Revista Medicos | Issue 8

PANDEMICS: FOREGOING AND FORTHCOMING AMSA-INDIA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

REVISTA MEDICOS JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

KOFFEE WITH OC, AMSA-INTERNATIONAL WINNER OF 7-DAYPANDEMICS TRIVIA

10

PANDEMICS THAT CHANGED HISTORY

EXCLUSIVE EDITORIALS

REKINDERED SPIRITS

RELEVANCE OF SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST FEAT. AMSA-INDONESIA AND AMSA-THAILAND FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER! EXCLUSIVE!

ETICIA PERGUNTAS

1

AMSA india about us.

AMSA India represents Indian medical students interests in all the spheres of our society and thus provides an excellent platform for empowerment. The activities involve medical students in participating in various national and international conferences, academic bonanzas and philanthropic work. The directive of our organization is to inform, educate and counsel every medical student of India. The international activities Conference EAMSC are (January/February), AMSC (Conference: July/August) and AMSEP (Student exchange).

about AMSA

INTERNATIONAL

AMSA was officially founded in Manila, Philippines in the year 1985, it is an active, dynamic and exciting student-led, not-for-profit and non-political organization with 27 member associates and observer nations. AMSA's vision is knowledge, action, friendship i.e. to share knowledge, undertake activities and social services and create international and inter continental friendships that lasts forever.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION

2

Shifting eyes andsmiles vacancy vanished when I saw Walls of insincerity There I was again tonight forcing laughter, faking eyes and vacancy vanished when I saw your All I can say is it was enchanting to meet y Sameface old tired, lonely place I can say is it was enchanting to meet you Walls of insincerity Your eyes whispered "have we met?"

Shifting eyes and vacancy vanished I saw your your face Your eyes whispered "have we met?"

Acrosswhen the room silhouette starts to make it All I can is ittowas youplayful conversation starts room your silhouette starts to make it'ssay way meenchanting to meetThe "have we met?"

The playful conversation startsYour eyes whispered Counter all your quick remarks, like passing note Across the room your silhouette starts to make it's way to me l your quick remarks, like passing notes in secrecy And it was enchanting to meet you The playful conversation starts And it was enchanting to meet you All Inotes can say is I was enchanted to meet y Counter all your quick remarks, like passing in secrecy l I can say is I was enchanted to meet you This night is sparkling, don't you let it g This night is sparkling, don't you let itAnd go it was enchanting to meet you wonder I can say is I was enchantedI'm to meet you struck, blushing all the way ho wonder struck, blushing all the All way home This night is sparkling, don't youI'll letspend it go forever wondering if you knew 'll spend forever wondering if you knew our titleblushing says , aallmagazine I'mSpanish wonder struck, the way home I was enchanted to meet you I was enchanted to meet you I'll spend forever wondering if you knew The lingering question kept me up forme and The lingering question kept up of medicos , we call with I was enchanted to meet you Two a.m., who do youlove. love?To describe this Spanglish Two a.m., who do you love?

The lingering question kept me up I wonder till I'm wide awake I wonder till I'm wide awake Two a.m., who dowith you love?

(Spanish+English) title soul of Now I'm pacing back and forth, wishing you were acing back and forth, wishing you were Iat my door wonder till I'm wide awake medicine in words of a poet: I'd open up and you would say, hey I'd open up and you would say, hey back Now I'm pacing and forth, wishing you were at my door It was enchanting to meet you I'd open up and you would say, heyIt was enchanting to meet you All I know is I was, enchanted to meet you I know is I was, enchanted to meet yo It was enchanting to meetAll you This night is sparkling, don't you let go is I was, enchanted to meet This you night is sparkling, don't you let it g All Iitknow Not to brag but the gospel truth we say wonder struck, blushing all the way Thishome night is sparkling, don't you it go struck, blushing all the way ho I'm let wonder 'll spend forever wondering if you knew I'm wonder blushing all the way homeforever play Newsletter is thestruck, mirror of an organization's I'll spend wondering if you knew I'll spend forever wondering if you knew This night is flawless, don't you let it go This does night isis flawless, don't you let it go Every detail of what organization told This night is flawless, don't you let it go m wonder struck, dancing around all alone I'm wonder struck, dancing around all alo I'm wonder struck, dancing around all alone we unfold Besides,ifall future plans of organisation 'll spend forever wondering youthe knew I'll spend forever wondering if you knew I'll spend forever wondering if you knew I was enchanted to meet you Not only a mirror , the meaning of "medicos" is not lost I was enchanted to meet you s me praying that this was the very firstI was pageenchanted to meet you is me praying the very firs is me praying thatcrosswords this wasThis the very first page that this from questions and to interviews all was we got Not where theclinical story lineThis ends Notagain where the story line ends Not where the story line ends ughts will echo yourNo name, until I see you less than awill democracy, our organization stands My thoughts willagain echo your name, until I see y My thoughts echo your name, until I see you e the words I held back, as I was leaving too soon These are the words back, as I was too soon These areleaving the I held back, as I was leaving members , ofI held members and forwords members I was enchanted toby meet you I was enchanted to meet you I was enchanted to meet you lease don't be in love with someoneThat's else what makes it grand Please don't be in love with someone Pleaseelse don't be in love with someone e ease don't have somebody waiting on you Please don't have somebody waiting on you your love and is indeed craved Please don't have somebody waiting on lease don't be in love with someone else feedback is what Please don't be in love with someone else Please don't bepaved. in love with someone e ease don't have somebody waiting you have because inonunison are the trails ofon success Please don't somebody waiting you Please don't have somebody waiting on This night is sparkling, don't you let it go This night is sparkling, don't you let it go wonder struck, blushing all theI'm way homestruck, blushing all the way Thishome night is sparkling, don't you let it g wonder 'll spend forever wondering if youI'llknew wonder spend forever wondering ifI'm you knew struck, blushing all the way ho This night is flawless, don't you letThis it gonight is flawless, don't you I'll letspend it go forever wondering if you knew m wonder struck, dancing around alone struck, I'mallwonder dancing around all alone This night is flawless, don't you let3it go ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION 'll spend forever wondering if youI'llknew spend forever wondering ifI'm youwonder knew struck, dancing around all alo

Revista medicos : Hardest to bid adios

R

evista Medicos

LETTER FROM SEC & EDITOR

PAGE 5

LETTER FROM RC

PAGE 8

PANDEMIC PANORAMA

NO 'SNOOZ' NEWS!

PAGE 16

EDITORIALS

ETICIA PERGUNTES

PAGE 17

LITERARY WORKS BY READERS PAGE 33

KINDERED SPIRITS

PAGE 30

PAGE 59

AMSATHAILAND PAGE 79

PAGE 71

PAGE 80 PAGE 82

PANDEMIPUZZLE

KOFFEE WITH ADRIAN

PAGE 63

AMSAINDONESIA

AMSAINDIA ACTIVITIES

PAGE 14

RECOMME NDATIONS PAGE 105

WINNERS OF 7 FOR 7 PAGE 102

CONTENTS

PAGE 12

OUR PARTNERSHIPS PAGE 109

To Dr.Sherlock reading here, can you crack the code: 23,2,23,1 - 26,0,25,6 - 36,0,19,1 - 50,1,2,5 - 28,0,1,2 - 60,0,18,10 37,2,11,2 - 50,1,9,1 - 76,2,17,2 - 50,1,9,5 - 98,0,24,1 - 27,0,11,5 60,0,19,4 - 37,2,16,2 - 50,1,1,2 - 22,0,8,7 - 75,1,13,2 - 59,0,10,3 - 51,2,1,3

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION

4

Priyansh Nathani Letter from Dear Readers, Regional Chairperson, With the growth I have seen as the Regional Chairperson this Quarter, I know this message will not be able to cover all its aspects. AMSA-India 2020/21

From organising a national Spell-Bee competition, TriAMSEP to the first ever Virtual Patient challenge to be held in the country, AMSA India is stepping up, growing bigger and stronger with the support of the- The Executive Board and the Managing Board and most importantly the wonderful members of this family; without who’s enthusiasm every event that is organised under AMSA-India wouldn’t have been such a success.

With a deep sense of humility, I would like to thank Dr.Rohini Dutta for reposing the confidence in me to lead the young medical fraternity of India.

