between the haves and have-nots. The dominant group will hold on to their resources for as long as they can, even suppressing the other group in the process to stay at the top.

Further, the dominant group will use the resources in their position to try and maximize their wealth, thereby strengthening their position.

Conflict theory can be observed not only in society but also in phenomena such as poverty, war, discrimination, revolution, etc. Wherever there are resources to be had, there will emerge a dominant group. This is where Conflict theory comes into play.

Marx further stated that conflict is what drives social change and what makes power change hands.

In the modern scenario, we see examples of the Conflict Theory between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Interestingly, the dominant group might not necessarily be numerically larger, just wealthier.

 

Computers in the service of mankind

Computer is the latest miracle that has ushered in a revolution in the application of science for the benefit of mankind. It is like a super electronic brain doing all types of difficult calculations, keeping records and storing data for mankind. Its main features are speed, accuracy and ability to store large amounts of data. It is an appliance which can do a job in seconds that would normally take days for hundreds of people to accomplish.

The modern world is undoubtedly a world of computers.Age old system of keeping records in voluminous registers and files is gradually making way for computer based data processing.It is used in schools, colleges, offices, banks, airlines, shops, laboratories, hospitals and libraries. Computer based telecommunication network can link-up any part of the world at any time. Robots have replaced manual labour in factories. In the field of medical diagnosis and printing technology computerised machines are doing wonders. The space flights would not have been possible without the application of computer science.

Computers dominate every sphere of man’s life. Its presence has been felt in railways, airlines, industries, commercial establishments, banks and telecommunications. Typewriters have made room for computerised word processors.

Even though computers yield greater productivity, they can replace human labour and cause unemployment. While mankind should reap the benefits of computerization, they should not allow it to deteriorate the employment situation.

Black fungus – all you need to know!

It is caused by a group of fungi, found in air or dust, mucormycosis is a deadly infection, affecting those with low immunity. It starts in the nose and spread to the eyes and then the brain. It is arare fungal infection affecting 1 in 10,00,000 people but with a mortality rate of 50 percent. It can cause blindness, organ dysfunction, loss 9f body tissue, and even death if not treated on time. There are chances of infection increase in patients who are diabetic, covid positive and are taking steroids. Uncontrolled diabetes is the biggest cause for its raising number, especially post covid.

 

 

 

The early symptoms are sinusitis, local pain on the cheekbone, one sided facial pain, numbness or swelling. Blackish discoloration over the bridge of nose or palate. Loosening of teeth, jaw involvement, blurred or double vision with pain, thrombosis, chest pain, pleural effusion and worsening of respiratory symptoms.

 

 

 

 

How it is treated?
While the infection may just begin with a skin infection, it can spread to other parts of the body. Treatment involves surgically removing all dead and infected tissue. In some patients, this may result in loss of upper jaw or sometimes even the eye. Cure may also involve a 4 to 6 weeks course of intravenous anti fungal therapy. Since it affects various parts of the body, treatment requires a team of microbiologists, internal medicine specialists, intensivist neurologists, ENT specialists, opthalmologists, dentists, surgeons and others. Controlling diabetes is one of the foremost prevention methods suggested by ICMR. Hence, covid 19 patients who are diabetic need to take utmost care.

Prophylactic use of antimicrobials – a debatable issue

An ancient and quiet honourable practise has been the use of preventive medicine. For example, the ancient Chinese use to pay their doctors while they remained healthy, however as soon as they felt sick this payment would not be given. The effectiveness of antibiotics as a prophylactic means for protecting healthy individuals exposed to pathogenic bacteria, preventing the development of an infection in chronically ill patients and preventing an infection in patients who undergo surgery is a debatable issue. Many surgeons reported significant reductions in post-operative infection following antibiotic use, and a few did not even reported infections for a period of twenty years. Despite this success, prophylaxis presents certain hazards, including the evolution of antibiotic resistance, superinfections and drug side effects, for the individual patient and for the general public. Therefore, physicians have broad views on the responsible preventive use of antibiotics. However, antimicrobial prophylaxis (AP) should be confined to specific well-accepted evidence for the prevention of excess costs, toxicity and antimicrobial resistance in order to effectively prevent infections. Initial or secondary (recurring prevention or reactivating infections) prophylaxis may also be regarded as primary (prevention of initial infections) or may be administered to prevent infection by killing a colonising organism. Patients should know in detail the potential risks and benefits of AP. The potential risks are allergic reactions with the use of antibacterial agents that can be serious or life-threatening, and clostridium difficile colitis. The risk of tendinitis, including the rupture of the tendon of Achilles should be alerted to patients taking fluoroquinolones.

