Dr Virendra Singh
Dr Virendra Singh, MD
President, Indian Chest Society (2015-2016)
Director, Asthma Bhawan, Jaipur
Former Professor & Head
Division of allergy & pulmonary medicine
Superintandant, SMS Hospital
SMS Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan
Phone no: 91-9414051212
Email id : drvirendrasingh@yahoo.com
Dear Friends,
Respiratory diseases are among the leading causes of death and disability in India. COPD has emerged as the second biggest cause of death in India. TB, pneumonia, occupational lung diseases, lung cancer and asthma are other serious respiratory diseases.
When a patient falls sick he consults a doctor. Doctor makes diagnosis and prescribes medicine to treat the disease. Patient takes medicines and gets cured of the disease in most of acute ailments like fever, aches and cold. But problem in chronic respiratory diseases is different; a patient has to take medicine for very long period, sometimes lifelong. Noncompliance of treatment may result in to disability and death.
Important factors of noncompliance are lack of understanding of the disease. Patients usually remain ignorant about name, nature, progression and prognosis of most of the chronic respiratory diseases. Their aim of treatment is amelioration of symptoms and not disease control. They take treatment till they are having intolerable symptoms and stop medicines when better. Most of the patients are ignorant even about name their disease. Big communication gap exist between doctor and patient during treatment.
Proper disease education is the solution of this problem and I am sure Lung Forum is the need of hour. For last couple of years it is providing opportunity to the patients of respiratory diseases to gain knowledge and fill the communication gap. With regards and best wishes for healthy lungs.
Despite the continuous efforts by the Chinese authorities to control the Corona virus from spreading is showing no result. Millions of people stuck in their houses and hospitals struggling to accommodate the patients due to lack of beds and medical facilities. According to the authorities, the death toll and those infected might keep increasing.
The new corona virus is highly transmissible, spreads in ways that are not entirely understood and will be difficult to squelch. A single infected “super-spreader” can infect dozens of others. Outbreaks can seem to recede, only to rebound in short order, as the weather or conditions change.
World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’ (PHEIC).
As per WHO reports common signs of corona virus infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties
It is important to prevent spread of this dreaded infection as till date there is no definite specific antiviral drug and vaccine available against Corona virus.
The disease mostly spread by human to human transmission. Measures like avoiding visiting China for sometime till the havoc is over. We should cooperate & help government agencies in isolating suspected persons coming from China, as many Indian students are perusing their studies at China and many Indian tourist & businessman are visiting China, and this country is our next door nabour.
In addition to avoiding contacts, standard recommendations to prevent the spread of coronavirus, includes regular hand washing, covering the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and thoroughly cooking meat and eggs.
Till date three cases (fortunately no death) have been reported from our country.
Please visit useful article on Corona Virus written by senior pulmonologist Dr. Khilnani (recently updated on our web pages) having many useful information about this infection.
With regards
Jai Hind