As a leader of such a dynamic national organization for medical students, I must say that every member, every partner, every idea at every level of the organization makes what an With the growth I have seen as the Regional Chairperson this Quarter, I know this message organization like AMSA-India is. Having said that, as the first quarter of the executive board will not be able to cover all its aspects. comes to an end, signifying the start of a much bigger plan. With the launch of the MERSA, we From organising a national Spell-Bee competition, TriAMSEP to the first ever Virtual Patient want to work towards bringing and making Research an integral part of the life of Medical challenge to be held in the country, AMSA India is stepping up, growing bigger and stronger students, and make the same accessible to everyone. with the support of the- The Executive Board and the Managing Board and most importantly the wonderful members of this family; without who’s enthusiasm every event that is I would like to thank the team of the Newsletter for working tirelessly to ensure that they can organised under AMSA-India wouldn’t have been such a success. bring you news from all over AMSA-India and also beyond AMSA-India as we are featuring With a deep sense of humility, I would like to thank Dr. Rohini Dutta for reposing the entries from AMSA-Indonesian and AMSA-Thailand members themselves! I hope you have a confidence in me to lead the young medical fraternity of India. great time reading the Newsletter and hope to continue to support and participate with the As a leader of such a dynamic national organization for medical students, I must say that same enthusiasm for the henceforth. every member, every partner, every idea at every level of the organization makes what an organization like AMSA-India is. Having said that, as the first quarter of the executive board Viva AMSA!! comes to an end, signifying the start of a much bigger plan. With the launch of the MERSA, we Knowledge.Action.Friendship. want to work towards bringing and making Research an integral part of the life of Medical "Under Promise and OverDeliver" and that's our 'Vision 2020' For AMSA India students, and make the same accessible to everyone.

Priyansh Nathani Regional Chairperson- AMSA India I would like to thank the team of the Newsletter for working tirelessly to ensure that they can AMSA International 2020-21 bring you news from all over AMSA-India and also beyond AMSA-India as we are featuring entries from AMSA-Indonesia and AMSA-Thailand members themselves! I hope you have a great time reading the Newsletter and hope to continue to support and participate with the same enthusiasm for the henceforth.

Dear Readers,

Letter from Regional Chairperso n AMSAIndia 2020-21

Viva AMSA!!

Knowledge.Action.Friendship.

"Under Promise and Over Deliver" and that's our 'Vision 2020' For AMSA India Priyansh Nathani Regional Chairperson- AMSA India AMSA International 2020-21

5

ExecutiveBoard Khushman Kaur Bhullar

AMSA-INDIA has become a passionate workspace & a content family for me wherein I am grateful for having met so many people with brilliant ideas. My vision for AMSAINDIA is bringing in new opportunities and working towards making a change.

Vice Overall Chairperson External

Avi Singh It's an honour to be able to lend your skills & lessons to 200+ equally talented state & college heads The vision: Accessibility to AMSA by every state, each student equally; and the path has already been laid. It's challenging; but when has evolution ever occurred without an extraordinary ambition?

Vice Overall Chairperson Internal

Gunteshwar Singh Brar

Oshin Puri Inspired by AMSA’s motto of Knowledge, action and friendship I vision to take AMSA to every nook and corner of India and create research opportunities for Indian medical graduates to grow together and contribute their bit in helping medicine to flourish.

Don’t talk, just act. Don’t say, just show. Don’t promise, just prove”. AMSA has gifted me an outlook and a proficiency in the fields other than just medicine.My Inspiration is my family which has sacrificed many generations for public service.

Assistant Vice Overall Chairperson External

Assistant Vice Overall Chaiperson Internal

Rounak Verma

General Secretary

Parth Doshi

"Don't be afraid of failure, but please be terrified of regret; after all the world does not wait for perfect individuals to make a difference". An advocate for youth empowerment and sustainable leadership encompassing our triune vision of Knowledge, Action,Friendship within the medical fraternity..

Secretary of Finance

Preeyati Chopra

Director of AMSEP

A person with fantastic eye for detail and enjoys order, precision, and efficiency in all the things, a task accomplisher, a curious person willing to explore as much possible and giving back to the community.

Saundarya Monga

I am third year medical student with a passion to work for the betterment of the society while also learning from everyone and everything around me. I believe that the world can be made a better place if everyone is kind to themselves as well as others.

My vision for Public Health and Research Department of AMSA India is to "Empower Medical Students to cultivate a network of responsible global leaders that inspire young minds by their contribution towards Sustainable Development."

Director of Public health and Research 6

/ 21 20 AMSA Chitwan Kaur Ghuman

Luv Gupta ‘Delivering dedication each day’ to this organisation is my vision, and this thought inspires me to push the bars higher.

Thank you to my hardworking team to keep up the spirit.

VIVA AMSA INDIA

Director of Memberships & Development

" Pleasure in the job puts perfection in work ".AMSA India has given me a lifestyle, a perspective and an experience way better than I could ever think of.My vision for the tenure is " Dream more than others think is achievable" since the ideas you dream of, set the goals for you to achieve!

Director of Academics

Malika Gupta

Samarvir Jain

AMSA India EB and AMSA India lives up to it's Vision of knowledge, action and definitely Friendship (even internationally).

It is this warmth, actions and the results which keep me motivated and work more for the organisation and get more collaborations and sponsors for the benefit of its members.

My interest in tech in addition to medicine led my way as DoIT at both national and internationally.Exploring new systems and experimenting it on AMSA is the motivation that keeps me to do overtime happily. I have learnt a lot from AMSA not only in tech but also in administration, motivation and team work.

Secretary of Marketing and sponsorships Japmehr Sandhu I believe that we all must believe that we are gifted at something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.

Actions taken in The journey of achieving mine might perhaps help someone someday in taking a step closer to theirs.

Secretary of Promotions and Publications Ganeev Singh Everyday we learn something new, is the motto with which I work. Its high time we realise that we are mere specks of dust in this universe and there are a lot of things bigger than us and until and unless we accept that we”ll always think small.

Secretary of Partnerships (GOs)

Director of IT

Gul Kalra I believe that the heart and soul of every organization is its people. An organization simply can't succeed without the success of its people, so not only is it important to pick the right people, but you should do everything in your power to help them grow and develop. Open exchange of ideas and synergy is essential for team work and success!

Secretary of Partnerships (NGOs)

OUR ESTEEMED ADVISOR Dr. Rohini Dutta 7

Asmitha P. Reddy Letter from Secretary, Newsletter, AMSA-India 2020/21

Dear Readers, Dear Readers,

We at AMSA have always made it our goal to ‘grow and expand’ and we are on the path to We at AMSA have always made it our goal to ‘grow and expand’ and we are on the path to becoming one with all the support and enthusiasm we receive from our members and it only looks becoming one with all the support and enthusiasm we receive from our members and it only looks like a upward ride from here on. As part of a new team with AMSA India, we in the Executive Board like a upward ride from here on. As part of a new team with AMSA India, we in the Executive Board want to give everyone wonderful opportunities and having a newsletter which can circulate in India want to give everyone wonderful opportunities and having a newsletter which can circulate in India and beyond India is one way to do so. As for the first time ever we are featuring articles beyond and beyond India is one way to do so. As for the first time ever we are featuring articles beyond India, specifically AMSA Indonesia and AMSA Thailand!

India, specifically AMSA Indonesia and AMSA Thailand!

Bringing to you the first issue of this tenure, Issue #8 Pandemics: Foregoing and Forthcoming. With Bringing to you the first issue of this tenure, Issue #8 Pandemics: Foregoing and Forthcoming. With this edition we hope to debunk any circulating myths and rumours about the currently widespread this edition we hope to debunk any circulating myths and rumours about the currently widespread COVID-19 Pandemic. We also hope to bring to your attention the advances that have been made in COVID-19 Pandemic. We also hope to bring to your attention the advances that have been made in the field of medicine during this short but long felt time of the pandemic. the field of medicine during this short but long felt time of the pandemic.

It was a pleasure to be able to work with a talented and enthusiastic team like the current Editorial It was a pleasure to be able to work with a talented and enthusiastic team like the current Editorial Board we Board wehave havewith withususfor forthis thisyear, year,and andI Ithank thankeach eachand andevery everyone oneof ofthem themfor forall alltheir their innovative innovative ideas and hard work that’s been put into to make this newsletter release this Quarter. ideas and hard work that’s been put into to make this newsletter release this Quarter. We We were were overwhelmed with submissions for the Newsletter this term and are so blissful to have received overwhelmed with submissions for the Newsletter this term and are so blissful to have received all all ofof them, so in case you don’t see your submission, don’t feel disheartened, it’s just because we had them, so in case you don’t see your submission, don’t feel disheartened, it’s just because we had aa lotlot ofof talent talentand andinnovative innovativeentries. entries.

