Dr Ritesh Malik, Founder and CEO of Innov8 Coworking, has been on the frontline of the COVID-19 fight at his family-owned hospital in Delhi, Radix Healthcare.
In a conversation with YourStory on Wednesday, he busted some myths around the vaccine, explained why going against nature is dangerous, and emphasised that ultimately, the only way to deal with the virus is by wearing double masks and mass vaccination.
Following are some of the highlights from Ritesh’s second session with YourStory Founder and CEO, Shradha Sharma.
Defeat the invisible enemy
Ritesh says that the situation of the country, and Delhi in particular, is very grim. He said that unavailability of oxygen, “corrupt administration,” and toppling of the health infrastructure have made the situation worse. “The other day, we had only 10 minutes of oxygen left. There was tremendous stress.”
He said that coronavirus, which has caused tremendous havoc, is like an enemy which is not visible to the eye. And hence, the only way to deal with the virus is by becoming paranoid about it, he added.
“Assume that the person in front is COVID-19 positive, and take precaution accordingly. Only then you will be able to defeat the virus.” He also emphasised the need for the infected individuals to consume a good diet and keep themselves hydrated.
He said that the second wave is much more lethal and “we cannot afford to let our guards down.”
Busting myths and acting responsibly
Ritesh added that a lot of information has been doing rounds on social media. But individuals need to understand that “vaccination is the only long-term solution” to win the war against this virus.
“If you are not getting vaccinated, then you are becoming a liability on the nation.”
He also elaborated on the need for proper treatment and medication. He said that “nature is ruthless” and it is irresponsible for anybody to go against science and rely on other methods or even godmen to treat something as perilous as COVID-19.
“Coronil (Patanjali product) is alright when you want to treat asymptomatic patients or those who have mild symptoms.”
Ritesh said that allopathic medicines like Remdesivir and Fabiflu are effective in treating the viral infection.
He pointed out that there is an enzyme called RNA transcriptase which is present in this virus which is also responsible for its replication. “These medicines act on this enzyme and reduce its impact on the lungs by 5000 times according to some clinical researches.”
Give hope, mask up and vaccinate
According to Ritesh, Indians should become disciplined and take responsibility of helping people around them. He urged everyone to give hope and encouragement to COVID-19 infected families and patients as this disease takes a toll over the mental health of a person.
In the end, he emphasised that the only way to prevent the virus from entering our houses or our bodies is by keeping our surroundings clean, disinfecting properly, wearing double masks (preferably a cloth mask and an N95 over it) and finally, ensuring that you get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Watch the full interview here:
