Trump administration pulls $500 million from vaccine development funding
The mRNA vaccines are credited with slowing the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.Kennedy said in the Tuesday statement that he wants the health department to move away from mRNA vaccines, calling on the department to start 'investing in better solutions.' He provided no details on what those technologies might be.- EndsMust Watch
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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Can you take antibiotics for COVID? WHO updates its guidelines on antibiotic usage for patients
As COVID-19 continues to evolve, so do the guidelines for how to tackle and treat it. Although the pandemic has drawn to a close, various strains are still at play and are causing infection amongst communities. After the Nimbus strain, now the Stratus strain is surging in the US, causing soar throat and hoarseness in voice in patients. Although these strains aren't fatal, many people still wonder: Can you take antibiotics for COVID? The answer, finally, is here. The latest guideline In a major update to its clinical guidelines, the World Health Organization (WHO) has advised against giving antibiotics to COVID-19 patients, even those with severe illness, if there's no clear sign of a bacterial infection. This shift in guidance comes after a new meta-analysis of studies showed that antibiotics do not improve outcomes in COVID-19 patients who don't have a bacterial infection. Overusing antibiotics without need, the WHO warns, could worsen the global problem of antimicrobial resistance. 'For patients with non-severe COVID-19 and a low clinical suspicion of a concurrent bacterial infection, we recommend no empirical antibiotics,' the WHO said in its latest guidance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Kate Middleton's Daring Outfit Took Prince William's Breath Away Crowdy Fan Undo 'For patients with severe COVID-19 and a low clinical suspicion of a concurrent bacterial infection, we suggest no empirical antibiotics.' What are antibiotics? Antibiotics are medicines used to treat bacterial infections, not viral infections like COVID-19. They work by killing bacteria or stopping them from growing. Common illnesses treated with antibiotics include strep throat, urinary tract infections, and some types of pneumonia. COVID-19, however, is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, not a bacterium. This means antibiotics do not treat the virus itself. Taking them unnecessarily won't help you recover faster, and it can cause serious side effects or even long-term health problems. Why the change? Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, both COVID-19 and the world's response to it have changed dramatically, the WHO noted. With lower infection rates, milder disease, and the removal of emergency public health measures, COVID-19 is now treated more like other illnesses in many countries. 'Notable changes to COVID-19 disease over this time have been overall reduced infection rates and reduced disease severity,' the WHO said. 'Care for patients with COVID-19 has become more integrated with usual healthcare systems.' These changes prompted the WHO to review and revise all of its existing COVID-related recommendations. As a result, the new guidelines remove outdated advice or recommendations that are now considered basic medical practice and not specific to COVID-19. Recommendation backed by new research The updated antibiotic recommendations are based on the latest data from a systematic review and meta-analysis. These studies looked at how patients fared when treated with antibiotics during COVID-19, and whether those treatments were really necessary in the absence of a bacterial infection. At the same time, there's growing urgency to tackle antimicrobial resistance, a serious global threat where overuse of antibiotics makes bacteria resistant to treatment. The WHO stressed that these new guidelines are aimed at everyone involved in COVID-19 care, from doctors and nurses to hospital administrators and health system planners. COVID-19: Still a threat, and ever-evolving While vaccines, treatments, and previous infections have helped many people build immunity, COVID-19 hasn't disappeared. The SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to infect thousands of people daily, causing avoidable sickness and death. 'The virus continues to evolve in terms of infectivity, immune escape, and disease severity,' the WHO warned. Even though many countries are no longer in emergency mode, COVID-19 still requires careful clinical management, especially for high-risk populations. The new WHO guideline aims to reflect this shifting landscape, balancing new scientific evidence with the current global health context. 'This guideline robustly and transparently addresses the changing landscape and evidence availability, and the continual development of treatment and management strategies for COVID-19,' the WHO added. To sum it up… Antibiotics should not be used in COVID-19 patients unless there is a strong suspicion of a bacterial infection. This applies to both mild and severe cases. The guidance is part of a broader update reflecting new evidence and a changing pandemic. Overuse of antibiotics can worsen antimicrobial resistance, a growing health threat worldwide. The new guidelines apply to all levels of the health system involved in COVID-19 care. Study finds antiseptic drug is as good as antibiotics for preventing recurrent Urinary Tract Infections
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Days after Jalandhar hospital deaths, Punjab govt to hire service providers to manage oxygen plants