I would I wouldlike liketotothank thankmy mywonderful wonderfulteam teamfor forall alltheir theireffort effortand andideas ideasthat thatthey they have have contribute contribute to to the newsletter, without this brilliant group of people this newsletter would not have been the newsletter, without this brilliant group of people this newsletter would not have been aa success. success.I would I wouldalso alsolike liketotothank thankPriyansh PriyanshNathaniNathani-Regional Regionalchairperson, chairperson,for for the the support support he he has has shown and for letting me take this opportunity to be a part of this team.

I would also like to thank shown and for letting me take this opportunity to be a part of this team. I would also like to thank the theEditorEditor-Anushree AnushreeRai Raifor forworking working along along with with me, me, without without whose whose constant constant support support and and commitment this newsletter wouldn’t be possible.

I would like to send a huge-shout out to all commitment this newsletter wouldn’t be possible. I would like to send a huge-shout out to all the the contributors and the passionate readers who are keenly waiting for the release of this issue, and contributors and the passionate readers who are keenly waiting for the release of this issue, and we hope you we hope youlove lovethe thenewer newerand andrevitalised revitalisedissue issueofofRevista Revistamedicos medicos Asmitha P PReddy Asmitha Reddy Secretary Secretaryofofnewsletter, newsletter, AMSA India AMSA India2020/21 2020/21

8

Anushree Rai

Letter from Editor, Newsletter, AMSA-India, 2020/21 Dear Readers, With enormous new ventures like MERSA, Virtual patient challenge and Virtual Tri-AMSEP, AMSA-India has been working harder each day, to provide exciting new opportunities to its members! Being one of the leading students medical association in India, we are well aware of our responsibilities while catering to a diversified audience of medical students Pan-India and beyond. And as a step towards achieving the same holistically, we, the editorial board of AMSAIndia have tried to cater the needs of the bibliophiles and intellectuals by incorporating literary and illustrative endeavors by our members and curated a visually appealing and reader friendly Issue for this quarter!

This July, Revista Medicos has dedicated an entire issue on what's currently gripping the world, i.e. a pandemic, and explored the similarities, lessons to preach, nature's role, mental health repercussions on healthworkers between various Foregoing pandemic. So, that we dwell the wrongdoings done by us in the past that have led to our current crisis while also rejoicing about our victories over Foregoing pandemics, and speculate on the possibilities and strategies to overcome forthcoming pandemics. For an easy understanding of the same, we've also included a timeline for you to revisit the older pandemics and their tragic yet victorious situations. What you see in this issue, are only a handful pages from our larger probect on rasising awareness on various essential aspects of Pandemics! And, we, were glad to receive an overwhelming response in form of contributions from our readers in India and Beyond i.e. from fellow chapters AMSA-Indonesia and AMSA-Thailand. However, due to obvious constraints in space and time, we weren't able to incorporate all the works from our skillful members, but you know what they say, keep trying till you accomplish it :) Lastly, we've worked tirelessly to carry forward the legacy established by the previous editorial board, supervised by Srinidhi Muruggapan and Asmitha P. Reddy. I'd also like to express my special gratitude to Priyansh Nathani, Regional Chairperson, AMSA-India, 2020/21 for believing in me and supporting me throughout the curation of the issue. In the end, i'd like to extend warm thanks to the entire editorial team, Samneet, Sriharmendar, Vignesh, Sanjali and Shaswat for working diligently and enthusiastically towards the goal of providing our readers with new, unique and improved content. Newer sections like editorials and make your choices are a few instances of the efforts put into curating the newsletter.

However, even with the best put efforts, we believe that there will always be a scope of improvement in the work that we do, so I'd request all the readers to please fill the feedback form which will help us in knowing better about your expectations from us.

Lastly, If you're a member of AMSA-India, and wish to seek a feedback on your articles, or have any ideas pertaining to the newsletter then here's what you can do, send an e-mail to editor@amsaindia.in and attach your work or suggestion.

Best Regards, Anushree Rai, Editor, Newsletter, AMSA-India 2020/21

9

THE EDITORIAL BOARD, AMSAINDIA 2020/21 A STUDENT OF VYDEHI INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES AND RESEARCH CENTER JUST TRYING TO MAKE A LITTLE DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE.

SHASHWAT MISHRA 2ND

YEAR

A CARING AND FUN-LOVING HUMAN STUDYING IN DR RAM MANOHAR LOHIYA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, LUCKNOW. HE MAKES SURE EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE ROOM ALSO IS HAVING FUN, AT ALL TIMES WITH HIS WITTY HUMOR.

SANJALI DHARAMSHI 4TH

YEAR

VIGNESH M 2ND

A STUDENT OF DAYANAND MEDICAL COLLEGE , LUDHIANA.

AMALGAMATION OF IDEAS WITH RHYTHM IS HIS PASSION AND AS THEY SAY BREVITY IS THE SOUL OF WIT.

SAMNEET SINGH 2ND

YEAR

YEAR

A STUDENT FROM MADRAS MEDICAL COLLEGE, MADRAS, TAMIL NADU. WITH A HUMONGOUS ZEAL OF BLENDING MEDICINE AND ENGINEERING, HE IS PRESENTLY DOING HIS INTERNSHIP IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

SHRIHARMENDER KANT 2ND

YEAR

A STUDENT OF AIIMS, RISHIKESH WHO DRAWS CREATIVE INSPIRATION FROM FANTASTICAL DREAMS AND EXTRACTS COLOUR PALETTES FROM THE BURGEONING LIFE ALL AROUND, NO WONDER SHE'S ONBOARD THE DESIGN CREW OF AMSA INDIA NEWSLETTER .

10

PANDEMICS: FOREGOING AND FORTHCOMING

11

PANDEMIC

165-190 Antonine Plague It affected Byzantine (Eastern Roman) empire. The cause of plague was Yersinia pestis. Frequent subsequent waves continued to strike throughout the 6th, 7th, and 8th century with the disease becoming more localized and less virulent. It resulted in the deaths of an estimated 25-50 million peopled during two centuries of recurrence.

1347-1351 black death Smallpox was endemic to Europe, Asia and Arabia for centuries but devastation wrought on native populations in the New World when the smallpox virus arrived in the 15th century with the first European explorers. Centuries later, smallpox became the first virus epidemic to be ended by a vaccine by a British doctor named Edward Jenner in the 18th Century.

1846-1860

third cholera pandemic Spanish flu was a category 5 influenza pandemic, caused by an unusually severe and deadly Influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1.. Another unusual feature of this pandemic was that it mostly killed young adults. Current estimates say 50-100 million people were killed by the pandemic.

Affected the Roman empire by the troops returning from campaigns . Epidemic first appeared during the roman siege of Seleucia and killed as much as one-third of the population in some areas and devastated the Roman army. Galen, a greek physician describes the disease symptoms as fever, diarrhoea and pharnygitis as well as skin eruption. Scholars prefer to diagnose it as smallpox. It had caused nearly 5 million deaths.

541-750 Plague of justinian It probably originated in Central or East Asia and spread via the Silk Road to Crimea from where it spread to entire Europe. The commonly noted symptoms was appearance of buboes in the groin, neck and armpits which oozed pus and bled when opened. Concept of quarantine was developed during Black death.It is supposed to have killed 30-60% of Europe's population

1520 New world smallpox The 3rd cholera pandemic was the third major outbreak of cholera originating in India . Cholera tore through England, the disease was thought to spread by foul air known as a “miasma.” But a British doctor named John Snow suspected that the mysterious disease lurked in London’s drinking water. Snow convinced local officials to remove the pump handle on the Broad Street drinking well, rendering it unusable, and like magic the infections dried up.

1918-1920

Spanish flu 12

PANORAMA It was a category 2 flu pandemic, outbreak of avian influenza which stated in China. It originated from a mutation in wild ducks combining with a pre-existing human strain.

Estimates of worldwide deaths vary widely depending on source from 1-4 million

1957-1958

1981present

ASIAN FLU

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).37.9 million people globally were living with HIV (end 2018).32.0 million [23.6 million–43.8 million] people have died from AIDS-related illnesses .

HIV/AIDS SWINE FLU

2002-2003

SARS is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by SARS-CoV. Between November 2002 and July 2003, an out break of SARS in southern China caused an eventual 8,089 cases resulting in 774 deaths in 17 countries (9.6% fatality rates), with the majority cases in mainland China and Hong Kong.

SARS-CoV-1

2009-2010

The outbreak of Influenza A/H1N1, commonly referred to as 'swine flu' was officially declared by WHO to be the first influenza pandemic of 21st century and a new strain of Influenza A virus subtype H1N1. It is thought to be a mutation of four known strains of Influenza A virus subtype H1N1.

swine flu MERS, also known as camel flu, is a viral respiratory infection caused by the MERS-CoV .It is believed to be originally from bats. However, humans are typically infected from camels, either during direct contact or indirectly.The first identified case occurred in 2012 in Saudi Arabia and most cases have occurred in the Arabian Peninsula.

2012

2013-2016

EBOLA

MERS-CoV The Western African Ebola virus epidemic was the most widespread outbreak of Ebola virus disease(EVD) causing major loss of life and in the region, mainly Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

2019-....

COVID-19

13

Here’s the ‘No Snooze News’!

Hey there people of the net! Time to give your feed scrolling and web browsing a break as we round up some of the quaint and curious happenings in the cosmos of medical sciences and beyond

s wat'

CytoSorb

The CytoSorb therapy is based on an extracorporeal blood purification procedure that can effectively reduce excessive inflammatory mediators.

Biocon Biologics has received approval from the (DCGI) for the use of extracorporeal blood purification (EBP) device CytoSorb in treatment of COVID-19 patients.

I? ! the

NEW(S)

Smart Helmet

Police officers in China are wearing smart helmets that can read the temperature. It comes equipped with AI cameras and a head-up display which can read body temperature of a person .

Immutouch wristband UV-sanitising robots Don’t we all touch our faces so many times in a day out of compulsive habit?

Taking inspiration, a startup called Slightly Robot has developed Immutouch, a wristband that vibrates if you touch your face. Its accelerometer senses your hand movement and then buzzes when you touch or come close to touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

This sterilising robot can kill virus cells and sanitise hospital wards without the need for chemicals.This could reduce dependency on chemical-based disinfectants such as hydrogen peroxide, which require rooms to be left empty for several hours during sterilisation.

14

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

3D-printed face shield Czech company Prusa, has started mass-producing protective face shields, used by medics. It is manufacturing over 800 a day, and has donated 10,000 to the Czech ministry of health. The company says that it costs less than $1 to manufacture one unit. 3-D printing is being increasingly used to supply parts related to shields, masks and ventilators.

Low-cost portable ventilator

IIT-Roorkee in collaboration with AIIMSRishikesh has developed a low-cost portable ventilator that can be useful to ensure the survival of COVID-19 patients. Named as 'Prana-Vayu,' the closed-loop ventilator is developed in collaboration with AIIMS, Rishikesh, and is equipped with state-of-the-art features, a statement from IIT Roorkee said. "Prana-Vayu has been designed especially for COVID-19 pandemic. It is low-cost, safe, reliable, and can be quickly manufactured.

3D-printed ventilator valves An Italian tech start-up company Isinnova is helping hospitals facing a shortage of ventilator masks with the use of 3D printing. When a hospital in Chiari, in the Brescia area of northern Italy was hit hard by the virus and ran short of venturi valves – which connect the ventilator to a patient’s face mask which need to be replaced for each patient, Italian engineering and design start-up Isinnova transformed a common snorkelling mask into an emergency respiratory mask with 3D-printed valves

15

ETICIA PERGUNTAS Consider a case of 30 year old indian female with leukemia who comes to your hospital and wants to opt for some ayurvedic treatment than chemotherapy What should you advise?

A) I can't recommend you to ayurvedic doctor B) Chemotherapy is the only way to treat this C)Consider chemotherapy besides the ayurvedic treatment A patient with road accident comes with an expired license according to which he wished to donate organs. He unfortunately passes away during surgery and the family can't be contacted, so will it be right to harvest his organs?

A) Go for harvesting his organs connsidering his prior wish.

B)As his license was expired , so decline his wish to donate

A 13 yr old child is supposed to be operated for Appendicitis. The father of child gives his consent but the mother is adamant of not getting the surgery done. What should be the right decision now?

A) Go for surgery as long as you've one parent's consent B) Take the consent of the child C) Wait untill both the parents give their consent.

16

EDITORIALS Phases of pandemic Every cough has it's spray Nature has it's way Message from Quondam Quest for cure Well researched and especially curated by the editorial board members for the readers, to realize the harsh realities from the editorial point of view

17

These walks on terrace in lockdown remind me of little me asking dad," How to win the game of life?" to which he replies ,"Can you adapt to changes ,if yes ,you have already won it".Not every victory comes by going out and fighting the enemy some victories are achieved by avoiding the enemy till the right time .The grain in this chaff of philosophy is "change",isn't it?, the universal law of nature?

Corona ,formally COVID-19 is in a way nature retaliating back upon us but nature being nature has the nature to change."adaptability is fitness and fitness determines the survival",says Darwin.The phases of pandemic are nothing but changes and our adaptations to them.

On this planet earth man once ruled from water to land every resource he pooled pooled these resources in his castle of sand thinking his mind was the real magic wand an old bat in wuhan once had a cough To worsen was caught by a hunter that buff eating that for dinner without being sick that was the first phase of pandemic

According to WHO "no viruses circulating among animals cause human infections".

PHASES OF PANDEMIC AUTHORED BY: SAMNEET SINGH

Next day he calls his friends to go for hunt catching a few and cutting them with knives blunt Eating those coughing cooked bats sick one of them had a cough thus second phase of pandemic

According to WHO,"an animal virus is known to cause infections in humans" The men go hunting dinner for the next day again a couple of sick bats now fell prey eating those coughing cooked bats sick all of them had cough thus 3rd phase of pandemic

According to WHO," An animal/human-animal virus has caused sporadic cases" Being sick each of them return to home but there was this viral flu seen to roam the virus being transmitted by this coughing men sick community around coughs thus, the fourth phase of pandemic

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

18

According to WHO,"characterized by verified human to human transmission of an animal / human animal virus causing community-level outbreaks"

Now this guy wishes to go meet his sister abroad flight stopping in India and for Nepal on road The outbreaks in India and Nepal by the man sick two countries now ,that's the fifth phase of pandemic According to WHO," community level outbreaks in two countries in one WHO region"

all of a sudden world is taken by a shock flu in mist and various hotspots to lock From United States to Japan ,every nation at risk that's what you call the sixth phase of pandemic According to WHO,"the pandemic phase is characterized by community level outbreaks at least in 1 other country in the other WHO region"

When seven colours mix they form the color white this palette of six phases with a tint of hope lead us to light Going from tough times to good,we evolve the swords won't rest untill triumph is the resolve.

Pressures in cocoon ask the butterfly in caterpillar to wake Strife harder and not let the adversities to overtake Hard times like cocoons , a big toll they take but remember, they are always destined to break.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

19

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

EVERY COUGH HAS IT'S SPRAY AUTHORED BY: SANJALI DHARAMSHI

Mitigation is the effort to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters. In order for mitigation to be effective we need to take action now—before the next disaster—to reduce human and financial consequences later (analysing risk, reducing risk, and insuring against risk). It is important to know that disasters can happen at any time and any place and if we are not prepared, consequences can be fatal. Effective mitigation requires that we all understand local risks, address the hard choices, and invest in long-term community well-being.

Without mitigation actions, we jeopardize our safety, financial security and self-reliance.

Remember, a pandemic will last much longer than a "one time" event and periods of illnesses may come in 2 or 3 "waves" anywhere from 3 to 12 months apart, and last overall between 12 and 18 months.

Taipei/Taiwan, a success!

The government has not adopted extreme measures of social confinement as in China, the epicenter of the pandemic, or in other countries, especially in the West.

To contain the infection, Taipei intervened quickly and decisively, without waiting for the (late) indications of the World Health Organization. The authorities immediately imposed border controls, prohibiting entry to foreigners, those who enter the country from abroad are subject to a strict quarantine; airports and hospitals are monitored with extreme care; the sick are isolated in hospital or in their own homes; diagnostic tests are being carried out on a large scale, together with the tracing of contacts made by people who have tested positive.

Wearing masks in public places, having your temperature checked and constantly washing your hands has become routine for them.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

20

New Zealand, a combination of good science and leadership.

