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Govt Expands Use of HCQ to Prevent Covid-19 But Large Study Ties Drug to Increased Heart Problems, Death

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Representative photo.
The health ministry said all asymptomatic healthcare workers involved in treatment of Covid-19 will be given HCQ. (Photo: Reuters)

A Lancet study, the largest on use of HCQ against coronavirus yet, showed an increase in irregular heartbeat or the risk of ventricular arrhythmias and also a greater risk of in-hospital death in Covid-19 patients.

  • News18.com
  • Last Updated: May 23, 2021, 12:36 PM IST
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Notwithstanding findings of a large observational study published on Friday in The Lancet which concluded that there is no evidence to confirm the benefit of the globally sought drug hydroxychloroquine or HCQ against the novel coronavirus, the union health ministry has reiterated its recommendation and expanded its use for preventive treatment.

The Lancet study based on the records of nearly 15,000 patients who received the drugs and 81,000 who did not showed that the drug may instead do harm.

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But the the country’s apex medical research body said that its latest recommendations were based on three studies that showed that the drug reduced viral load in laboratory settings and brought down incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers.

In the latest advisory, issued on Friday, the union health ministry said all asymptomatic healthcare workers involved in the treatment of Covid-19 infection, asymptomatic healthcare workers employed at non-Covid hospitals or non-Covid areas of Covid hospitals/blocks along with asymptomatic frontline workers, such as surveillance workers deployed in containment zones, be given HCQ for preventive care.

The advisory added that even paramilitary, police personnel involved in Covid-19 related activities and asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases take HCQ.

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The government also said that the drug should not be used on people with retinopathy, cardiac problems and Glucose-6 phosphate deficiency. The advisory also stated that an ECG may be done before prescribing HCQ and an ECG should be done in case any new cardiovascular symptoms occur during the course of the treatment.

The Lancet study on the safety and efficacy of HCQ has been touted as one of the biggest, multinational observational studies conducted till now. It found that the use of HCQ or chloroquine with or without an antibiotic such as azithromycin to treat Covid-19 was not associated with any benefit.

Instead, it showed an increase in irregular heartbeat or the risk of ventricular arrhythmias and also a greater risk of in-hospital death in Covid-19 patients.

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The study’s conclusions were based on the analysis of data of 96,032 patients, of whom 15,000 were administered the anti-malarial drug. The study has asked for randomized controlled trials of the drug.

The demand for the drug had surged across the world after its use was championed by US President Donald Trump. Earlier this week, President Trump even told reporters that he was taking the drug every day. India exported the drug to USA and Brazil among other countries.

Citing studies that were the basis for expanding use of HCQ, the government advisory said that a retrospective case-control analysis at ICMR found that there is a significant dose-response relationship between the number of prophylactic doses taken and frequency of occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in symptomatic healthcare workers who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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In another examination of three government hospitals, it was found that healthcare workers involved in Covid-19 care were less likely to develop the Covid-19 infection if they were using HCQ for prevention compared to those who were not using it.

“The benefit was less pronounced in healthcare workers caring for a general patient population,” the advisory said.

The advisory also cited an observational prospective study of 334 healthcare workers at AIIMS in New Delhi. Out of the 334 healthcare workers, 248 were given HCQ prophylaxis (median six weeks of follow-up) and it was found that those taking HCQ prophylaxis had lower incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection than those not taking it.

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https://pubstack.nw18.com/pubsync/fallback/api/videos/recommended?source=n18english&channels=5d95e6c378c2f2492e2148a2&categories=5d95e6d7340a9e4981b2e10a&query=Govt,Expands,Use,of,HCQ,to,Prevent,Covid-19,But,Large,Study,Ties,Drug,to,Increased,Heart,Problems,,Death,coronavirus,drugs,coronavirus,treatment,&publish_min=2021-05-21T12:40:37.000Z&publish_max=2021-05-23T12:40:37.000Z&sort_by=date-relevance&order_by=0&limit=2

(Note: This is a Article Automatically Generated Through Syndication, Here is The Original Source

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Video of Isha Arora, Saharanpur Polling Agent Takes the Internet By Storm 

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Video of Isha Arora, Saharanpur Polling Agent taking the internet by storm 

A video is currently going viral on the internet, showing Saharanpur polling agent Isha Arora doing the rounds in the Gangoh assembly constituency during the Saharanpur Lok Sabha elections. Since then, netizens have been going gaga over her charm and personality.

Meanwhile, many are curious to know more about her. A wide range of memes and reels are also being shared on Twitter and Instagram.

According to social media, Isha Arora is a State Bank of India (SBI) employee, currently employed on polling duty for the Saharanpur Lok Sabha Election 2024 in Madari village of the Gangoh assembly constituency.

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Video of Isha Arora dominates the internet

There she serves as the first polling officer at Garhi village’s polling booth. It got to a point that national news agencies were trying to get her on camera.

