COVID-19

In this humanitarian crisis of COVID19, our NSS volunteers and students from all faculties, (both old and present), teaching faculties of 282 constituent colleges across the Andhra Pradesh (http://hmfw.ap.gov.in/carona_info.aspx) have come forward to become volunteers to serve for COVID and registered as COVID warriors.

I thank all of them for their wholehearted involvement. Dr.Vivekanand Kattimani NSS Program Coordinator & Incharge COVID warriors have taken an active part in enrolling and training them with support from Hon. Vice-Chancellor and Registrar. (Article in Hindustan time)

We have decided to host portal for training to all our students and faculty before the colleges restart and those already working in the field and clinics in various capacities to refresh their existing knowledge through external training links in a single page, including Govt of India Initiatives (https://covidwarriors.gov.in/Covid_TrainingMatrix_Role.aspx) and WHO (https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/training/online-training).
Soon will come up with certification from university too

INTRODUCTION

COVID-19 is a newly originated disease caused due to a new type of coronavirus. WHO has declared it as a global pandemic which has put the whole world on standby.
It was declared that the novel coronavirus spread majorly through droplet infection and also by coming in contact with contaminated surfaces.
As there is no vaccine developed to stop the spread of coronavirus, it is advised to prevent the illness by reducing exposure to it

By avoiding large gatherings,
By practicing social distancing and
By performing regular hand hygiene.

It is also found that the virus can be spread through healthy individuals who do not show any symptoms.(subclinical cases)

SYMPTOMS:

Fever or chills
Headache
Cough
Sore throat
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Loss of taste or smell
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea

How can we stop it?

DO’s:

Wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds.
If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that has at least 60% alcohol.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Always cover your mouth and nose with a cloth, mask, or face cover when around others to prevent getting infected or to prevent the spread of infection unknowingly.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily.

DONT’s:

Avoid close contact with people who are sick and maintain a minimum of 6 feet distance from each other.
Do not ignore any of the symptoms indicated for the COVID and seek health advice immediately.

Although the coronavirus is known to cause only mild or moderate illnesses in most people, it is life-threatening to children, elderly people, and immune-compromised individuals. So it is advised to practice social distancing by staying indoors and frequent hand hygiene to limit and control the spread of COVID-19.
There is no need for panic in this situation; however, it is best to be cautious of limiting unwanted exposure to the virus. It is essential that during these hard times, we stay supportive of those infected and protect the vulnerable ones from the contamination and spread of the virus.

For training purpose:

During the unforeseen circumstances of the pandemic, as a junior/senior or practicing specialist frontline worker, it is our moral obligation and responsibility to keep ourselves and others abreast about COVID-19 in all its perspectives at a personal, community as well as the global level.
We would suggest everyone enroll and train before getting into the field. Those already in the field or clinic can get refreshed using the above training sessions. These are short but yet meaningful courses not just for the safety of ourselves and our families and not for the sake of the certificates! But as a way to enrich ourselves with knowledge and to propagate the ‘new normal’ at the community level, so that we can prevent humanity to be slaughtered in the hands of the dreadful COVID19 pandemic. Remember, united we stand, divide we fall. Let’s come together and make a difference.
As a student of medical science belonging to the “techie era,” instead of being a ‘couched potato’ glued to the screens for uncountable hours, let’s make the most of the time in our hands and make use of the free online courses officially handcrafted by Govt. of India, and World Health Organization (WHO) for all. It is as simple as bread and butter for breakfast! Govt. of India Initiatives follow the link: For all these courses need to register before you start the training.

For WHO training follow simple steps to get acquainted for traning

Go to https://openwho.org . Tap on the ‘Log in’ button to the right side of your screen and click on ‘Create new account’ to make a free Open WHO account for yourself.
Confirm your e-mail address through the e-mail which they send you to your registered mail.
Tap on the ‘Courses’ tab, and many courses will be displayed.
Under each course, which you wish to take, you can select ‘Enroll me for this course’ after going through the course details thoroughly.
Click on ‘Enter course’ and get yourselves buckled up as you get to go through a number of validated literature, short informative videos coupled with a quiz in between and finally ending the course with a ‘Post-test’ (might not be applicable for all the courses) to receive a Record of Achievement or Confirmation of Participation (as applicable).

The courses are as follows with the relevant links for easy navigation :

Emerging respiratory viruses, including COVID-19: methods for detection, prevention, response and control (introduction-to-ncov)

Sample Certificate

COVID-19: Operational Planning Guidelines and COVID-19 Partners Platform to support country preparedness and response

Sample Certificate

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) for COVID-19 Virus

Sample Certificate

Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) Treatment Facility Design

Sample Certificate

ePROTECT Respiratory Infections (EN)

Sample Certificate

COVID-19: How to put on and remove personal protective equipment (PPE)

Sample Certificate

Standard precautions: Hand hygiene

Sample Certificate

Standard precautions: Waste management

Sample Certificate

Standard precautions: Environmental cleaning and disinfection

Sample Certificate

Decontamination and sterilization of medical devices

Sample Certificate

External links for further reading and references:

Contact Information
Dr.Vivekanand Kattimani, MDS, Ph.D.,
NSS- Program Coordinator, NSS Cell
Dr.NTR University of Health Sciences,Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada