chatwithketch

Still on facts versus fiction on COVID-19

CHILDREN CANNOT GET INFECTED

As at early February, A Chinese study proved that younger people were less likely to contract the virus, even if exposed to it. But in March, it was concluded that children were just as likely to get it as older people were. Although, younger people tend to experience milder cases of the virus.

THE HYPE OF THE VIRUS IS NOT EQUAL TO ITS EFFECT

While it is true that COVID- 19 has not claimed as many lives as Ebola, underestimating it would be a huge mistake. The novel Corona virus is way more infectious than Ebola and you never know which case will  be fatal. So forget the buzz, focus on reliable news, wash your hands, keep your hand sanitizer close and elbows at the ready!!!

IT IS NOT SAFE TO RECEIVE A PACKAGE FROM CHINA

According to the World Health Organization, it is safe to receive packages from China. The virus cannot last long on the surfaces used for packages. And so for packages that take some days to deliver, the virus would have died of by its delivery date.

Stay safe, people!

Post contributed by guest blogger, Dera!

Let’s go back to the basics. COVID-19 is caused by the novel coronavirus. It belongs to the same family of viruses as some types of common cold and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

It is a pandemic. Now don’t be scared. This doesn’t mean that it’s deadlier than other diseases (as a matter of fact, COVID-19 is less deadly than HIV and Ebola) rather it means that it meets some criteria: 1) It spreads between people, 2) It kills and 3) It has spread worldwide. In simple terms, it can spread anywhere and to anyone. For this reason, countries all over the world have been shutting down their borders and employing stringent measures to ensure the health and safety of their citizens.

Today, we will focus on separating facts from fiction

I WILL KNOW IF I HAVE THE VIRUS

There’s no tell tale symptom for COVID-19 because a lot of the symptoms are similar to those of a common cold; breathing difficulties, cough, fever. Other symptoms that occur mare rarely include dizziness, nausea and a runny nose. In more severe cases, the symptoms might resemble pneumonia, but most infected people don’t see any symptoms early on. This is why practicing social distancing is incredibly important.

I DON’T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS. WEARING A MASK WILL PROTECT ME FROM COVID-19. I THINK THEY ARE JUST SAYING IT DOESN’T PROTECT TO PREVENT A SCARCITY

The use of light weight masks does not necessarily help protect one from the virus because they don’t fit tightly and so droplets from sneezes and coughs might escape. Also, people with the virus on their hands might touch their faces under the masks and hoarding such masks, make them unavailable for those who really need them- healthcare professionals and sick patients. Although, the masks can prevent one from spreading the virus.

COVID-19 IS A DEATH SENTENCE

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention published an article on February 18^th that states than 2.3% of the people who are infected from the virus die from it. While 81% of the infected have mild cases of the virus, older people and those with underlying health conditions are more likely to experience more severe cases of the virus. So instead of panicking, focus on protecting yourself and those around you.

I HEAR SALT WATER IS EFFECTIVE AGAINST COVID-19

Know ye also that drinking salt water opens you up to the danger of hypertension….and this disease stays with one for life, long after we have discovered the vaccine for COVID-19 and kicked it for good. Scrubbing your body with salt does not have any effect on a virus that lives inside the body, if one were already infected.

Please let’s focus on the right information from credible sources. There’s an official website that you can actually check for current information on the fight against COVID-19: http://www.who.int. Let’s leave the rumour mills alone.

Observe the rules of personal hygiene people and let’s not fuel the rumour mills.

Stay safe, everyone. We will continue with this tomorrow.

Most of this post was contributed by my daughter and guest blogger – Dera!

Dear all,

Did you miss me? I’ve been on the move these past three days and just didn’t get around to posting. Forgive me!

