New Delhi: Used to hear from elders that health is a thousand blessings, but for the last two years, nothing is being discussed in the world except disease. Leave it healthy, being alive is the biggest achievement, in such a situation, if someone has an insurmountable disease like cancer, then it becomes even more difficult for him to hold the string of life. A recent research has shown that blood cancer patients are up to 57 percent more at risk of contracting COVID than other types of cancer.
According to the National Cancer Institute, “people with blood cancer may be at greater risk of long-term infection and death from COVID-19 than cancer patients with solid tumors”. According to research, the risk of COVID-19 was 57 percent higher in patients with blood cancer than patients with other types of cancer. In this too, patients of blood cancer or leukemia, myeloma are most vulnerable. In this era of epidemic, everyone is in trouble, but cancer patients are facing the most problems. Not only this, due to Corona, there has been a lot of change in the treatment and care of cancer victims.
In this regard, Dr. Rajit Chanana, Consultant, Medical Oncology, Dharamshila Narayana Superspecialty Hospital, Delhi said that cancer sufferers as well as their caregivers need to take precautions so that the risk of corona virus infection can be reduced. In this regard, the research done by virologists on cancer patients at Mondfor Medical Center in New York, USA, is commendable. In the study, 218 corona-infected cancer patients were kept under intensive surveillance as a sample. During the study, 61 patients died of infection within 20 days. This figure is 28 percent of the corona infected cancer patients included in the study, while the death rate from corona in the US was only 5.8 percent during this period.
Dr. Abhishek Shankar, who has started the Department of Preventive Oncology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, says that cancer patients need to be extra careful instead of being scared or worried about the Covid. Patients undergoing treatment regimens such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy tend to have an impaired immune system, leading to increased precautions and instructions for both the doctor and the patient. His advice for cancer patients is to strictly follow the rules related to COVID and consult a doctor in case of any discomfort.
The risk of not going to the hospital due to fear of infection can increase, so it is necessary to follow all the precautions prescribed for COVID and go to the hospital and complete the treatment on time. According to the National Cancer Institute of America, people who have had prior cancer treatment, ie chemotherapy, etc., should take special precautions. According to Dr Indu Bansal, Radiation Oncologist, Narayana Superspecialty Hospital, Gurugram, “Cancer patients have low immunity so they need to be more careful.”
Dr. J B Sharma, HOD and Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology, Action Cancer Hospital, Delhi said that in fact the immunity weakens after treatment like chemotherapy. Due to chemotherapy, the production of white blood cells in the body decreases, which are the main part of the body’s immune system. One more important point, that some people are confused or confused about whether victims of blood cancer or other cancers should get the anti-corona vaccine or not. According to doctors, the vaccine provides protection to the body in any case, so there should be no doubt about getting the vaccine on the advice of your doctor.
Newspaper headlines and news channels show how many cases of corona are being reported in the country every day and which wave of disease is going on or is coming. It shudders to hear that a new form of disease is again raising its head in some corner of the world. Experts believe that now we have to get used to living with this disease, but the most important thing is to maintain the spirit of living. Whatever the disease, remember that you are not the only one fighting this disease, and if treatment is possible, then the fear will definitely be lessened. (agency)