The COVID-19 vaccine brings the promise of a global rescue from the coronavirus but the myths and misinformation are bubbling on social media and other platforms that could be dangerous. Hence in this article, we will burst all the myths around the COVID-19 vaccine and help you with the facts.

Myth 1: Due to their rapid development, the COVID – 19 vaccines are not as safe as all safety protocols have not been followed/ COVID-19 vaccines are not being tested against a placebo in clinical trials.

Fact: The vaccines are proven safe and effective in well-conducted clinical trials. All COVID-19 vaccines have undergone the same stringent regulatory approval procedures as every other vaccine needs to, meeting all safety standards, despite been developed in the best time, without skipping any testing step. Contradicting the prevailing doubts, we should be thankful to the exceptional global alliance of experts in the field and the giant pharmaceutical corporations for their involvement, due to which, the vaccines have been developed for human use in such a short timeframe. Also, the clinical trials and regulatory review of safety, have consumed nearly the same time as any other vaccine.

Phase 3 trials are the final phase of clinical testing for any investigational drug/vaccine, in which the drug/vaccine is tested in thousands of patients. In this phase of clinical trials, Researchers compare how many patients become infected with the attacking micro-organism (here, the COVID-19 virus) versus the patients who receive a dummy, to conclude the efficacy and safety of the vaccine. As of current knowledge from the WHO, all the COVID-19 vaccine candidates have either completed or are currently under Phase 3 trial investigation.

Myth 2: The mRNA vaccine class developed for COVID-19 prevention will change human DNA

Fact: Several candidates for the COVID-19 vaccine depend on the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), which transports genetic information required to synthesize proteins in a human body. These vaccines would initiate cells to make proteins that look like COVID-19 virus parts, activating the human body’s immune system to produce antibodies against these virus parts. So, in the future, if an actual virus tries to invade these vaccinated individuals, the virus would be neutralized through an immune response.

Despite mRNA vaccines being novel products, they are not capable to change human DNA and alter genetic makeup in individuals receiving them. This RNA resides in the human cells for a very brief duration of a couple of hours, where they just provide instructions for producing a new protein and nothing else.

Myth 3: The COVID-19 vaccine will use surveillance technology to track patient’s movements

Fact: There is no knowledge of any vaccine for COVID-19 or any other infection equipped with a microchip or other surveillance sorts. This myth spread when in December 2019, researchers belonging to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who had received capital from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, published their research on a technology where an ink-like injection that they had developed, was able to keep a record of vaccines on the skin of the patient, which could be read through a smartphone application. However, the technology is incapable to track patients’ movements. Though Bill Gates had mentioned that “digital certification” could be helpful in a larger vaccination effort, there is no report that any company/institute has invented such a technology to track COVID vaccine recipients.

Myth 4: The COVID-19 vaccine can cause infertility in 97 percent of its recipients, both men, and women.

Fact: This myth looks to have initiated from an online media platform, where an individual claimed that his unnamed source, working at a multinational pharmaceutical corporation told him that 61/63 women tested with an investigational COVID-19 vaccine developed infertility whereas a separate, male-specific vaccine caused a decreased testicular size, drop of testosterone levels, and marked atrophy of the prostate in males.

As reported by a news corporation, these alleged effects of COVID-19 vaccines look to have been taken exactly as it is, from an unrelated 1989 study from the National Institute of Immunology in New Delhi, India where the researchers tested the application of an anti-fertility vaccine on baboons as a future treatment option for human cancer patients, whose tumors are affected by fertility hormones. None of the current COVID-19 vaccine candidates are gender-specific or are related to fertility in any way.

A second myth that added fuel to the fire was a supposed claim by the head of research at Pfizer which mentioned that the COVID-19 vaccine contains a protein called syncytin-1 that will result in female sterilization. This claim was based on a plea to the European Medicines Agency from a doctor named Michael Yeadon, seemingly the above-mentioned head of Pfizer research. Yeadon had left Pfizer early in 2011, as per investigative reports. The petition guessed that the vaccine may produce an immune reaction against a protein that is vital for placental formation during pregnancy. However, the vaccine is devoid of syncytin-1 and also, no evidence connects the COVID-19 vaccine to issues of infertility.