Ahead of the border closures sweeping the world in the wake of Corona Virus pandemic, I’ve travelled across a couple of countries racing to attend to urgent issues and cross back over borders to get home. In these trips I have observed a couple of things:

The concept of social distancing is still not very clear. When I arrived at Lagos airport, I was on the queue for temperature screening. I gave a significant gap between the guy in front of me and myself. I figured that the guy behind me would take a cue from that and also give me some gap. But no! He walked all the way up to me and stood quite close. I had to step out from the line and stand to the side. Same thing happened as we queued up waiting for immigrations check. I kept taking one step away from this guy (another guy) and he kept moving closer. I had to tell him, ‘I’m actually trying to create some distance between us!’ That was when it sank in! Then I went to a restaurant – I wanted to get some take-away packs. The restaurant got some things right – limited entry into the restaurant (a couple of people at a time – not sure they were focused on any particular number). On the queue, same thing, people were lining up so close to each other, you would think it was pre-COVID-19 time. And then when people got into the restaurant, they threw caution to the wind, pushing and shoving people to get served.

What else did I see? On the flight, I saw a gentleman coughing into his hands and sometimes into a handkerchief. There was no effort afterwards to wash hands and/or use a hand sanitizer.

So, let’s discuss social distancing. What does this mean? It simply means putting space between people – just like I wanted to do with those gentlemen at the airport. If this is done, there is less likelihood of the virus being passed from an infected person to others who are not infected. If we all adhere to this, fewer people get sick at the same time. This gives the healthcare workers time to respond by having a manageable load of patients to attend to and also allows the health system sufficient time to make available, supplies and treatments needed to take care of patients. This will lead to the popular ‘flattening of the curve’ that I’m sure you have heard people say. Flattening the curve essentially says, ‘we know a lot of people will get sick, but they don’t have to all get sick at the same time.’ The latter situation will overwhelm the health system and we don’t want this to happen

How can we practice social distancing?

• Avoiding gatherings where lots of people will congregate. This includes schools, places of worship, parties, bars etc
• Working from home
• Maintaining a distance of at least 2 meters (or 6 feet) between you and the next person on a queue. How do you know this distance – put one foot in front of the other and count out 6 steps. May not be exact science but gives you a sense

On coughing into hands, please don’t.

• After you have blown into your tissue (tissue is better as it can be disposed of after use, as opposed to handkerchiefs which are used repeatedly in a day becoming a rich culture medium of germs which can be easily passed on), keep your hands to yourself. If people want to shake your hands, please don’t shake them.
• Another great option is to cough into the crook of your arms.
• Wash your hands as soon as you can…often too. Washing hands is definitely preferred to using sanitizers but where you can’t get to water immediately, a sanitizer will do.  
• And keep your hands off your face. Make the effort to be intentional about this.

If you keep your hands off your face, even you touch some germs, you won’t pass it on to yourself. I you make a habit of washing your hands often, you increase the chances of not passing on these germs to others and also yourself.

Please stay safe, people and take this fight against COVI-19 seriously. We can win this war but you’ve got to play your part.

Sending loads of love your way…

Q: Hello Dr… My 12 year old started her periods Dec 2019, in 2018 she used to have small sights of blood, but last year Dec it was a full on period. Now since February this year 2020 she has not got her period. Is this normal?

A: A ‘regular’ menstrual cycle is supposedly one in which the cycle (the length of time from the 1st day of a menstrual period to the first day of the next menstrual period) is about 28 days but there is nothing abnormal about cycles that fall outside of this range. It could range from about 24 days to 34 days with ovulation happening at mid cycle. Indeed, in some women each period appears to have a different cycle.

The menstrual flow lasts between 2 to 8 days A reduction in flow (scanty period) is called hypomenrrhea (pronounced hai-po-men-oria) and a reduction in the number of days of flow to less than 3 days is called oligomenorrhea (oli-go-men-oria). Now at the onset of puberty, the flow and cycle can vary from one cycle to the other resulting in skipped or irregular periods; the same goes for the other extreme of life (old age).

What do people refer to as irregular periods? Well, if the time between each period changes, or the length of days of the period changes or indeed when the quantity of blood lost during each period changes, the period is termed irregular. What can cause these changes? They include:

Changes in hormone levels, as is common in the puberty period (like in the 13-year old) or menopausal period
Stress

Excessive weight loss or excessive weight gain

Crash dieting (when you want to lose all the weight you added in 5 years in one week :D)

Intense physical activity
Fibroids

Problems with the thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
Polycystic Ovary Disease (PCOD)
Scarring from previous surgery in the uterus like D and C
Pregnancy cannot be overlooked as a cause of irregular bleeding and has to be checked out. The bleeding may be an implantation bleed
Breast feeding mothers may also experience irregular periods as the hormones released may delay return of menstruation. Remember, however, that this is not an effective means of contraception.

So, it’s always a good idea to keep a record of your periods: length of cycles, number of days the period lasts, presence of pain etc. If you keep a chart of this over time, you would be able to know what is normal for you.

Treatment of irregular periods depends on cause: fibroids, PCOD, hyperthyroidism all have to be treated. If irregularity is due to stress, learning coping mechanisms or relaxation techniques may help. Reduce weight or go easy on your exercise routine, if weight issues are a problem. So, each individual case is different but may not necessarily lead to infertility. The gynaecologist will advice based on specific history and circumstance(s).

However, be sure to see your doctor if your period is consistently below 21 days or more than 35 days, if you menstruate for longer than one week, bleed in between periods or experience severe cramp.

I hope this helps

‘Let’s face it: the hardest part about losing weight isn’t knowing what to eat.’ It’s the discipline to know what to eat and really abide by those rules. Read!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/5-habits-foster-weight-loss-2017032311214

Q: Hello Doc, I am roughly two months or thereabout pregnant. I last saw my period in December. I have been vomiting constantly and at every time of the day. I was given an injection in the hospital but most at times I still feel like throwing up after eating and I usually feel very weak. Do you have any advice for me and what is the right time to go for a scan cos my tummy isn’t protruding?

A: Repeating this post on morning sickness for this first time mother

Morning sickness during pregnancy can be really trying! I know…I suffered through it! Oh boy! Thank God I’m over all of that now…I’m a grandmother in waiting 😀

Now, for the rest of you who still have to go through this, I’ll share some tips.

The standard teaching is to try eating some bland foods like Crackers biscuits or dry toast. That personally didn’t work for me. I preferred tart things…which some may want to avoid. I loved lemons during my pregnancies. They were the one thing guaranteed to ‘wake up’ my mouth and chase nausea far away. I also had a particular brand of very tart bubble gum, I indulged in 😀 These were key for me because, though I didn’t have the real bad case of morning sickness that sent you to the hospital, brushing my teeth in the morning always sent me into a bout of retching/vomiting. So, I always had a ready supply of the gum or lemon/lime to pop into my mouth once I was done brushing/retching! Not a very pleasant memory ;D

So, if lemons work for you to prevent nausea, go for it. Remember that moderation is key. A few drops (one or two) in a glass of water are enough to provide that tart kick that sends nausea far away. There is a catch here though…remember the heart burn associated with pregnancy. The acid content of lemon might make the heart burn and any pre-existing gastro-esophageal (stomach and esophagus/gullet) problems worse. So, this is all the more reason to be very moderate or stop if it exacerbates an already bad case of heart burn. Wherever and whenever in doubt, please be sure to see your doctor.

Other tips:
• Eat little amounts of food frequently as an empty tummy increases the likelihood of throwing up. Remember this is not an excuse to binge and over eat 😀
• Avoid fatty and greasy foods.
• Avoid smells that trigger nausea
• Cold foods may be preferable to hot as the former does not give off smells that may cause you to feel queasy.
• Get loads of fresh air and rest
• And drink sufficient fluids daily

More importantly, women going through this need love and support more than ever. If you can’t stand cooking now, because of this, get help etc.

On when to do a scan, it depends on what you want the scan for, If it’s for dating the pregnancy, the last menstrual period is best for this. That is the first day of the woman’s last normal menstrual flow. However, if she is not sure of her dates, then a scan can be used. To date pregnancy, a first trimester scan gives the most appropriate approximation. The earlier it is, the more accurate it is likely to be.

Have a good day everyone 😀

Q: Good evening doctor, thanks a lot for your answer its really helping us. Please Doc, I will want to know if it is possible for a mother and father to be A+ while the child is o+

A: Everyone’s blood contains antigens and antibodies which form the blood’s defense against foreign bodies. The antigen and antibody present in your blood determines your blood group.

