Having a positive attitude helps fight Covid: Doctor

Mangaluru: At times when positive is the most dreaded word thanks to the pandemic, it is only positivity that helps a person fight Covid-19. Getting infected by the novel coronavirus is not a death sentence as news channels are making it to be, and getting quarantined institutionally or at home is certainly not the end of the world, despite the grim statistics contained in the daily health bulletins issued by most governments, says Dr Vishwas Pai, ENT surgeon.
Having successfully battled the novel coronavirus with his wife and father, Dr Pai, sharing his experience of having overcome the disease, said, “It is only positivity that helps. It is in this state of mind that the body releases endorphins, endogenous opioid neuropeptides and peptide hormones, which not only relieve pain, but also enhance the healing process,” Dr Pai said, adding with the right attitude, the healing process is quicker.
Admitting that being a doctor helped build this positivity within, Dr Pai said the lockdown period saw him attend a lot of webinars, and helped him gather information on the virus. “There is nothing to panic about Covid-19. It is not a major disease like other diseases,” he said, adding the only reason why caution is advised is because of its contagious nature. “It is due to this that maintaining social distancing, sanitising oneself and wearing a mask become important,” he said.
Advising people with symptoms to get themselves tested, Dr Pai said it can be lethal if diagnosis is delayed and treatment is started late. “In this scenario, we put a large section of the population at risk by being unwitting carriers,” he said.
With seasonal flu afflicting people due to the monsoon, Dr Pai said there are a few overlaps in symptoms with the novel coronavirus and other viruses that cause seasonal flu. It is here that self-assessment helps. If one has been home-bound and in isolation, without going out, and have such symptoms, it can be safely said to be common cold. “If a person has been outside and if symptoms persist, it is better to get tested, which is done for free in a government set up and for a prescribed fee in a private hospital,” he said.