The pros and cons of using antimicrobials as a prophylactic.

  1. THE PROS: In the diagnosis of life-threatening acute bacterial infections, surgical infectious diseases and if there is an effective use of antimicrobials as prophylaxis, antibiotics can have many benefits.

In bacterial infections: In acute bacterial infections, which were highly mortal before introduction of antibiotics, the benefits of antibiotics as prophylactics is most clearly indicated. Mortality in endocarditis was about 100% prior to 1990 and about 20% total in 2010 although the death rate is usually caused not by unsuccessful antibiotic therapy but by cardiac failure or embolic complications. In bacterial meningitis in 1990, the mortality rate was reduced to 8% to 20% in 2010 and acute osteomyelitis mortality decreased from 50% to less than 1%. Many other infections, in both individual patients and others within the community, have significantly reduced morbidity and serious effects of spraying. In high-risk patients, this included the use of antibiotic prophylaxis for bacterial meningitis. During the systemic inflammatory response (SIR) stage of the infection, the early initiation of broad- spectrum antibiotics was proved critical for preventing the development of sepsis. When appropriate antibiotics are prescribed early in the surgical sepsis, mortality is significantly reduced.

In surgical site infections: Although the technique is still less than good surgical and aseptic technique, the risk of surgical site infection is considerably decreased by antibiotic prophylaxis in high-risk surgical patients such as operations over 2 hours, abdominal procedures, endogenous or exogenous contamination and co-morbidity. The choice of antibiotics depends on the organisms that are most likely to be affected; the kind of operation; the probability of resistance development and the financial cost involved. In felines, the rate of postoperative infections was reduced in the course of the optional orthopaedic surgery by preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis. Therefore, it is usually advisable to treat routine perioperative prophylactic antibiotics, even if numerous orthopaedic operations are categorised as clean. Orthopaedic procedures normally last longer than 90 minutes and the potential infection may be influenced by local wound factors like implants and tissue trauma. In the presence of implants, bone and joint infections are very difficult to treat, increase morbidity and may adversely affect the result. Cefazolin is currently seen as a choice antibiotic because of its outstanding effectiveness, low toxicity and reasonable costs against most surgical wound pathogens. The first dose should be given at a concentration of 22 mg/kg 30–60 minutes before surgery. The dose is usually recommended to be repeated every 90–120 minutes, but there is evidence that the frequency is enough every three hours.

The selection criteria of the antibiotic are:

  • The most prone bacteria that could cause infection should be identified. A prophylactic against frequently found skin bacteria (skin flora) is used when only an incision in the skin is made. An antibiotic is chosen to treat both the skin and the mucosal flora if the mucosal incision is involved.
  • Chemical and drug toxicity characteristics.
  • The least likely antibiotic that is required for serious infections is chosen if different antibiotics are equally helpful for prophylaxis. This helps prevent antibiotic resistance from developing.
  • Sensitivities specific to the environment of the specific hospital. Some hospitals may be very frequent with methicillin-resistant infections, while vancomycin or clindamycin-resistant infections in other hospitals may be more frequent.
  • CONS: The drawbacks of prophylactic antimicrobials are shown by side effects, resistance development and opportunistic pathogens.