On the contrary, there is no evidence that COVID-19 viral spike protein (A target for the vaccine) will lead to an immune reaction against syncytin-1. Pfizer officials have also publically announced that the company’s COVID-19 vaccine had not been found to cause infertility.

Myth 5: Oxford University and AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine will turn people into monkeys.

Fact: This fabricated claim is based on the fact that Oxford and AstraZeneca’s vaccine depends on an altered chimpanzee adenovirus proposed to trigger an immune response against the COVID-19 virus, SARS-CoV-2. As per media reports, such false claims are being spread through social media platforms as a part of a disinformation campaign.

Myth 6: The U.K. regulators will use artificial intelligence to observe the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, as they know about these vaccines being extremely dangerous.

Fact: Though MHRA has given a contract to Genpact to make an artificial intelligence apparatus for monitoring adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines, the officials have stated that this is not due to foresight of hazards posed by vaccines. Besides, an adverse event report does not demonstrate that the adverse event was caused solely due to the vaccine.

The regulators also stated that based on available published clinical trials, they do not expect any particular safety concern with COVID-19 vaccines, as of now. They believe that the COVID-19 vaccines’ general safety profile to be comparable to other vaccine types. A COVID-19 vaccine will only be introduced when its safety and effectiveness is proven through strong clinical trial data.

Myth 7: A document on the FDA website shows that two participants died as a result of “serious adverse events” from an experimental COVID-19 vaccine.

Fact: There were two deaths among the 21,000 people in the trial who received Pfizer and BioNtech’s COVID-19 vaccine, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not attribute those deaths to the vaccine.

According to a December 2020 FDA document describing the circumstances of the deaths, “one experienced a cardiac arrest 62 days after vaccination #2 and died 3 days later, and the other died from arteriosclerosis 3 days after vaccination #1.” The document also said in the case of the second death, the participant had “baseline obesity and pre-existing atherosclerosis,” or a narrowing of the arteries.

There were also four deaths reported among the 21,000 trial participants who received a placebo. The deaths “represent events that occur in the general population of the age groups where they occurred, at a similar rate,” according to the FDA document.

To determine the safety of the vaccine, the trial recorded what are called “serious adverse events,” defined by the U.S. National Library of Medicine as any medical event that results in death, hospitalization, or interferes substantially with normal life functions. The FDA document said among the serious events reported in the Pfizer/BioNTech trial, it considered only two as possibly related to the vaccine: a shoulder injury and swollen lymph nodes, a common and typically benign condition.

Myth 8: The virus mutates so fast that a vaccine will never work.

Fact: Available evidence suggests that the COVID-19 virus is genetically stable and mutates slowly. For example, scientists say that the COVID-19 virus mutates twice as slowly as does the seasonal flu virus, which requires a new vaccine every year.

Experts say that COVID-19’s relatively slow rate of mutation suggests that at least for the short term, a vaccine would be effective. Trevor Bedford, an infectious-disease expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, told Business Insider in November 2020: “It will take the virus a few years to mutate enough to significantly hinder a vaccine.”

Myth 9: An individual who already have got the infection once, don’t need to receive the vaccine

Fact: As per evidence, even if you already have suffered from COVID-19 viral infection once, you can still gain from the vaccine. As of now, how long someone will stay protected from getting infected again after recovering from COVID-19 is not known. Natural immunity which an individual develops after getting an infection differs for each person. Some early reports have suggested that this natural immunity may not last for a prolonged duration.

Myth 10: The COVID-19 vaccine has severe side effects such as allergic reactions.