The country naturally had things going for it — like being a sparsely populated collection of islands with obedient citizens but also implemented key public health measures to control the spread, but Unlike other countries, New Zealand’s response to Covid-19 was relatively fast. When the country only had six cases, PM Ardern announced that anyone entering the country would need to self-isolate for two weeks. New Zealand has also been testing the public at one of the highest rates in the world.

During all important announcements, the country’s director-general of health, had been appearing side-by-side to the PM, answering questions by the media.

Relying on doctors and scientists, following their judgments and displaying effective leadership has been instrumental in the fight against the virus.

treating pneumonia. More fanciful theories have gained traction – the consumption of foods, such as natto, that boost the immune system and, the relatively low number of airborne droplets generated by spoken Japanese.

Personal habits and cultural traits, however, tell only part of the story.

Museums, theatres, theme parks and other attractions have been closed for months. And hence, Japan has been successful in curbing the virus.

No Prevention and No Treatment for the 1918 Pandemic Virus

Insight into Japan Masks are a common sight during the winter flu season, and in spring among people with hay fever. The custom of bowing rather than shaking hands or hugging, generally high standards of personal hygiene, and the removal of shoes when entering homes have all been held up as possible explanations for Japan’s low infection rate.

Experts have pointed to universal healthcare, low obesity rates and expertise in

100 years ago, an influenza (flu) pandemic swept the globe, infecting an estimated one-third of the world’s population and killing at least 50 million people. The pandemic’s death toll was greater than the total number of military and civilian deaths from World War I, which was happening simultaneously. At the time, scientists had not yet discovered flu viruses, but we know today that the 1918 pandemic was caused by an influenza A (H1N1) virus

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

21

in 1918, there were no laboratory tests to detect, or characterize these viruses. There were no vaccines, no antiviral drugs, and no antibiotics. Available tools to control the spread of flu were largely limited to nonpharmaceutical interventions such as isolation, quarantine, good personal hygiene, use of disinfectants, and limits on public gatherings, which were used in many cities. City residents were advised to avoid crowds, and instructed to pay attention to personal hygiene. Municipalities moved court cases outside.

Physicians and nurses were instructed to wear gauze masks when with patients.

According to the data and analysis, cities that adopted early, broad isolation and prevention measures had lower disease and mortality rates. These cities included San Francisco, St. Louis, Milwaukee and Kansas City, which collectively had 30% to 50% lower disease and mortality rates than cities that enacted fewer and later restrictions. One analysis showed that these cities also had greater delays in reaching peak mortality, and the duration of these measures correlated with a reduced total mortality burden.

The stricter the isolation policies, the lower the mortality rate.

Although the world is a much different place than it was 100 years ago, the efficacy of the measures instituted during the 1918-19 pandemic gives us hope that the current measures will also limit the impact of the COVID19 pandemic.

The days ahead would not mark a return to the days before the outbreak, but the “beginning of a challenge to create a ‘new normal.’

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

22

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

NATURE HAS IT'S WAY AUTHORED BY: SHASHWAT MISRA

Locked in the confines of my home, I clambered on to the terrace of my house, as I’ve done a thousand times before, to get a birds eye view of my city and to find peace and calm. As I look up at the night sky, I wonder if the sky always had such an abundance of stars. In the middle of my star gazing session, I see a shooting star and I know for sure that I’ve never seen that before. Slowly my thoughts decided to imitate a stuntman and they jumped and somersaulted from one place to another and landed squarely on the realisation that humans don’t have to accommodate nature into our growth, but nature will allow our growth depending on our behaviour.

Humans, somehow, have always assumed that they are the most supreme being. In our hubris, we forget that we are a small part of nature.

A small spoke in a much larger wheel, which will move in the direction it wishes to. We are miniscule, to the degree, where we cannot even see the curvature of the Earth and yet we have the audacity to think that the onus of saving our planet is on our shoulders.

Earth will heal and it will maintain its equilibrium with or without us.

I return to my spot on the terrace over and over again, to see the few animals and plants I can see in the middle of a bustling city, and all I see are creatures who understand better than us the reality of nature.People like to personify the various parts of our environment and more often than not these personifications are kind and benevolent,

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

23

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA , but honestly a calm sea can become a violent storm, a gentle breeze becomes a powerful tornado and the stable ground can shake itself violently. Nature is neither violent nor benevolent, such insignificant traits are human; Nature exists as it is. The existence of life as we know it is a function of the stability of the nature around us. The mechanisms which stabilise the temperature, humidity, wind velocity and many other such factors gave us the conditions from which life arose. The maintenance of the way the environment is came before life, and life as we know it is allowed because of such conditions.

Be it a virus, a natural disaster, a man made war, a radioactive explosion or a nuclear accident, the aftermath of all of these “calamities“ consists of nature reclaiming what was it’s place to begin with. Nature has a wide array of living beings all of which can adapt to different conditions, and we are just one of these species which has luckily managed to survive long enough.

It’d be best for us to be aware of and remember the fact, that there are several more resilient and quicker to adapt species and if we’re not careful we might cease to exist but nature will always find a way.

24

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

MESSAGE FROM QUONDAM AUTHORED

BY:

VIGNESH

M.

A short inception ‘The more you know about the past, the better you are prepared for the future’ says Theodore Roosevelt. This is not the first time the mankind encountered such an event and it thrived every single time while retaining a long lasting lesson every time.

But the lessons learnt are just a drop in ocean and there is a long road ahead. The Canadians on their handling of SARS had quoted that, “There was much to learn—in part because too many earlier lessons were ignored.” Humans often fail to look back into the pages of history. Though it appears imbecile to incorporate those decrepit ideas now, it does teaches us truth that no guide can manipulate.

The plaque that ceased the prior trial of democracy: ‘Selfishness or greed, individual or national, cause most of the problems’ – Harry. S. Truman There are a substantial lessons to understand from the first well-documented pandemic crisis, the Athenian plaque during the Peloponnesian War of 5th century B.C. Thucydides, who was present and contracted the disease himself, accounted the total disappearance of social morals. People began to spend money indiscriminately as they felt they would not live enough to enjoy the fruit of their labour. There is also evidence for people ceasing to fear law and refusing to behave honorably as they would succumb before enjoying a good reputation.

‘It is the spirit and not the form of law that keeps justice alive’ - Earl Warren Another motive for the shortfall in civilized behavior was the sheer contagiousness of the illness. As to any pandemic, those who tended to the ill were most vulnerable to catch the disease. As a result, many people expired alone as no one was ready to risk caring for them. The dead were heaped on top of each other, left to rot, or shoved into mass graves.

This is the worst scenario of the pandemic that the history had ever seen and is reflecting the future if the frontline workers and administrators fail to handle and mitigate the crisis.

25

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA Need for a sedate leadership: ‘A leader is the one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way’ – John. C. Maxwell Justinian’s plague of the 6th century, despite killing nearly half the population and upending production, distribution, and trade, decimated the Byzantine Empire.

Emperor Justinian failed to implement effective policy changes. His business-asusual approach and the absolute-centralized control by the state that was otherwise operative under normal circumstances proved inflexible.

It led to loss of faith by the people in the state, tax revenues plummeted, army recruitment failed, and eventually the Empire’s borders shrunk as enemies took advantage of Justinian’s failed leadership. It may be king’s rule or the people’s rule, it should be the leader who does the right things and management that does things right. If both fail, it will lead to catastrophic consequences.

The hidden element: ‘The root cause of all chaos in the modern world is the greed beyond the acceptance limits’ This bird’s eye view of ancient times shows us an important fact that a pandemic is not just an health problem- but a socio-economic and a behavioral issue that needs to be handled with care and fore vision. Time passed, science developed but still the curse of pandemic did not leave the mankind. While pondering the reasons, it comes to lime light that the etiology of such events often include the involvement of various factors besides the causative agent.

Is the cage really incumbent?

Quarantine is one of the measures implemented to prevent the spread even now.

Checking out to what happened when strict quarantine was imposed during 1918 pandemic, for the most part, it was unsuccessful. Quarantine measures were either implemented too late and the virus was already present or quarantine was breached by infected individuals who were not yet symptomatic. And finally the major powers dismissed the quarantine as they considered it to be impractical and ineffectual.

‘De riguer of face masks:

Facemasks were a popular preventative measure employed during the 1918 as it is now. But in order for a facemask to be at least partially effective it must be (i) worn at all times, (ii) properly made and fitted, and (iii) made of appropriate material.

Unfortunately, the surgical gauze masks of 1918, often failed to meet these criteria. Thus, the mortality rate of Ontario, Canada (where mask was voluntary) was not significantly different from Alberta, Canada (where wearing mask was enforced by law). In fact, influenza deaths in Alberta continued to rise even after mask wearing was sanctioned by law, suggesting that in 1918 wearing a facemask was not sufficient to prevent deaths by the WHO Writing Group.

When you are right, you cannot be too radical, When you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative’ - Martin Luther King Jn. 26

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA The life at stake: ‘No one who dies a glorious death ever brags about it’ - Ivan Karhoff Epidemics too often claim the lives of health care providers. Physicians died during plague outbreaks in medieval Europe, yellow fever outbreak in Philadelphia , the Ebola epidemic and so on. Though such deaths reflects the willingness of healthcare professionals to put themselves at risk to care for others, it can also indict governments that ask their clinicians to confront outbreaks without the “staff, stuff, space, and systems” they need to be successful and safe.

Harvey Fineberg’s principles: ‘By failing to prepare, you prepare to fail – Benjamin Franklin Harvey Fineberg, based on his view on 1976 Swine Flu terror, contributed five principles to prepare us for a pandemic: Build a base for decision making; Think thoroughly each decision point; Consider and maintain good ties to the media; Maintain long term credibility; Think twice about medical knowledge.

These principles have been practiced in severe pandemic crisis since 1976, including the SARS outbreak in 2003. They never failed to prevent the panic among the public and also allowed the healthcare providers to carry out their duty and paved way for collecting sound information. Its high time now to apply these in this current impasse.

The epilogue: The current situation reminds us of Dante’s Divina Commedia written in the 1300s, where he was unable to find the right way – the scenario we are facing now. While looking back the history, we came to know the bitter truth that the non-pharmaceutical interventions at present are insufficient to mitigate for which Greenberger had explained that-“our approach to pandemics still follows a cycle of panic-neglect-panic-neglect” . A general lesson from the past is to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

The COVID-19 outbreak has exposed the flaws of the health infrastructure nonce. While the current focus is on responding to the pandemic and on coping with its immediate effects we should also take into consideration that the next global crisis – the climate crisis – is already well under way, building up its destructive potential around the globe Thus, it is a moment for us to reckon the necessary steps to be taken to mitigate the current plight and also to prepare 27 for the upcoming ones.

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

QUEST FOR A CURE AUTHORED BY: SRIHARMENDAR KANT

“If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle.�- Steve Jobs The overwhelming rise in the number of cases and deaths worldwide has put a strain on the scientific community to ransack the realms of potential chemical entities and molecules for a solution to this devastating pandemic. Only after undergoing rigorous rounds of safety and efficacy testing, the process of manufacturing of drugs and other biologics is scaled up to industry size. But the global threat has forced us to scrunch timelines of development and manufacturing into a much shorter time frame. There is an escalating race amongst companies, ventures and organizations to find a medicine to heal mankind.

Plasma derived therapies: The plasma therapy, called convalescent plasma treatment, requires blood plasma donations from people who have recovered from Covid-19. This plasma is administered to Covid-19 patients who could not generate sufficient antibodies against the virus. Though convalescent plasma has been used for many years to treat a variety of illnesses from measles to polio, chickenpox, and SARS, not much is known about how effective it is for treating COVID-19. On March 24th,2020 the FDA began allowing convalescent plasma to be used in patients with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections. This treatment is still considered experimental.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

28

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine:

This anti-malarial medication which was used in other autoimmune conditions was hailed as promising drug and initially suggested as a prophylactic treatment for COVID- 19. But it has several potentially dangerous side effects such retinopathy, hypoglycemia, arrhythmias and cardiomyopathy to name a few. WHO suspended the hydroxychloroquine arm of its multinational Solidarity trial.

Remdesivir

It is an antiviral drug candidate, originally developed to treat Ebola virus disease. Some studies showed that it improved the recovery time from infection. On 1 May 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Gilead the Emergency Use Authorization of Remdesivir to be distributed and used by licensed health care providers to treat adults and children hospitalized with severe COVID‐19. Hopes are being pinned on this drug for emergency use although with reports of respiratory failure, low albumin and low count of RBCs as some of its side effects.

Lopinavir–Ritonavir: They are protease inhibitors approved for treating (HIV)and have shown some activity against the coronaviruses-SARS and MERS. They were mulled over as a potential combination therapy although some studies reveal that no benefit was observed in severe COVID-19 cases

Alternative homeopathic therapy: Homoeopathic immunity boosterCamphora 1m has been recommended as an immunity booster for Maharashtra police staff as the virus is taking a toll on the personnel. The booster was an alternative to Arsenicum Album 30, another homoeopathic prophylatic given to personnel and staff of other government departments on the recommendation of AYUSH.

Oxford’s adenovirus vaccine: In partnership with AstraZeneca, Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group began the development of a recombinant vaccine, AZD1222. It is purported that the vaccine will help the body to develop resistance to the spike protein thereby stopping SARS-CoV-2 from entering human cells.

Moderna’s mRNA vaccine: Like most vaccine candidates in the race, Moderna’s mRNA-1273 strives to train the immune system to recognize the spike protein and uses a synthetic lipid nanoparticle to carry mRNA templates, instead of weakened SARS-CoV-2 virus to transport the code.

Sinovac’s CoronaVac: Chinese biopharmaceutical products company Sinovac Biotech uses inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus and works by eliciting potent humoral responses devoid of immunopathology.

The list above constitutes only a fraction of the studies and researches that are under way to seek a cure. The WHO has initiated an international clinical trial ‘SOLIDITARY’ to appraise drug candidates with most promising efficacy. As governments and companies rake in billions on drug and vaccine development, it remains to be seen who will come up with the most remarkable discovery of this century.

29

i m e d n Pa

PUZZLE

Send your answers to newsletter@amsaindia.in ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

30

ACROSS 2. Which type of isolation literally translated to 40 days?

4. diseases are the type of transmissible diseases that are responsible for pandemics 5. MERS and SARS come in the family of ?

6. Recombination between the subtypes of haemagglutinin and are responsible for pandemics of flu's 7. The pandemic that led to a death toll of 100 million in 1353 was caused by which bacterium?

8. N-95 masks, gloves are a component of which protective gear kits?

9. The death caused by the disease responsible for most pandemics throughout the history is called as?

DOWNÂ 1. Pandemics of influenza are caused due to which phenomenon?

3. Which virus was first discovered in 1976 and it's outbreak in 2014-16 was thought to have originated from fruit bats?

10. Which global epidemic is currently affecting 38 million people worldwide?

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

31

PANDA-MEMES FOR QUARAN-TEENS

By: Deepshikha Bhardwaj College: SMSR, Greater Noida

By: Siddharth Swarup Puthal

By: Shashwat Misra College: DRMLIMS, Lucknow

By: Siddharth Swarup Puthal

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

32

LITERARY WORKS FROM OUR READERS

In this section, we present to you the best picked literary works by our readers!

33

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

DISEASE: THE SILENT AUTHOR OF HISTORY

Wars brought to a truce, economies crashing into an abyss, entire settlements wiped off the face of the earth are but minor inconveniences brought about by disease throughout the history of mankind.

Wars brought to a truce, economies crashing into an abyss, entire settlements wiped off the face of the earth are but minor inconveniences brought about by disease throughout the history of mankind. Rewriting paths that could have been taken, our rich history is filled with detours to thrones, lands and economies because of the arrival of disease. Each event significant in sparking a change, which in the long run bore fruit.

The first of the three most devastating ravages of the bubonic plague was the Justinian plague (541 CE).t.

During the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, along with tributes of grain sent to Constantinople from the Egyptians, stow away black rats carried with them an unexpected addition, the plague. With a devastating count of 25 million deaths there was a decrease in new recruits and military supplies, causing what could have been a large prosperous empire to come to a crashing hal The second largest savagery of the plague was in 1347 when the “death ships� docked in the ports of Sicily.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

34

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA Have arrived from China and India, the Sicilian authorities were horrified to find most of the sailors dead with black boils that oozed pus and blood. Too late to react, the plague ravished all of Europe for the next couple of years leaving in its wake an astounding 75-200 million deaths. This was followed by economic and religious reforms that would transform the late Middle Ages. With a shortage in laborers to tend to their lands, landowners now had to pay higher wages and entice serfs with better offers to prevent the ruin of their harvests. This would later turn into the Peasant revolution when the landowners tried to revert back to the old ways.