Side effects: Their ability to cause serious or fatal adverse reactions sometimes provides a reason to limit the use of antibiotic agents for true therapeutic indications. For example, the most commonly used antibiotics for UTI prevention are nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP / SMX), but these drugs have negative reactions in children. Gastrointestinal disturbance, skin reactions such as urticaria, maculopapular rash are the common adverse reactions to nitrofurantoin. Almost exclusively because of sulfamethoxazole, most commonly dermal, adverse events related to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Serious side effects are extremely rare and mostly reversible when treatment is discontinued but they do exist. The long-term use of low-dose urinary prophylaxis antibiotics is therefore not completely safe. While adverse reactions existed in children to these medications, the lower dose of prevention and the lack of significant co-morbidities and medicinal interactions in children are much less common in children than in adults. In 1% of patients, penicillin causes death from type I anaphylactic shock in sensitive allergic patients and have other harmful consequences. High dose of penicillin may be associated with serum sickness (type III reaction), penicillin, thrombocytopenia, and haemolytic anaemia from cytotoxic antibodies. There is 10 percent cross-sensitivity between the derivatives of penicillin, cephalosporin and carbapenems because they share a similarity between the side chain rather than the beta-lactam structure. Therefore, the same or closely related drug must be avoided to which the patient has shown sensitivity in the past. In certain circumstances, certain drugs are more likely to be toxic. Ampicillin and amoxicillin rash are more common when lymphoid tissue is ebullient, in the case of lymphomas or glandular fever. The following are commonly used antimicrobials for prophylaxis along with their side effects:

  • Penicillin: side effects are reactions of hypersensitivity, renal damage, low potassium (hypokalemia)
  • Cephalosporin: side effects are reactions of hypersensitivity, reduction of blood cell levels such as: neutrophils, leucocytes (leucopoenia) and thrombocytopenia, nausea and vomiting, gastrointestinal problems diarrhoea, anorexia.
  • Metronidazole: side effects are toxicity of the CNS, problems in gastrointestinal tract, neutropenia, blood clotting problems, and alcohol reactions
  • Antibiotic resistant: The bacterial resistance mechanisms are known to include genetic changes, antibiotic metabolism by bacteria, like beta lactamase (beta lactamases), altered receptor site affinity, cell wall permeability alterations (antibiotic efflux pump) and the environmental influence at infection sites. In pus, most bacteria are relatively resistant in the dormant phase. The slow cellular immune mechanism does not affect the intracellular microbes such as tubercle bacillus, Brucella abortus, and Salmonella typhi. This partly explains the slowness of antibiotics in these infections. Infections on heart valves and the meninges, for example, are more resistant to antibiotics than infections elsewhere because the concentrations of polymorphs and macrophages are low. Inappropriate antibiotic treatment facilitates the spread of resistance. In many countries, UTI-associated antibiotic resistance has become widespread. Previous studies showed an increased rate of antibiotic resistance. Antimicrobial resistance in enteric and oropharyngeal flora may be developed through the use of antibiotics for prophylaxis. A recent study has reported a high rate of resistance against third generation cephalosporins in children who received prophylactic antibiotics. Clinicians are advised to carefully use prophylactic antibiotics. Additional hazards are present in antibiotics that inhibit the growth of a range of different types of bacteria. These medications also eliminate benign bacteria that help protect us from diseases by competing with pathogenic bacteria and limiting their propagation. Wide ranging antibiotics may produce deep changes in bacterial population composition and lead to the outgrowth and invasion of so-called superinfections of antibiotic-resistant strains.

Since the V. Cholerae infection dose is high, proper hygiene generally makes immunisation and prophylaxis unnecessary, hence antimicrobial prophylaxis in endemic areas has not proved effective. In the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, chemical prophylaxis is ineffective. The use of antimicrobials to prevent genital diseases may, indeed, deteriorate the situation by selecting harder resistant strains. Antibiotic products, especially those of a wide activity range, alter the normal flora of the body, allowing resistant and opportunistic pathogens to colonise and multiply. These could cause secondary infections in a healthy female, such as candida vaginitis, or fungal and systemic infection in a highly susceptible patient, such as an immunosuppressive treatment. Clostridium difficile, anaerobic bacterium which can multiply after normal flora is suppressed and is relatively resistant to many commonly employed antibiotics but metronidazole or vanzomycin, causes the severe complication of pseudomembraneous colitis. Between 2000 and 2007, 400 percent of the increased mortality from Clostridium difficile infection was partially due to the emergence of the insusceptible C. fluoroquinolone strain. When pseudomembraneous colitis is developed in transplant patient, it is impaired to absorb the immunosuppressive medications which increase allograft-rejection susceptibility.