Your blood is made up of red blood cells (which carry oxygen round the body), white blood cells (which help fight infections) and platelets (which help clotting) suspended in plasma (a liquid).

Your blood group depends on genes inherited from your parents.

People with blood group A have A antigen on their red blood cells and Anti-B antibodies in their plasma. Thus, giving this person blood from someone with blood group B will lead to the antibodies (anti-B) attacking that person’s B antigen.

A is dominant to O and so people with A blood group can either have the genotype ‘AA’ or ‘AO’. If two parents have the ‘AO’ blood type genotype, they have a 25% chance of having a child with O+ blood group, 75% of having children with blood group A (25% with AA blood type genotype and 50% with AO blood type genotype).

So the simple answer is yes, it is possible to have an O+ child even when both parents are A+

All the best!

Q: Hello Dr I am not sure whether I have a problem or not; every girl I meet keeps having miscarriages. I don’t know why.

A: condolences on the loss of your baby/ies. It is never an easy experience for anyone to go through.

Unfortunately, often times, the cause of a miscarriage is not identified. You need to understand this so that neither you nor her blame yourself unduly. Having said that though, first trimester miscarriages are mainly due to problems with the baby/fetus. These problems could be due to problems with the placenta. This is how the baby receives its nutrients in the womb and so, if this organ cannot deliver, a miscarriage might occur. There may also be a problem with the baby’s chromosomes, such that a baby may receive too many or too few genetic materials or there may be a damaged egg/sperm. Other associated risk factors include smoking and drinking alcohol, being overweight, malnutrition, increased maternal age, trauma and drug abuse. By the way, trimester is 3 months of pregnancy. Therefore, first trimester refers to the 1st three months, 2nd trimester, the 2nd three months and 3rd trimester, the last three months

To try for a pregnancy again, remember to ensure there is unprotected sexual intercourse at least three times a week with ejaculation of sufficient amounts of semen. Encourage your partner to start on folic acid supplements as soon as she can, to prepare her and baby for the journey ahead.

To prevent a recurrence, focus on ensuring that you both stay healthy and do not indulge in harmful habits like smoking and excessive alcohol drinking. Other helpful tips include eating healthy, keeping weight within normal parameters, avoiding trauma and not abusing drugs.

In addition, as soon as she gets pregnant again, she should register for antenatal as soon as possible and keep to her appointments religiously.

All the best!

Q: I gave birth on the 8^th of October. After some months, I saw my period between the end of January and February, and now I have not seen it again. I ran some tests and it shows I’m not pregnant. Could it be irregular menstruation?

A: Hello and Congratulations on your new baby!

Different women report different changes with their menstrual periods after child birth. Some report longer periods. Others report shorter periods; some others report less pain and others observe absolutely no change at all 😀 So, it’s not strange, but where in doubt, please discuss this with your doctor

A very common question I get asked is if breastfeeding mums can get pregnant. The answer is yes. If you’re exclusively breastfeeding, feeding your baby on demand (every 4 hours), you’re within 6 months of your baby’s birth and your menstrual period has not returned after the birth of your baby, you stand a better chance of not getting pregnant during this period. However, this is not a reliable method.

Birth control pills can help prevent pregnancy at this time. Pills that contain estrogen can lead to reduction in breast milk supply (and yes, combination pills contain estrogen). So, it’s a good idea to avoid such pills at this time. Pills that contain only progestin (like the minipill) is a better idea as it does not affect breast milk supply. It’s usually taken at the same time daily. It’s best to start this discussion before you have your baby or immediately after so that your doctor can advise as to when you should start taking the pills.

Barrier contraceptives like condoms, diaphragms etc can also serve the purpose of preventing pregnancy at this time.

There are, of course, other methods of birth control available eg Intra Uterine Device (IUD), implants, patches etc also exist and you may want to discuss these other options with your doctor as you conclude breastfeeding.

So, check with your doctor. Better safe than sorry.

I hope this helps.