Religious intuitions especially the Catholic church lost its power as the people saw that there was no Divine intervention to help them from their maladies. Jews were used as scapegoats and burned at the stake because only few among their community were affected.

Historians would later attribute this to their hygienic practices, but back then it was seen as sorcery. England and France too called a truce during this brief period. The last surge of the plague was The Great plague of London in 1665, killing off more than 15% of its population.

Speculated to have ended with another tragedy in history, The Great Fire of London, which ravaged the lands for a whole year.

The last surge of the plague was The Great plague of London in 1665, killing off more than 15% of its population.

Speculated to have ended with another tragedy in history, The Great Fire of London, which ravaged the lands for a whole year.

Elbe Thomas is a 2nd year student in Christian Medical college Ludhiana. She is a creative soul and brings it out in her short films, poems and express it through her theatric performances. She loves playing sports like basketball and table tennis. She is an avid reader, mostly works of fiction and often prefer the company of a book with a cup of coffee on a rainy day.

35

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

A CLIMATIC PROPHECY

The sun seems a little farther away; But such a furnace it feels.

The Glaciers seemed like freezing water, Until today; But melting ice they weep.

The breeze did bring calm of the sea; But all they deliver is dust today.

Tides were a ‘rise and fall’ phenomenon; Till they decided to remain tenaciously high today.

The Blue planet is Red mad; Wrapped in a blanket of magma- ‘iron clad’.

The deserts have released their sandstorms.

The devils have tamed the hurricanes.

The eye of the cyclone is no more calm.

A greenhouse was never sup The tornado in disguise.

The draughts drier; the floods more furiousWhile the earth tries to shake them off.

You call it a ‘Quake’ ; Trust me, its not just moving tectonics.

It’s a tsunami of our own makingThe inevitable fate we wait.

“Climate change” is real; As real as it gets.

And if you still don’t seeYour arrogance just chose to live in denial While your children must regret.

Authored by: Avi singh

36

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

THE TUSSLE FOR SANITY “It is only in sorrow that bad weather masters us; in joy, we face the storm and defy it”, said Amelia Barr.

“It is only in sorrow that bad weather masters us; in joy, we face the storm and defy it”, said Amelia Barr.Mental health, one of the biggest taboos since time immemorial, is suddenly the talk of the town, as people grapple with the ongoing stressful times.

A couple of months back, when this lockdown had started, many had been elated, welcoming the break from stringent deadlines of work. On the other hand, now, most of us wish to relish our normal routine, and go back to work with vigour!

What caused sanity to land in troubled waters though?

People everywhere are feeling hapless as they lose their jobs or receive hefty pay-cuts.

This miserable feeling is fuelling anxiety in some while anger in others. And, this is building a vicious cycle which is leading to uninhibited behaviour. For instance, domestic abuse is rampant, not just because of the frustration but also because jobs were a means of escape for the victims. Some young children are also at the mercy of their parents’ wrath.

Further, endless bad news centred around COVID-19, is adding to the feeling of doom.

Looking at the number of cases and deaths all-day, with the dearth of stress busters of normal life is making people more fearful.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

37

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA To top it all, there seems no end to this phase of lockdown, making people jittery as to when COVID-19 would relinquish their lives. Some refuse to come to terms with the fact that this disease will become a part of our lives as masks and social distancing become the norm.

People suffering from anxiety and psychotic disorders have a battle of their own, as their medication refills become difficult and visits to doctors are not without fear of contracting the Coronavirus.

It is worth mentioning how the elderly have to strengthen their mind and resolve. Being limited to the confines of their home, they also have to conquer the exorbitant fear of death due to COVID-19.

But, most of all, they have to distance themselves from the physical love and care of their families, especially their grandchildren. As all of us are sailing in the same boat and facing the same high tides, we need to keep rowing despite our weary mind and muscles. Uncovering the solution. With mental health foraying into the spotlight, experts urge all of us to focus on the minor details in our life which make us happy, encourage us to form routines to curb the wandering mind. It can be an hour of exercise, or wielding the paintbrush for some, dancing might bring back the lost vitality while writing a blog might help others endure this time.

As daunting black clouds hover over our fragile minds, we must have the fortitude to battle these unparalleled times!

Ergo, shed some tears, voice your concerns, deal with the uncertainty but be tenacious and indomitable!

Nikhita Kalra is a student of Maulana Azad Medical College(MAMC) currently in third year.

Tanisha Kalra recently graduated from Maulana Azad Medical College(MAMC) in December 2019.

38

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST IT'SÂ EVOLUTION AND RELEVANCE

More than 150 years later, we are discussing the same theory. That leaves us with the questionWhat defines the fittest?

When Herbert Spencer, coined the term, Survival of the fittest, in 1864, it was associated with Darwin's Natural selection. Later, when Darwin used the term in his book, he meant it as a replacement for the term, Natural selection. He said only those species which adapt to the everchanging environment, shall thrive and produce more copies. Now, more than 150 years later, we are discussing the same theory. That leaves us with the question- What defines the fittest?

In the Darwinian era, Fittest was the species that could adapt.

When it was understood that humans were the fittest, the race to being the fittest of the fittest, began. Ofcourse, age, sex, immunity, and other biological factors decide which of us is the fittest.

But in the modern world, we have new factors- Obesity, Comorbidities, and social factors like our Economic condition, Housing, Education, and Occupation.

In the wake of the COVID pandemic, each one of us is equally susceptible to the virus. But not all of us fall into the vulnerable groups. The vulnerable groups includepopulations with other health conditions, pediatric and geriatric age groups, pregnant women, to name a few. But are these the only vulnerable groups? What about the migrant population, residents of Dharavi, healthcare professionals, and essential workers? They are healthy; no co-morbidities, not belonging to the extreme age groups, and are not pregnant. Then why do we see higher incidence rates in these groups?

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

39

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA Financial constraints are the reason for higher death rates in the poor population. A recent BBC article provides accurate figures to prove the same.

Poor housing conditions, lack of adequate lighting, and ventilation have proven to assist the spread of the virus in the urban slums.

Education and Occupation is the single most important factor aiding in the spread of the infection to the essential workers and healthcare professionals. Biologically, these groups are “fit”.This brings us to the new definition of Fittest which includes- Adequate immunityImmunity to combat diseases but not cause autoimmune conditions,

Good economic condition, to be able to afford healthcare, Better housing with adequate lighting and ventilation, Low-risk occupations, that allows for flexibility and easy change, Better mental health and presence of solid relationships in one’s life.

Ultimately, the pandemic has brought back the theory of the Survival of the Fittest. We are the witnesses to this phenomenon. The populations least affected by the pandemic are- financially sound, work-at-home, stable mental health, good immunity, better housing conditions, welleducated people, thus proving Survival of the Fittest- relevant in 2020.

TO CONCLUDE, LET’S SEE NASSIM NICHOLAS TALIB’S WORDS-

“What did not kill me did not make me stronger, but spared me because I am stronger than others; but it killed others and the average population is now stronger because the weak are gone.”

About the author: Swarna K, presently in 3 rd year MBBS, from BGS Global Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore is an avid reader and a trained singer. As a new member of AMSA India, she's looking forward to the activities and opportunities.

40

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

धरती जो फर से मु कुराई त जननी को एक नवजीवन मला , जब षण इतना कम आ। लॉकडाउन के इस भीषण सं क ट म , सं पू ण मानव जा त काँ प उठ , कोरोना के इस कहर से । कृ त जो फर से मु कु राई , धरती जो फर से मु कु राई।। सं ग रोध क से , पजड़े पी गृ ह म मानव कै द आ , जनसमू ह एक ण कम आ। प ी-प रद ने अपने नीड़ को छोड़ , आकाश म भरी ऐसी उड़ान , जनक चहचहाहट सु न , म त क को एक सु कू न क ा त ई। कृ त जो फर से मु कु राई , धरती जो फर से मु कु राई।। सू ख रह गं गा-यमु ना पु नः जलपू ण , जीवनदा यनी न दय का जल पु नः नमल आ , कारखान से वषै ले रसायन का उ सजन कम आ , जलीय जीव का पु नः आगमन आ। कृ त जो फर से मु कु राई , धरती जो फर से मु कु राई।। गा ड़य का दौड़ना कम आ , जहाज़ का उड़ना बं द आ , जस वायु म लोग ास नह ले पाते थे , आज वही वायु व है । कृ त जो फर से मु कु राई , धरती जो फर से मु कु राई।।

Authored by: Ayudh Sharma 41

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

AN IMPROBABLE VICTORY: INDIA FIGHTS COVID-19

As dawn breaks, the chirping melodious birds wake me up. I open the window, the summer breeze, never felt so soothing before, comforts me. Witnessing the rising sun, I feel like dancing to the rhythms of nature, never experienced before. Yesterday, with the complete recovery of the last COVID-19 patient, India emerged victorious against this pandemic.