Days after three deaths in Jalandhar civil hospital's ICU due to oxygen supply disruption, the department of health and family welfare is set to hire service providers for maintenance and management of biomedical installations, mainly oxygen plants, in the government health facilities across the per comprehensive annual maintenance service contract, the service providers will look after maintenance, management and operations of pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants, liquid medical oxygen (LMO) tanks and medical gas pipeline systems (MGPS) including medical gas manifold, generator assembly, zeolite, electric panel and other ancillary items. Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh The department has already floated tenders for this, proposing a maintenance contract for three years, extendable by an additional two years, for 38 PSA plants and 33 MGPS units installed in government hospitals and medical colleges. Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh said the decision of hiring service providers has been taken to avoid Jalandhar hospital-like incidents in future. 'The service providers will ensure complete repair and maintenance of these units on regular basis besides maintaining complete record of repair, ensuring any sort of replacement, preventive maintenance on quarterly basis and calibration of machines,' the minister said. Dr Balbir added that the service provider shall ensure the availability of information, education & communication (IEC) standard operating procedure, checklist and log book related to operation, maintenance and safety of PSA and MGPS including manifold. 'Under this, the services engineers will be provided for rectification of complaints, besides ensuring regular testing and quality check,' he said. The minister added that the maintenance cost of PSA plants, installed during Covid under PM Care scheme, is very high and it is not financially feasible for its maintenance at hospital level. 'Due to the high maintenance cost of PSA plants, which produce medical-grade oxygen on the hospital premises, the department will ensure that LMO tanks and MGPS plants are fully operational in the government health facilities,' he said. On July 27, three patients, including a 15-year-old snake-bite victim, a 32-year-old drug overdose patient and a 30-year-old lung disease patient, died between 7.15 pm and 7.50 pm due to insufficient oxygen supply. Acting on the report of a probe team that pointed to gross negligence, the health department had suspended medical superintendent Dr Raj Kumar, senior medical officer Dr Surjit Singh and consultant anaesthesiologist Dr Sunakshi, while the services of Dr Shaminder Singh, the house surgeon, and technician Narinder Singh were terminated with immediate effect. The probe team found that instead of a technician overseeing the plant, a contractual ward attendant — a non-technical employee — was on duty when a malfunction in the plant caused the disruption of supply. He was ill-equipped to deal with the exigency, leading to the death of the three critically ill patients in the trauma centre.
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Lok Nayak Hospital ex-director booked by CBI for irregularities
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against Dr Suresh Kumar, former medical director of Delhi government-run Lok Nayak Hospital (LNH), and others for alleged criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and misconduct by a public servant, officials said on Monday. The case pertains to alleged irregularities in a 2017 open tender floated by LNH on the Delhi government's procurement portal for sanitation consumables and non-consumables. (File photo) The FIR, filed on July 30, comes three years after a preliminary enquiry (PE) was initiated by the CBI in 2022 following reports of administrative lapses during Dr Kumar's tenure. According to officials, the PE has now led to the registration of a regular case (RC) after prima facie evidence was found. 'Prima facie offences under IPC Section 120-B read with Section 409 and Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act have been disclosed against Dr Suresh Kumar and other former staff,' the FIR stated. HT has accessed a copy of the document. The case pertains to alleged irregularities in a 2017 open tender floated by LNH on the Delhi government's procurement portal for sanitation consumables and non-consumables, including macerators — machines used for hygienically disposing of human waste. The FIR alleges that only one firm was favoured repeatedly over an extended period, from the original contract period in 2017 until 2021, leading to 'undue benefits' to the firm and corresponding losses to the government. Eight macerators of 'inferior quality' were allegedly purchased at inflated prices, despite better-quality alternatives being available at lower costs. 'No fresh open tender was floated during the extended period,' the FIR adds, 'and extensions were granted to the same firm without justification -- from January 29, 2020, to July 13, 2021.' It also notes that the Covid-19 pandemic, often cited for emergency procurement, only began affecting India in mid-March 2020 -- two months after the original tender expired. The PE further flagged violations in medicine procurement norms. Under government policy, generic medicines -- which are more affordable and equally effective -- are to be prioritised over branded drugs. However, the FIR alleges that between April 7 and September 16, 2022, LNH procured medicines worth ₹32.23 crore from a local authorised chemist, of which ₹25.17 crore (approximately 80%) was spent on branded drugs, and only ₹7.05 crore on generic ones. 'This resulted in avoidable expenditure and reduced access to essential medicines for the public,' the FIR states. CBI officials said CCTV footage, procurement records, and other evidence are being examined to identify the officials involved in the decision-making process. So far, no arrest has been made in the case. Dr Kumar has not responded to messages and calls requesting comment on the matter till the time of going to print.