Other disadvantages of prophylactic use of antimicrobials are:

  • More expensive treatment: Antibiotics are costly and shouldn’t be used inappropriately. However, the cost of the antibiotics is negligible compared to the cost of hospitalisation for a long stay due to a wound infection in patients at clearly reduced risk of wound infections which were found by prophylaxis. The least cost-effective agent for a short period of time is selected if antibiotic prophylaxis is used.
  • Allergies and toxic reactions: When antibiotics are used, toxic or allergic reactions may occur. These can be reduced for brief periods by using safe agents.
  • The use of antibiotics can lead to a false sense of safety. Careful surgery and precautionary and postoperative care are essential if wound infections are to be minimised.
  • Infection due to side effects by drugs, especially clindamycin, with bacteria such as the Clostridium difficile.

Conclusion:

The use of antimicrobial prophylaxis has led to a large number of infections being prevented and significant declines in surgical infections at the site. Specific, accepted indications should be limited to antimicrobial prophylaxis to avoid excess cost, toxicity and resistance to antimicrobials. The potential risks and benefits of any antimicrobial prophylaxis system should be understood by patients. Although there is evidence based antimicrobial prophylaxis practises, many are based on low evidence or expert advice. Additional antimicrobial prophylaxis studies are necessary. There remain significant controversies in antimicrobial prophylaxis, with many opportunities to practise improvement through rigorous studies. More antibiotics do not always reduce surgical site infection more effectively. There are significant gaps between directives and practises, mainly over the current guidelines on antibiotic prophylaxis.

The very familiar but not known to many: Chinavirus

The former US president Donald trump may be wrong about many things, however calling covid-19 as the “chinavirus” was not one of them. This pandemic has shattered the world, nearly 34.7 lakh people have already lost their lives, but the pandemic is relentless and unforgiving, with no intention of stopping the virus is spreading rapidly, hitting multiple times, causing waves of cases and deaths, rendering people jobless, hungry, suicidal, and in depression. Wherever it goes it stays and brings mass destruction along with it. Its goal? Global domination for a long time. With all these fearful idiosyncrasies of the virus, one must wonder who created it. Can a disease of this magnitude occur naturally? If so, then why didn’t the world face this pandemic a long time back? Is this the wrath of god or the doing of the devil?

The answer to this has been discovered. This is the doing of man. The “China virus” originated in a laboratory and the variants belong to it. A type of biological warfare, but done in the most perverse of ways, the sufferers being the entire world. This statement has been supported by a number of investigators and scientists, in much detail. China knew that the virus (which was not just SARS but a more deadly modification of it) had escaped from the lab and so, it closed down Wuhan to itself, but not the travel of international flights from Wuhan which carried suspected infected individuals. It has long tried to hide the fact that the virus was its own doing, and blamed it on bats and wet markets, which still continue to function as of today. When the rest of the world suffered, china profited from the helplessness of other countries and was healthy, back on its feet again. The unsettling part of china’s wet market claims is that if its so clear that the virus has originated from them, then why not let scientist of other countries investigate it at the proper time? Was china busy clearing up evidence from its labs? The WHO that supported China’s claims, itself seemed not to have been able to enter for a year.

There have been deflects from the chinavirus to the UK, South African and the Indian variants. These deflects and the continuous focus on the devastation the virus has been causing, has caused the point of origin of the virus seem of less concern. However, china is liable to give a reasonable explanation and pay for what it has done. These variants will naturally originate because of mutations caused due to the varying climatic conditions of different countries; however, the original virus was from china. This large-scale destruction cannot be caused by any random naturally occurring microorganism, but a specifically engineered bioweapon. However, what is atrocious is the fact that apart from the Indian and Australian media, not many are speaking up against china. It is because either they are too uplifted for China or afraid to cry out against China due to their diplomacy. Had it not been a superpower, everyone would have talked against it.

As more evidence surface each day against china (causing the “mysterious” deaths of many Chinese scientist who are speaking up) it will have to face lawsuits from all over the world. China does not recognise any international court of law; however, this will be of little importance as China has businesses and assets all across the world and if any court has sufficient evidence in any case, they will simply have to bind China’s assets in the country where prosecutions have won against China. There is a great deal of avarice on Wall Street and companies who are still willing to operate in China, but if China is sanctioned for its total lack of respect for the rule of law and for its criminal responsibility to deliberately infect the world while closing Wuhan to its own towns domestically, the international powers are going through a criminal case in China.