Fact: Though, some vaccine clinical trial participants did develop side effects, they were comparable to those observed with other vaccines, and included minor complaints such as muscle pain, chills, and headache. However, despite being extremely rare, people can develop severe allergies to constituents used in preparing a vaccine. That is why it is recommended that people who have a history of severe allergies to such constituents of the vaccine should not receive the vaccination.

Myth 11: I no longer need to wear a mask after I receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Fact: Until an ample number of people develop immunity after receiving the vaccine, wearing face masks, frequent hand washing and social/physical distancing continue to remain essential for our lives. These measures are the paramount protective gears we can offer to each one of us, at this moment, and continue following current guidelines for COVID-19 prevention. As sufficient people receive the vaccines and a better idea of the duration of natural and vaccine immunity is gained, we need to follow our pandemic behavioral pattern.

Myth 12: You can get COVID-19 from the vaccine.

Fact: As the vaccine doesn’t contain the live virus, you cannot contract COVID-19 infection and its symptoms after receiving the vaccine.

Myth 13: I will test positive for COVID-19 as soon as I receive the vaccine.

Fact: Viral tests used to diagnose COVID-19 check samples from the patient’s respiratory tract to check the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19. As the vaccine does not contain the live virus, their administration won’t affect your test result. It is possible that you can get infected with the virus in the period before the vaccine becomes efficient to protect your body against the infection.

Myth 14: I don’t need the vaccine, because I am not at risk for developing severe complications of COVID-19.

Fact: You can still contract the infection and spread it to others, irrespective of your risk of complications, so it is vital for each individual to get vaccinated. It is recommended that the vaccine reaches the maximum possible number of adults, once it is widely available. It is not only for the protection of a single individual but for entire families and the community at large.

What are vaccines?

Vaccines are essentially the agents that activate the immune system without causing the disease. They can be manufactured from weakened or inactivated viruses, viral proteins, genetic material (mRNA) that encodes a viral protein. Taking a vaccine resembles getting survived from the disease, minus the drawbacks.

What are the concerns with the current vaccines for COVID-19?

• There is very little knowledge regarding the long-term immune response to COVID-19.
• A vaccine, when available, will only initiate the beginning of a prolonged and sluggish ramp down and the duration of this ramp down will rest on the vaccine’s efficacy.
• Vaccines are always tested on healthy individuals. Their effectiveness in the real-world scenario is still unknown and vaccines may provide hope, but just relying on the vaccine is not advisable, as per the expert opinion.
• Vaccine-induced immunity, though, tends to be weaker than immunity that arises after an infection. Vaccines are typically given as a shot straight into a muscle. Once your body recognizes the outside invader, it mounts an immune response by producing long-lasting antibodies that circulate in the blood.
• However, respiratory viruses don’t usually attack the muscles. Instead, they invade respiratory cells and usually enter through the smooth linings of the nose and throat. Vaccinations do not encourage ample antibody production in these linings despite induction of antibodies in the blood, implicating that they are not completely reliable in preventing the virus from entering the body. However, they can indeed protect deeper tissues in the body from viral invasion. This trait of the vaccine agent prevents the worsening of the infection. Experts believe that a COVID-19 vaccine is not likely to attain “sterilizing immunity,” which, in simpler terms, means complete disease protection.
• Hence, currently, it is perceived that the first vaccine might just restrict COVID-19’s infection severity, minus a total viral spread.
• Also, contemporary regulatory guidelines have identified that the initial COVID-19 vaccine may be far from a 100 percent effectiveness mark; as the regulatory benchmark for a vaccine is that it should prevent or reduce severe disease in at least 50 percent of people who receive the vaccine, which is not ideal.
• Several vaccines from different corporations have shown favorable data that their investigative vaccine products can induce antibodies that kill the coronavirus in lab tests as well as in clinical trials, but their real-world scenario is unknown, as of now.

Challenges in Vaccination

• The success in delivering hundreds of millions of doses, and the willingness of people to get it at all. It is awful to contemplate the suffering still ahead. It is easier to think about the promise of a vaccine.
• Biologically, a vaccine against the COVID-19 virus is unlikely to offer complete protection.
• Logistically, manufacturers will have to make hundreds of millions of doses while relying, perhaps, on technology never before used in vaccines and competing for basic supplies such as glass vials. Then the federal government will have to allocate doses, perhaps through a patchwork of state and local health departments with no existing infrastructure for vaccinating adults at scale.
• All of this means that we may have to endure more months under the threat of the coronavirus than we have already survived. Without the measures that have beat back.

What is the best way to prevent COVID-19 infection, even after vaccines are available?

• Experts state that the outcome of COVID-19 is not going to change overnight, and the continuation of COVID-19 pandemic behavior remains important. Perceiving the vaccine as a magic bullet is troubled by danger. Social distancing accompanied by biological vaccination will have to continue in this long fight against this viral pandemic.
• When vaccines are approved, ample doses that can fulfill the needs of the entire population will not be available, and an effective system will be required to store and distribute these vaccines.
• Some of the foremost COVID-19 vaccines could also pose new transportation challenges, as they require storage at temperatures lower than –80°C.
• Again, it is quite probable that a COVID-19 vaccine will require two doses; the first dose to activate the immune system, while the second dose to induce a stronger immune response. Administrators would have to balance supplying two doses to the entire population, ensuring each individual receives both the doses.
• It seems it will create a situation where some individuals will be eager to get the vaccine, while some will be scared to get the vaccine.
• Currently, there is no evidence of any major virus mutation. But sadly, in addition to reports of a mutated strain of COVID-19 virus from Britain entering India, our COVID-19 preventive behavior has also fatigued and people have become careless and are not following social barriers, as religiously as they need to do. Everyone has to pitch in and become a COVID-19 warrior once again, as they did during the early days of the pandemic.

As we enter 2021, experts all around the world are bending their backs to find a way to control COVID-19 and take humans away from year-long health hazards. Let’s talk about what is Herd Immunity and why is it important?

What is Herd Immunity?

Herd Immunity is nothing but ‘Herd Protection’ or ‘Population Immunity’. To protect the growing cases of Coronavirus, scientists and medical experts all around the world are trying to attain ‘Herd Immunity’- a concept that is used for vaccination.

Herd immunity occurs when most of the population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune. Here, a population can be protected from a certain virus if the vaccination has reached a certain threshold. In the past Herd Immunity has been attained for many such diseases. Similarly, a Herd Immunity for COVID-19 is also in the phase of being developed. The percentage of people who need to have antibodies to achieve herd immunity against a particular disease varies.

How does Herd Immunity work?

To fight the disease, vaccines train our body to create proteins known as ‘antibodies’. These antibodies build our immune systems to protect us from the diseases and prevents them from passing on. Thus, breaking a chain of transmission of the disease. Individuals can become immune by recovering from an earlier infection or through vaccination. When we talk about Herd Immunity, it acts as indirect protection against the diseases that reduce the likelihood of infection for individuals who lack immunity.

Why is Herd Immunity important?

Once this threshold of herd immunity has been reached, the disease gradually disappears from the population – which is called eradication. Attaining Herd Immunity for COVID-19 is important to control and minimize the spread of diseases. It can be attained naturally or through inducting vaccines among people. Herd Immunity only applies to contagious diseases i. e. a disease that is passed on from one person to another. Herd Immunity has helped to eradicate many epidemics or pandemics in the past like Smallpox, measles, polio, etc. Each of these diseases has a Herd Immunity of 95% (for Measles), 80% (for Smallpox and Polio) respectively. 

Is Herd Immunity a way to fight COVID-19?

The scientists are still learning about Herd Immunity for COVID-19. Most of the people who have been infected with COVID-19 develop immunity in the initial weeks. But it is yet to be studied how long or strong the immune response is. As per WHO, it is also scientifically problematic and dangerous to reach Herd Immunity by exposing people to viruses. Because letting COVID-19 spread through any age or population will lead to serious infections or death.

