What are the steps cancer patient should take during corona virus ?
The COVID-19 pandemic has swept through the world impacting every aspect of life creating fear and anxiety while leaving a toll of health and economic devastation which will continue into the foreseeable future. As the virus cycles through society we are facing a new “normal” while we await the scientific biomedical community to develop effective anti-viral drugs, vaccines, and medications to treat the “cytokine storm” which is responsible for the bulk of the mortality associated with the infection.
Cancer patients, their families, and caregivers are disproportionally impacted by the COVID pandemic. Cancer patients are twice as likely to become infected than the general population and significantly more likely to die from COVID-19 once infected.
Individuals impacted by a cancer diagnosis should consider two different strategies to reduce their risk during the pandemic. The first is to ensure they take appropriate precautions to avoid unnecessary exposure to the virus. The second is to consider whether changes to their treatment strategy could be implemented to reduce their risk of infection.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus infection in cancer patients?
The symptoms of COVID-19 are the same in cancer patients as the general population. Patients being treated with steroids can suppress the development of fever.
Coughing - typically dry non-productive cough
Symptoms typically appear within 2-14 days after exposure, although new data suggests that some people infected with the disease are contagious even before they develop symptoms.
For now patients should undergo the same preventive measures they would for other common illnesses like the common cold and influenza “the flu” Most important is to wash your hands frequently, make sure you cover your cough and your sneezes, stay away from other individuals with respiratory symptoms, and avoid travel to places where there are documented cases of COVID. Avoid crowds and situations where you’re likely to be less than six feet from others. (Airborne spread of the virus occurs when an infected individual coughs or sneezes, releasing droplets that can travel three feet. Maintaining a six-foot distance provides a safety margin.)
Avoid cafeteria-style eating and public transportation - wash hands after using any public facility.
Not yet but researchers are working to develop one. Cancer patients do however need to get a “Flu shot” In India we are still in the midst of flu season and patients with cancer are at higher risk, especially if they are receiving immunotherapy, steroids and immunosuppressive which reduce immunity. Many individuals with blood cancers have diminished immunity even if they are not currently on therapy.
Can Testing Determine If You Have Coronavirus?
The main symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to the common cold and include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and a runny nose. It’s difficult to differentiate COVID-19 from the common cold or flu and currently the only way to tell if someone has coronavirus is through testing with a test available through the Centers for Disease Control and now commercial laboratories. As of April 30 more than 12 million people had been tested for the virus in the and around the world.
Are all patients with cancer at equal risk for infection?
Patients with a weakened immune system may be at greater risk of infection because their defenses against infection are lowered. Blood-related cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma, those undergoing chemotherapy treatment, individuals with more advanced disease, and those with cancer involving the lungs are most vunerable. Patients over the age of 70 are more likely to develop severe cases of COVID-19, as are those who also have cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure, or are active tobacco smokers.
What are Clinics and Cancer Centers Doing?
In order to protect cancer patient’s cancer centers and clinics are already adopting measures designed to improve patient safety by decreasing the risk of exposure to the virus. They are:
Delaying or deferring non-essential clinic visits.
Using phone consultation or telemedicine appointments when possible also use the best medicine delivery app in india to get cancer medicines delivered to our homes hassle free.
If clinic or hospital visits are necessary.
Wear a mask or facial covering.
Practice physical distancing.
Clinics are screening for exposures either at clinic entrance or by phone one day prior to visit by checking for fever, cough, and other symptoms.
Minimizing visitors (1 visitor + patient).
Increasing the interval between visits when possible.
Take Everyday Precautions
The best way to keep others from getting sick is to ensure that you yourself are not exposed to the virus. To do so, please keep the following tips in mind:
Wash your hands thoroughly and often. This needs to be done for at least 20 seconds using soap and water. If you do not have access to soap and water, be sure to use hand sanitizer that contains 60% alcohol.
Avoid touching your face, nose, and eyes, especially if you have come in contact with "high-touch" surfaces in public areas, such as elevator buttons, door handles, and handrails.
Work to avoid crowds, and practice social distancing (a minimum of six feet).
Cancel all non-essential travel. This includes vacations as well as everyday trips to the store.
When will things return to normal?
Public health experts have worked with the local and federal governments to help answer this question. In many parts of the United States, shelter-in-place or stay-at-home restrictions have been lifted or may be lifted in the coming days or weeks. However, we know that the coronavirus continues to circulate in the community and in some communities more than others. As nonessential businesses reopen and as more people begin to leave their homes regularly, it is possible that we will see another surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths.
If your local community, county, or state has allowed nonessential businesses to reopen, the best way to stay safe is to continue to stay at home and avoid being in public as much as possible. Wear cloth face masks or face coverings when you must leave your home. Continue to wash your hands thoroughly and frequently and stay at least 6 feet away from other people if you need to go to the grocery store or pharmacy or other areas where other people may be.
In spite of all the efforts that are made, finding the ideal approach for cancer patients in the middle of the threat of the COVID-19 is not evident. As we are writing this paper the number of cancer patients tested positive is increasing, the capacity of some cancer centers is overwhelmed, and new guidelines are being issued by local and national authorities. The approach of cancer patients must be dynamic and tailored to every patient’s condition, every hospital’s resources and every physician’s experience. Oncologists must keep in mind that beyond any scientific speculations, if the COVID-19 outbreak extends, the risk of unavailability of high-level care in oncology would be greater than that of a SARS-CoV-2 infection in a cancer patient.
