Staying Healthy During COVID Pandemic

Sunil J. Wimalawansa, MD, PhD, MBA, DSc.; Professor of Medicine Following are important items that should be (or should have been) implemented to minimize the spreading COVID-19:  1)     A rapid, on-site diagnostic method where results are obtained under one-hour.  These RT-PCR tests must be sensitive and specific, so that can be used confidently for making the diagnosis or excluding having it, with little or no false positive or false negative findings.   2)     Markedly expand the testing facilities, especially outside hospitals and in quarantined facilities, together with, safe and humane isolation.  3)     Community-based testing and tracking contacts, and effective reporting system. 4)     Effective real-time surveillance of exposed and new patients and disseminate accurate information without cover-ups. 5)     Boost the immunity of the entire population: strongly advice people to ...

iSun Sunil J Wimalawansa, MD, PhD, MBA, DSc. Professor of Medicine Why social distancing of 2-meters will not work: Imposing social distancing are essential but that is only one part that efforts needed to prevent the disease.  Nevertheless, COVID-19 spreads mostly via air through aerosolized particles, people who are getting infected may not even have a clue how they got it.  For example, many are known to denies having any close contact with a person with COVID-19 or someone vigorously coughing.   It is the contaminated air that transmit the virus from person to a person.  For example, a person can get infected while travelling in buses or in a room, up to 30-feet away from a patient who is coughing.  The lack of understanding of this concept has serious repercussions.   In addition, the virus thrives in cold and damp conditions, including in air-conditioning systems.  So, in the absence of installed HEPA filters as we discussed in the prev...

Sunil J. Wimalawansa, MD, PhD, MBA, DSc. What is COVID-19? COVID-19 is an RNA virus belongs to coronavirus family that is a highly infectious.  It is 20-time more infectious than SARS and MERS but 10 to 15 times less deadly than these two coronaviruses.  This virus has a higher degree of morbidity and mortality than ordinary flu viruses. There are hundreds of coronaviruses that are associated with wild animals.  The latter is the reservoir for coronavirus, generally do not slay animals. Contrary to believes, it predominantly spreads via aerosols (inhalation) and also through droplets getting into the body through inhalation, mucous membrane, and gastrointestinal tract.   The current pandemic: The situation with the global COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented.  Because of the rapidity of the spread, millions of people got affected within a three months period.  However, this is no comparison with the Ebola epidemic that kills those who gets infected. C...