There are also exceptions to Herd Immunity like infants who are too young to receive any vaccines or people who are immunodeficient due to HIV/AIDS, Lymphoma, Leukaemia, Bone Marrow Cancer, etc. Vaccines on these people will be ineffective. In addition to not being immune, they may also be at risk of developing complications and other infections due to their immunodeficiency.

Herd Immunity is just one of the ways to fight COVID-19. It is thought that 60-70% of the global population must be immune to achieve Herd Immunity and stop the coronavirus from spreading. Till then, the world continues to take other precautions to combat the battle of COVID-19 – right from lockdowns, social distancing, sanitization.

How far are we from achieving Herd Immunity?

A community is said to have reached Herd Immunity when a large percentage of its population gains antibodies or natural immunity for the said infection. It is yet to determine the threshold of Herd Immunity for COVID-19 given the trajectory of the pandemic and we are still far from reaching the same. However, European Union has launched a mass vaccination campaign after giving a go-ahead to Pfizer vaccine and India is gearing up for the dry runs to inoculate 30 crore ‘priority population’ which includes the frontline and healthcare experts. Vaccines such as Pfizer/BioNtech, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Sputnik, etc. are being introduced and are being approved by countries to induce Herd Immunity Vaccines. Although vaccination is in process, researchers still need to work on how long will the protection last. Thus, when it comes to Herd Immunity, we are in the process of identifying its full potential and effectiveness.

Herd Immunity in India

When it comes to Herd Immunity in India, given its vast population, we have a long way to go. Precautions are being taken to test the vaccines and attain an assured result of India can bank on for COVID-19 vaccines. As per India today’s latest article from 90k cases per day to 45k cases per day, the experts say that COVID-19 is done affecting the metropolitan cities and would be engulfing the rural areas in the coming months. Although people in slum areas have shown a higher prevalence of antibodies, the process of vaccination is being sped up tenfold to control the spread of the disease in all parts of India.

According to the reports, the majority of cases are still concentrated in less than 50 percent of India’s 28 states. Amongst these top 50% states, most cases are concentrated in and around large metros like Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Ernakulam, Hyderabad, etc.

Since people are looking up on Herd Immunity as a hope to end COVID-19, the journey is still far-fetched. From past experiences, experts have seen that Herd Immunity has its pros and cons. However, with the advancement in medical technology in the coming year, it can be overcome and zero spread of infections can be seen among people.

Till then, let’s not forget to keep a safe distance and sanitize!

Introduction: COVID Vaccine in India  

There are several institutions including academic/research and vaccine manufacturing companies in India that are in the process of developing of Covid-19 vaccine. There are four companies listed on the WHO website that are in the process of various stages of development. Serum Institute of India, in collaboration with Oxford University and Astra Zeneca, is undertaking a Phase 3 trial of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in approximately 1600 healthy subjects 18–55 y of age. On successful completion of the Phase 3 trial with one dose of vaccine, the company shall start mass production.

Current Major Players in India for COVID-19 Vaccine

1) COVAXIN™

COVAXIN™ is India’s original COVID-19 vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech in cooperation with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology (NIV) – Government of India. This native form of the vaccine is developed and manufactured at Bharat Biotech’s high containment facility having the maximum bio-safety level (BSL-3).

The vaccine received approval from the concerned regulatory authorities for conducting human clinical trials to check its safety and effectiveness in healthy subjects. After successful completion of the interim analysis from the Phase 1 & 2 clinical trials of COVAXIN™, Bharat Biotech also received approval for Phase 3 clinical trials in 26,000 participants in over 25 centers across India.

Present Status of COVAXIN™ Vaccine Trial in India

• Pre-clinical studies with small and large animals: COMPLETED.
• DCGI approval for Phase I & Phase II Human Clinical Trials: RECEIVED.
• Phase I Human Clinical Trial: COMPLETED.
• Phase II Human Clinical Trial: COMPLETED.
• DCGI approval for Phase III Human Clinical Trials: RECEIVED.
• Phase III Human Clinical Trial: ONGOING.

2) Covishield

The Serum Institute of India (SII) and Indian Council of Medical Research are jointly conducting advanced phases of clinical trials to determine the safety and the ability of Covishield (COVID-19 Vaccine) to induce an immune response.

ICMR has funded the clinical trial site fees while SII has funded other expenses for COVISHIELD. At present, SII and ICMR are conducting Phase 2/3 clinical trial of the vaccine at 15 different centers, across the country. It has completed the enrolment of all 1600 participants, as of 31 Oct 2020. The vaccine is being developed at the SII Pune laboratory with a master seed obtained from Oxford University/Astra Zeneca. The original vaccine prepared in the UK is currently being tested in large effectiveness trials involving participants from the UK, Brazil, South Africa and the USA. The encouraging outcomes from these trials so far have boosted assurance that COVISHIELD could be a genuine way out from this fatal pandemic. COVISHIELD is by far, in the most advanced phase of vaccine testing in Indians. SII along with ICMR will track the first disposal of this vaccine for the Indian population based on the Phase 2/3 trial results. SII has already mass-produced > 40 million doses of the vaccine, under a license from DCGI.

3) ZyCoV-D

Indian pharmaceutical giant, Zydus Cadila, involved in manufacturing innovative medicinal products, has declared its vaccine, ZyCoV-D for prevention of COVID-19 infection. The safety of this vaccine in healthy individuals is established in its Phase I clinical trial and has been recognized by an Independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB). On this basis, Zydus commenced the Phase II trial of its vaccine.

Present Status of ZyCoV-D Vaccine Trial in India

• DCGI approval for Human Clinical Trials: RECEIVED
• Phase I Human Clinical Trial: COMPLETED
• Phase II Human Clinical Trial: ONGOING

4) Sputnik

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited and Sputnik LLC are together carrying out a multicentre, phase II/III adaptive clinical trial to evaluate the safety and ability of its vaccine to invoke an immune response.

Present Status of Sputnik Vaccine Trial in India

• DCGI approval for conducting Human Clinical Trials: RECEIVED
• Phase II Human Clinical Trial: ONGOING.

5) Biological E’s novel Covid-19 vaccine

Biological E Limited is piloting an initial phase of a clinical trial to assess the safety and capacity of its novel Covid-19 vaccine to induce an immune reaction against SARS-CoV-2 for preventing Covid-19 disease, upon intramuscular administration in two doses (0, 28D) to healthy volunteers. (Information based on ICMR website)

Present Status of Biological E Vaccine Trial in India

• DCGI approval for Phase I & Phase II Human Clinical Trials: RECEIVED
• Phase I/II Human Clinical Trial: ONGOING

Government Plan to roll out COVID-19 vaccine in India

The Indian government is getting prepared to roll out its Covid-19 vaccination drive through state-of-the-art technologies and alphanumeric trackers while depending on the established methods of distribution of vaccines. The strategic planning of vaccine roll out and its distribution throughout the country is being done by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration, a member at the NITI Aayog.

1) Criteria For Identifying Who Gets Vaccinated First:

As per government authorities, a full study on the urgency segments of the population that would have the first right of entry to the vaccination has been prepared based on recommendations of CDC (USA) and the WHO. Regardless of their financial background, the vaccine will be initially offered to individuals who are in urgent need.

2) Priority Groups Identified For The First Phase Of Covid-19 Vaccination:

The first allotment of 3 crore people to be vaccinated has been recognized. These include approximately 1 crore doctors and 2 crore health care personnel, including policemen, home guards, defense officers, civic workers including Asha workers and community workers.

People aged > 50 years and those aged < 50 years but having co-morbidities will be vaccinated in the second round.