Many of Isha Arora’s photos and videos are circulating on various social media platforms, generating millions of clicks and views. While talking to ANI, she stated:

“I think that if you get any duty, you should be punctual and that’s the reason I have assumed my duty on time. Every man and woman should be punctual to let the functioning be smooth.” 

On being asked about her election duties, she said:

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“I’ll say that people should be punctual and they are, otherwise conducting such big elections wouldn’t have been possible. I didn’t get time to watch it (comments) in the video. It’s election time and it was my duty to come on time hence I was busy. It goes viral due to my punctuality and devotion…” 

Back in 2019, during the Lok Sabha elections, a clerk from the Public Works Department in Lucknow, Reena Dwivedi, gained national media attention because of her beauty. Her pictures in a yellow saree on duty went viral on various social media platforms.

Also Read: Hareem Shah Addresses Trolls After Her MMS Video Leak

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Raj Kundra ED Case Explained: Properties Worth Rs 98 Cr Seized 

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Raj Kundra ED Case Explained: Properties Worth Rs 98 Cr Seized 

Raj Kundra, the famous businessman and husband of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, has had properties worth Rs. 98 crore seized by the Enforcement Directorate.

The ED has also seized Shilpa Shetty’s Juhu flat. The Mumbai Zonal Office has seized movable and immovable properties worth Rs. 97.79 crore belonging to Raj Kundra (also known as Ripu Sudan Kundra) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, as reported by The Economic Times.

The seized properties include equity shares in Raj Kundra’s name, a residential bungalow situated in Pune, and a flat in Juhu under Shilpa Shetty’s name.

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The investigation was initiated by the ED based on multiple FIRs registered by the Delhi Police and Maharashtra Police.

The FIRs were registered against several MLM agents: Mahender Bhardwaj, Simpy Bhardwaj, Vivek Bhardwaj, Ajay Bhardwaj, the late Amit Bhardwaj, and M/s Variable Tech Pte Ltd.

According to News18, allegations prevail that they collected funds worth Rs. 6,600 crore in 2017 in the form of Bitcoins. Moreover, they falsely promised a 10 percent return per month in the form of Bitcoins.

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Investors were led to believe they would get higher returns on crypto assets, and the Bitcoins were purportedly taken to be used for Bitcoin mining in Ukraine. However, the promoters cheated the investors.

The promoters concealed the “ill-gotten Bitcoins in obscure online wallets.”

Investigation on Raj Kundra and Other Suspects 

The ED investigation into Raj Kundra revealed that he received 285 Bitcoins from Amit Bhardwaj, the mastermind.

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As the deal didn’t materialize, Raj Kundra still possesses 285 Bitcoins, worth Rs. 150 crore at present value, as per Mint.

In this case, Nikhil Mahajan was apprehended on January 1, 2023, Nitin Gaur on December 29, 2023, and Simpy Bhardwaj on December 17, 2023. Currently, all three of them are in judicial custody. 

However, the masterminds, Mahendra Bhardwaj and Ajay Bhardwaj, are yet to be caught. 

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Further investigation in the case is under progress.

Also Read: Petition Against Cody Roberts Demands Felony Charges For Killing Wolf

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Karnataka Congress Leader’s Daughter Neha Murdered by Fayaz on College Campus, Suspected Arrested 

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Karnataka Congress Leader's Daughter Neha Murdered by Fayaz on College Campus, Suspected Arrested 

Neha, 23, was the daughter of Niranjan Hiremath, a Congress Corporator who was brutally stabbed to death. She was murdered inside her college campus in Hubballi, Karnataka by her former classmate.

The accused has been identified as 23-year-old Fayaz Khondunai, who is currently in judicial custody for 14 days.

Neha was studying at BVB College (KLE Technological University) and was in her first year of MCA (Masters of Computer Applications).

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This incident was captured by the CCTV cameras installed on the college campus. The footage shows how Neha was repeatedly stabbed by Fayaz with a knife.

The horrific incident took place at 4:30 pm when the victim completed her first semester exams and was returning.

The accused, Fayaz, belongs to Savadatti taluk in Belagavi district. According to reports by Opindia, Neha and Fayaz were friends during their bachelor days.

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However, both Neha’s parents and the college management opposed their friendship. Thus, Neha distanced herself from Fayaz.

Police consider that this stabbing incident occurred due to their strained relationship.

For this reason, Neha was asked by her parents not to even attend college.

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What Happened To Neha?

Fayaz confronted Neha when she came to appear for first-semester MCA exams. This escalated into a physical brawl in which Fayaz punched and then stabbed her multiple times. Then he left the scene.

However, some students tried their best and handed the culprit to Vidyanagar police.

Neha was immediately sent to the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Hospital by the students and college authorities. However, she was pronounced dead upon arrival.

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Also Read: Did Mahua Moitra say “Sex” or “Eggs” In The Viral Video? The Person Who Asked Her Clarified

As per reports by OneIndia, Fayaz had been keeping track of Neha’s whereabouts ever since she rejected his proposal.

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