Mohali
9 December 2020
DIVYA AZAD
Early detection of COVID can help in early isolation, early diagnosis, and early treatment to be able to deal with this pandemic better. Dr. Parvinder Chawla, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital Mohali said, the first week after the patient has been infected is the golden week which can help in containing the spread of the virus but also timely treatment of the disease.
Dr. Chawla said, of the 250 odd COVID patients that she has come across so far, the average number of days to diagnosis has been four days. She however said, “Many a time, a test for COVID was recommended, but it was done almost a week after the symptom onset, which resulted in the patient’s deterioration or his/her failure to improve.”
She added, patients too, many-a-times are seeking medical care only when regular flu-like symptoms fail to improve over the first few days. Some are nevertheless proactive enough to isolate themselves at their homes during this period, but many are not, and are continuing to spread the virus to their family members and work colleagues during this early period. This is getting to be a major contributor to the spread.
“An early diagnosis not only helps in early isolation, thereby curbing the spread, it also helps in early treatment. Though there have been several controversies regarding the treatment modalities available for COVID, some studies have pointed towards the early antiviral therapy helping decrease the duration of the symptomatic period. Though more data is perhaps needed at this point of time to confirm or refute this at this time, this surely is a promising approach. Unlike other viral infections where the patients usually start improving by the end of the one week of illness, in COVID, it is the second week of the infection that is the most crucial one, when the need for oxygen and hospitalization tend to creep in”, said Dr. Chawla.
She said, The first week after symptoms onset in this era of COVID needs to be taken as the Golden Week, just like we have the concept of the golden hour for so many medical emergencies. It presents itself as an opportunity to initiate appropriate isolation, diagnosis, and monitoring of clinical deterioration and need for hospitalization. This would help us use our available resources judiciously and save precious lives. For those lucky enough to have the resources of space and time, this Golden Week can also serve as a week of realignment and reorientation, which is such a rarity in today’s times.”
