Protecting health-care professionals and workers (other than COVID-19 management facilities) from contamination during COVID-19 pandemic (March 26, 2020 - India)

People should stay at home - just as our PM has appealed on TV to the nation. This saves people plus health-care professionals from getting infected. Patients with ongoing illnesses should continue with usual treatment, cancel routine medical appointments (doctor visits and investigations), and contact their respective doctors (through email or digital platforms) only in case of new significant problems. Hospitals to divide staff into teams that work in tandem on alternate days or every 3rd day (based on the number of healthy staff available, inpatient beds, and patient workload). In hospitals/clinics, all health-care professionals to wear regular surgical masks, wear gloves, follow hand hygiene, and disinfect all surfaces in between patients. Maintain social distancing at all times - with patients and with colleagues. At least 6 ft of space in waiting area between patients, in the outpatient department between patient and doctor, and other places in between staff. If someone is contaminated/positive, the hospital/facility is NOT shut down or everyone quarantined. Only those with close contact are tested and isolated (definition of close contact used in Hong Kong was at least 15 min interaction at <6 feet without surgical mask). Less significant contacts to be self-monitored for symptoms and temperature recorded twice a day. Goggles, headgear, N95 particle filter masks, and double gloves to be reserved for interaction with COVID-19 positive cases or for procedures where respiratory aerosols might be generated - like intubation. For patients with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 (low-grade fever, dry cough, cold, body ache, fatigue, diarrhea, and breathlessness) or family contact with COVID-19 positive case need to be dealt with as per the government directive, referred to dedicated COVID-19 health-care facility and treated by their separate team of health-care professionals.

Phytochemical constituents from Xanthium strumarium L. and evaluation of their in vitro antimalarial activities

Malaria is a major threat to global health and continues to claim lives of many people each year, especially in developing countries. Xanthium strumarium L., is used by traditional health practitioners in the management of malaria fever in North East India. Bioassay guided fractionation of X. strumarium L. extracts, led to the isolation of five compounds from the aerial part and fruit of Xanthium strumarium, namely, stigmasta-5,22-dien-3beta-ol (1), xanthinosin (2), stigmasterol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3), oleic acid (4) and (E)-2, 3-dihydroxypropyl-octadec-9-enoate (5). Antimalarial potential of isolated compounds were evaluated against 3D7 strain of Plasmodium falciparum by schizont maturation inhibition assay method. The structures of isolated compounds were established by HR-MS, NMR experiments and comparison from literature data. Compounds 2 and 3 showed significant antimalarial properties against 3D7 strain of P.falciparum with IC50 value 27.25 and 7.14M respectively. The antimalarial activities of xanthinosin (2) and stigmasterol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3) lend credence to the application of X. strumarium against malaria and thus provides new template for development of antimalarial molecules. X. strumarium has also scope for the development of antimalarial phyto-pharmaceutical with five identified compounds with P.falciparum inhibitory activity as per the drugs and cosmetics act of India (1940, amended 31st December 2016).