The Claim
A list of medicines and equipment is being circulated on social media as a ‘COVID medical kit’ to be kept at home during the viral outbreak. The message accompanying the list also speaks of the stages of the infection and recovery time, and has been liked to Tata Digital Health as an advisory released by Tata Group.
The group has, however, categorically denied any connection to such a list or message. This is what the claim says:
Tata Health Did Not Issue the Advisory
Tata Health responded to a user on Twitter who had asked about the message and said, “We are sorry but the above message received by you is not from Tata Health. Kindly inform the same to the group from where you received this message.”
What Do We Know About the Medicines Mentioned in the Message?
Paracetamol is a common medicine for fever, Betadine gargle is known to be antibacterial, mouthwash is for oral hygiene, vitamins C and D3 are B complex are all supplements.
The list includes common medicines, but doctors maintain that self-medication is not advisable for any of these, even supplements, without taking medical advice from an expert.
The oximeter is used to monitor the pulse rate and oxygen saturation in the body, and an oxygen cylinder is usually not meant to be kept in the house.
Recently, the Delhi government had announced that patients who are in home isolation will be provided oximeters to keep track of their oxygen levels at home. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “If patients receive oxygen on time, many patients can be saved. They can return it after recovering. Patients can call up the authorities when their oxygen levels are low, and a team will go to their house with oxygen cylinders. If required, they can be shifted to the hospital.”
ou can read about them here.
Further, there is no scientific evidence that recovery from the virus in the nose occurs in half a day and that from the virus in the throat in one day.
Dr Ravi Shekhar Jha, Senior Consultant and Head of the Department, Pulmonology, Fortis Escorts Faridabad told FIT, “Recovery time is not the correct word. Recovery time is the same irrespective of the site of infection.”
The message also says that if oxygen levels reach 43, an oxygen cylinder will be needed to help the patient.
According to Mayo Clinic, normal pulse oximeter readings usually range from 95 to 100 percent. Values under 90 percent are considered low. Dr Jha also explains, “Oxygen level of 43 is way too low. Patient mostly will need ventilator at such a low O2 level. If the oxygen level is below 92, it is alarming and you would need hospitalisation.”
In the middle of the COVID-19 outbreak, it is extremely necessary to not fall for fake messages such as this and to follow the precautions given by the health ministry and medical practitioners.
(The circulated message also talks of other claims relating to recovery from COVID-19, such as gargling with hot water, having vitamin C and doing breathing exercises. FIT has already debunked these. You can read FIT's WebQoof stories here to verify claims related to coronavirus.)
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