Coronavirus: Centre warns against use of N95 masks with valved respirators

The health ministry on Monday warned against the “inappropriate use of N95 masks, especially those that contain respiratory valves”. Director General of Health Services Rajiv Garg encouraged people to use homemade face masks.

“It is to bring to your knowledge that the use of valved respirator N95 masks is detrimental to the measures adopted for preventing the spread of coronavirus as it does not prevent the virus from escaping out of the mask,” Garg said in a letter to all states and Union Territories. “In view of the above, I request you to instruct all concerned to follow the use of face/mouth cover and prevent inappropriate use of N95 masks.”

In April, the Centre had issued an advisory on the use of homemade protective cover for face and mouth. The advisory stressed such face covers must be washed and cleaned each day. These handmade masks, however, are not meant for health workers or those working with or in contact with Covid-19 patients or those who are patients themselves as they are required to wear specified protective gear, the health ministry had said.

India’s total case count has crossed 11.55 lakh as of Tuesday and the toll is over 28,000. While more than 7 lakh people have recovered, India’s over over 4 lakh active cases.

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A new phone app detects ear infections in children

Researchers have created a new smartphone app, which can detect fluid behind the eardrum by using a piece of paper, the phone's microphone and a speaker.

According to the study, infection in ear occurs when fluid builds up in the middle ear behind the eardrum.

This build-up is also common in another condition called otitis media with effusion. Any kind of fluid build-up can be painful and make it hard for children to hear, which can be especially detrimental when they are learning to talk.

These conditions are hard to diagnose because they have vague symptoms. Sometimes children tug on their ears or have fevers, and sometimes there are no symptoms. In addition, young children may not be able to describe where are they feeling hurt.

Now, with the invention of new Smartphone app parents can detect fluid behind the eardrum.
The Smartphone makes a series of soft audible chirps into the ear through a small paper funnel and, depending on the way the chirps are reflected back to the phone, the app determines the likelihood of fluid present with a probability of detection of 85 per cent.

This is on par with current methods used by specialists to detect fluid in the middle ear, which involve specialized tools that use acoustics or a puff of air.

"Designing an accurate screening tool on something as ubiquitous as a Smartphone can be game-changing for parents as well as health care providers in resource-limited regions. A key advantage of our technology is that it does not require any additional hardware other than a piece of paper and a software app running on the smartphone," said co-author of the study.

Once diagnosed, ear infections can be easily treated with observation or antibiotics, and persistent fluid can be monitored or drained by a doctor to relieve symptoms of pain or hearing loss. A quick screening at home could help parents decide whether or not they need to take their child to the doctor.

This app works by sending sounds into the ear and measuring how those sound waves change as they bounce off the eardrum.

"It's like tapping a wine glass. Depending on how much liquid is in it, you get different sounds. Using machine learning on these sounds, we can detect the presence of liquid, "said co-first author.

Because the researchers want parents to be able to use this technology at home, the team trained parents on how to use the system on their own children. Parents and doctors folded paper funnels, tested 25 ears and compared the results. Both parents and doctors successfully detected the six fluid-filled ears.

The team also tested the algorithm on a variety of smartphones and used different types of paper to make the funnel. The results were consistent regardless of phone or paper type.

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Take care of your spinal health to avoid life-long malaise

Over the years spinal health has emerged as one of the major concerns among millennials. 

Our busy and mostly sedentary lifestyles attached with a digital-heavy exist have resulted in a large number of young professionals being afflicted with back pain. 

Injuries, poor postures, obesity, heavy schoolbags and puberty are some of the reasons for poor spinal health. Therefore, back pain is a matter of concern and should not be neglected. 

Apart from diminishing your quality of life, back pain also affects your work and social engagements and in extreme cases, even prevents in accomplishing simple, everyday tasks.

Like all other structures of the body, the disc in the spine ages and degenerates with time and inactivity. 

Early treatment can solve the pain and the root cause of the problem within a short span of time providing complete recovery. Early diagnosis and proper treatment is recommended to avoid the risk of surgeries and to live a better life without back pain and spine problems.

An Orthopedic Surgeon said, "Continuous cell phone, laptop and desktop use can prove detrimental for your neck and spine health. Perpetual use of these devices influences our stance in unhealthy ways that contribute to neck upper back, and shoulder pain. Bad posture while sitting, standing, walking, or in a static position can lead to stiffness. Bad posture can also affect other parts of the spine, such as the middle and low back. Use any device at the eye level as much as possible. They should also be positioned so the screen is at eye level and you don’t have to look down or bend your head forward. Ensure that your screen is set up so that you have to look forward. Adopting principles of good ergonomics early in life can help you go a long way in preventing neck and back problems."

Over the years spinal health has emerged as one of the major concerns among millennial. Experts have been witnessing that a large number younger population has been facing spinal problems and initially they neglect their problem. They come for treatment when problems get complicated. 

An Orthopaedic surgeon said, “Obviously, age-related degeneration cannot be reversed, but few daily exercises can help rejuvenate and enhance disc nourishment. 

"Exercise frequently there are few easy and doable exercises that should become a part of your daily routine. Practice yoga like the snake, the downward dog and the child poses to alleviate pain and strengthen your back.” 

“If you are a smoker, quit smoking. Smoking speeds up the development of osteoporosis and brittle bones with loss of fluid in the discs and resulting in its degeneration. 

""Hydration enables in maintaining soft tissue elasticity and fluidity in joints. Apply Heat – Warm water baths, using a heated compressor lying briefly under a heat lamp relaxes your back muscles and stimulates blood flow.”  the Dr. added.

According to experts, dietary habits can also improve your spine health and prevent spine ageing, eat wholesome and better to incorporate these food groups in your daily meal like kale and broccoli, green leafy veggies and cucumber have proven to be excellent vegetable sources of Calcium and Vitamin K. 

Eat as much variety of nuts and seeds as possible. Eggs and fatty fish like anchovies and salmon are a great source of Vitamin D. Pay heed to any Warning signs – Although back pain these days are more common than you think but recurrent pains should never be ignored. Left untreated, problems with the spine can worsen and result in a life-long malaise.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.    

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