The government strategizes to use the novel eVIN (Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network) platform for storage and tracking of the vaccine and the citizen digital health ID to guarantee immunization while counting on the identical route of the Universal Immunisation Program (UIP).

3) Vaccine Stocking:

The authorities have confirmed that the eVIN network, is being re-equipped for delivering the COVID vaccine. The eVIN platform is currently functional across twelve states in India. It aims to help the Indian Government’s Universal Immunization Programme by providing actual information on available vaccine stocks and their transportation, as well as storage temperatures across all cold chain logistical hubs in these locations.

Approximately, 17,000 government officials have been skilled on the eVIN application while more than 6,700 temperature loggers have been functionalized. The program is to be ascended to cover the entire nook and corner of the country.

4) Vaccine Distribution:

The vaccine distribution will be as per the voter registration application to ensure each citizen is covered.

5) Role of State Governments

The Central government has notified the State governments to form committees for the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out. The state’s role will be to vaccinator identification through government and private sectors to restrict disturbances in repetitive immunization services at the time of Covid-19 vaccine introduction, and planning and charting sessions of vaccination for health care personnel. Mostly, the Covid-19 vaccination drive will last over a year with many groups being vaccinated serially beginning from health care workers. Hence, a strong guidance and coordination mechanism is vital to be created at the state and district level to monitor the process of Covid-19 vaccination with the assurance of minimum disturbance to other regular healthcare services.

As of today, the vaccine will take some time for the actual rollout but transport provisions will have to be kept ready well in advance to prevent any last-minute problems.

COVID-19 is a worldwide illness currently affecting millions of patients. Patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are especially vulnerable to respiratory tract infections, including COVID 19 and also these patients are at an elevated risk of ill health and even death from COVID 19.  However, the extent of damage in heart patients is currently uncertain.

As per evidence, patients with known CVD have a case fatality rate of 10.5% in case of a COVID 19 infection. Also, evidence suggests that 16.7% of COVID 19 patients, having CVD, develop abnormal heartbeat while 7.2% patients get acute cardiac damage. Cases of acute-onset heart failure, heart attack and other fatal cardiac symptoms have also been reported in COVID 19 patients with CVD. Heart complications in COVID 19 patients are comparable with SARS and MERS patients.

Suggested precautions for CVD patients to prevent COVID 19 infection

Following precautions are advised for CVD patients to prevent COVID 19:

• Maintain your recommended blood sugar and blood pressure levels through regular intake of medicines. Currently, it is recommended to continue the prescribed ACE inhibitors or ARBs for hypertension, despite some reports of raised risk to COVID-19 susceptibility.
• Frequently monitor your blood sugar and BP levels to rapidly identify any irregularities and get appropriate treatment adjustments
• Get enough supplies related to your co-morbid testing and medications, in case of local worsening of outbreak, for at least 15 days.
• Practice frequent handwashing with soap and water

• Practice good respiratory hygiene by covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or bent elbow, in case of coughing or sneezing
• Avoid touching your face, nose and eyes
• Avoid unwanted travel and socializing
• Stay vaccinated for each available infectious disease
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
• Consume yogurt and probiotics for a healthy digestive system
• Sleep for at least 8-9 hours to reduce stress and maintenance of immunity levels

• Avoid crowd exposure
• Avoid handshaking
• Immediately contact your doctor if you develop any respiratory symptoms such as cold, cough, feeling difficulty in breathing or fever.
• Last but not the least, stay hydrated.

And, of course, continue to stay active and follow an overall healthy regime. Stay connected with the people you love via phone calls, chats or emails because this kind of isolation can take a toll on your physical health and well-being. It’s important to understand that we all need to be extra vigilant in case we leave home especially people with underlying cardiovascular issues. Be mindful that every surface is a probable source of infection and everything that you bring inside your house could be affected by the virus. While this pandemic is a concern for the entire world, people with a known history of hypertension and cardiac disease have to be even more careful and nowhere is the saying “Prevention is better than Cure” more applicable than in such people.