China should have at the proper time alerted the world about the virus, closed down international fights and not denied the fact that the virus is transmitted through persons. Rather it is trying to profit from vaccines, closing down oxygen supply to Indians who are suffering with the chinavirus, and blaming other countries on the pretext of variants. China should be shunned; it should pay for the losses of lives in developing countries and supply medical help rather than take objection on covid-19 being called the china or Wuhan virus. If we don’t stop it now, we only encourage it to do another “accidental” attack on the world.

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS – THE ESSENCE OF DEMOCRACY

” Children of migrants and migrating children remain invisible and are most vulnerable and are denied access to health and proper nutrition, quality education and skills and knowledge they need to thrive and spend their lives in makeshift, unfriendly, unhygienic and testing conditions.” – The Times of India

 

“Illegal parking on footways or public streets will amount to violation of fundamental rights under Article 21” : Karnataka High court.

 

We come across such news headlines on a daily basis in our lives but when it comes to filing a complaint against our fundamental rights being violated we take a step back. From facing discrimination from rent owners to having troubles in neighbourhood dealing with drainage system or improper garbage segregation. All these violate our fundamental rights. A worker working in factory getting wages less than his minimal wage, a person being treated unfairly just because of his/her caste, race, religion or gender, women facing trouble working among the male members etc. all these are live instances of people facing violation of their fundamental rights. 

 

In these pandemic days we find similar examples of such instances- People not wearing masks are violating other citizens’ fundamental right to life. Hospitals not admitting patients violate their right to life. Insufficient availability of medical equipments like ventilators, ICU beds and oxygen cylinders violate fundamental rights. All these instances highlight the importance fundamental rights play in our lives.

 

Backdrop-

India’s constitution came into force on 26th January 1950 against the backdrop of horrendous violence the partition unleased on the subcontinent. Our constitution makers were fully aware of the situation prevalent in India and the aspirations of the citizens living in it. Each and every provision of the constitution was thoroughly viewed, debated and passed with public reasoning. While framing the most balanced arrangements the leaders of our constituent assembly did not hesitate to adopt provisions and guidelines which they found suitable from various others countries, without slavish imitation. 

 

Fundamental rights defined in Part III of our constitution finds its origin in United States of America. As early as 1920s there was demand for rights from British government. It was therefore natural that independent India would be provided with these rights and hence regard them as fundamental, of utmost value. The constitution has separately listed them and made special provisions for their protection. They are so important that constitution itself ensures they are not violated by government. These rights cannot be changed by the constitution itself and hence impose rigidity on part of the constitution. 

 

Fundamental rights are contained in Article 12 to 35 of Part III of our constitution. There are six main fundamental rights that our constitution guarantees its citizens- 

 

Right to equality –

It prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, religion, caste, sex or place of birth. Equal opportunity in work places should not be denied to anyone and this rights abolishes untouchability.

 

Right to freedom-

Everyone must have freedom of speech and expression, freedom to assemble peacefully, form associations/unions, move freely throughout the territory of India, reside in any part of India and practice any profession or carry on any occupation, trade or business.

 

Right against exploitation-

It prohibits traffic in human beings and employment of children in hazardous jobs.

 

Right to freedom of religion-

It guarantees freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion, freedom to manage religious affairs, pay taxes for promotion of particular religion, and freedom to attend religious instruction or worship in certain educational institutions.

 

Cultural and education rights-

It guarantees protection of language, culture of minorities and right to establish educational institutions for minorities.

 

Right to constitutional remedies-

It states that any citizen can move the court to issue direction/orders/writs for enforcement of rights.

 

How does the constitution protect us against violation of these rights  ?

Merely providing these rights is not enough, there has to be a way to defend against attack on these rights. Right to constitutional remedies is considered as the ‘heart and soul of the constitution’ by Dr. B.R Ambedkar. It gives right to a citizen to approach a High court or Supreme court to get any fundamental right restored in case of their violation. It provides 5 writs that the court can issue as special orders to guarantee the enforcement of these rights. Apart from Judiciary there are many other mechanisms for the protection of these rights- National commission on women, National commission on minorities, National commission on schedule caste, National human rights commission and many others like these are established to protect fundamental and other kinds of rights. 

 
Being a citizen we must be aware of our rights and take immediate action upon their violation. This is the most basic lesson we have learnt in our primary classes but is hardly being implemented and attended to.  

Signing off

Janhavi Thakre