Although India experienced many tragic deaths, encompassing the sad demise of many of our healthcare heros, the situation wasn’t a catastrophe as prognosticated.

Today, the lockdown will be lifted, resuming the previous routine lifestyle. The calendar will finally move on from Sunday. Daily wage employees will again survive under their own steam. The entertainment and glamour industry, almost dead during the pandemic will again be able to breathe, surely hyperventilating beyond its capacity. Restaurants will have long waiting queues, mall will be flooded with shoppers and every movie screening will be housefull, .

daily soaps will regain their lost charm and whatever maybe the storyline or whoever maybe the performing stars, every movie screening will be housefull.

By virtue of the lockdown school friends are now more than just acquaintances. Getting up early will be a cake walk, at least for a few days from today. Every school going child got a chance to live his dream of “cancellation of exams”. But I’m sure, no student would have craved so extremely to give an exam as they are doing right now, especially those whose last board exam was cancelled!

Students will now praise punctuality instead of cursing them. Going to college will be a pleasure instead of torture.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

42

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

Pity issues, enrouting jealousy, anger or grin between colleagues forgotten during the lockdown will create a healthy work environment.

The dream of an “ideal way of life” can be seen coming true, after all one values an asset only when it is lost. But, till when this idealism will prevail is a matter of question.

We all will have stories to tell……. we survived a global pandemic after all. It’s a celebration for our country. Times were tough but somewhere in this world people like me also exist. A vacation with nothing to do - no board exams, no entrances, no university exams and beyond everything no holiday homeworks, it seemed like a dream come true, although I never wished it to come true topped with a pandemic like COVID-19, but it did come true. Ever since joining medicine, all I have learnt is that you’ll never have leisure time again but defying the universal truth, I did in 2020!

Returning back to the hostel after spending 5 long months with my family seems like a nightmare.

The thought of eating the unsavoury mess food after a 5 month long mouth-watering buffet is already making me feel puckish. Such a time will never return again. Even if it does, I’ll be trained enough and proud to be able face the challenge on the frontline and contribute in the fight of my nation against such a notorious pathogen.

H’rable Prime Minister’s dream of “Digital India” had been fulfilled although, not willingly, but from schools and colleges, and corporate offices to the entertainment sector, online portals were the only way of sustaining work during such a dire situation. Digitisation has blessed college students with their dream coming true “Muting the lecture and sleeping, but still getting attendance” and the corporate sector demanding - “Work from home”. Not sure about the college student, but the Corporate sector will never want such a “Work from again”.

43

But, amidst the resuming normal lifestyle, what will again be lost is the morning breeze, the fresh air, the night full of stars and the freedom of co-inhabitants with whom humans share this earth.

Fog will again become Smog.

Ozone will again have a hole.

Glaciers will again start melting exponentially. Monsoon will again be missed by the farmers year after year. Air conditioners will again become the lifeline of one and all. Industries will again take over what we breathe and drink.

Might not sound desirable, but this is destined to happen. Vacations of Mother Earth will soon come to an end with the end of the lockdown!

Considering the economy, being a medical undergraduate, predicting the future of Indian economy is not justified, but the way India has handled the pandemic and saved the lives of its citizens by means of early lockdown will surely pay back by rapid recovery of the falling economy. The rupee to dollar ratio may fall, but the rupee will soon regain its charm. With Indians already giving up their annual salaries after lifting of the lockdown, shows the dedication of Indians to sustain their economy.

Things have changed, and will change weather for better or the worse is uncertain!

- Oshin Puri (Author)

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

44

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

KALEIDOSCOPE

I look out the window, aching for the sun’s glimpse, only to find clouds of uncertainty floating in Between my heart and these clouds, there’s a discomforting resemblance, both in need of letting go of water to feel some relief!

Every time I step out the door I see noses peeking out of the masks, blessed to smell the marigolds, but equally guilty to reminisce the smell of exhaust On some days the world seems colourful, vibrant and nothing less than a tangible kaleidoscope By evening, the earth quakes, quite literally, and shatters all my forlorn hope But at one point or another, the clouds will disperse, and our selfies will be sun-kissed once more Even marigolds will seem noisome, and we wouldn’t need masks to suffocate any more we’ll have the old air, toxic enough to make us choke And this colourful, vibrant world will once again become black and grey by all the smoke

And I am guilty to still desperately wish for this day because I’d give anything to touch my world- my kaleidoscope again!

About the author: Chavi Arora is 1 st year student in N.C. Medical College and Hospital, embarked on an endless journey of learning and exploration. She is pumped with excitement and enthusiasm but most of all, determined to create a difference!

45

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

COVID Lessons

to

EPIPHANIES imbibe

We are currently in the shadow of a worldwide trial that has changed our lives beyond recognition. We are confronted with the true uncertainty of human existence and vulnerability of human life. Many of us believed that we are the Supreme Masters of the world around us.

The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrates to us the essence of freedom – the freedom to move, to be with those we love, to live in dignity and security – for ourselves and for those around us, from our loved ones to the refugees and the downtrodden.

In most of our endeavors, we are interdependent. One individual cannot succeed without the cooperation of others. The Covid19 pandemic highlights the danger of ignoring our interdependence and the importance of global cooperation.

It shows us with crystal clarity that all of humanity is in the same boat. However going in sync with our Honorable Prime Minister we also need to sew the feeling of “Atmanirbhar Abhyan” into our DNA. The Covid-19 pandemic has ripped the fabric to reveal that our

through

Covexit

economic, political and social systems can serve our needs and purposes only when they induce us to cooperate at the appropriate scale.

All of our systems were originally driven by this aspiration. Out of these aspirations, however, grew institutions, social hierarchies, ideologies and governance principles that have, through time, tended to become selfserving – exploited by the privileged few for their own personal advantage, to the detriment of the broad human needs and purposes that they were originally meant to serve.

It has always been thus.

Humans are social creatures and when the need arises to cooperate at larger scales, we frequently form groups. But every attempt to establish cooperation at a larger scale is always vulnerable to being undermined by the selfish behavior of groups huddled at the smaller scale. This is a fundamental problem that will never go away. All we can do is be aware of it, remain vigilant, adjust our narratives to the magnitude of the challenges we face.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

46

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA This Pandemic strips our lives bare and forces us to appreciate our most essential needs and our highest values. It forces us to appreciate the true value of many people whose roles in society tend to be undermined: the nurses, the people sitting at the checkout counters in supermarkets, the delivery personnel, the many nameless strangers who suddenly offer help to the old and vulnerable.

The pandemic has revealed a vast sea of kindness and benevolence in our communities. It has led to countless acts of selfless heroism in hospitals and the society. It has impelled many of us to use our greatest strengths to serve our utmost purposes, invigorating our lives with an inspiring rejuvenated meaning.

This is the lesson that we must take into the Post-Covid-19 world: The time has come to mobilize this goodness in our midst for the greater good, rather than drive it to the sidelines through institutions and incentive systems that reward selfishness and predatory competitiveness.

About the author: Dissecting and inspecting the shards of our society is his favourite past time, and on that note, his name is Alan Jacob Alexander. He is a final Year MBBS Student and AMSA India College Head of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Sawangi, Wardha.

47

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

FOR HOPE THAT CORONA IS EPHEMERAL

The time passes by slowly, while I’m in complete reverie, Writing these verses, which I hope isn’t rudimentary.

There is a world -wide panic, and a frenzied rush, Though the symptoms might be just cough and cold, Yet vulnerable are those who are sickly, and old.

Social distancing can now possibly be your best deed, choose not to follow and you could possibly bleed.

The rules are simple, “Wash hands, and don’t touch your face”, And we can wipe out this silent killer without a trace.

With your origins still mysterious, everything in life seems quite amiss, Hundreds of nations affected, the economy is now nothing but a dark abyss.

The disease now seems to be a grand test, Try and stay at home with no travel and acquiesce that it is a period of rest.

With strict restrictions on trade, Businesses seems to fade, Stocks have plunged, and shops have taken a dive, We must be practical; and to maintain rationality we must strive.

The world seems to be amputated; an inanimate structure with so much might, To stall the entire world’s working; apologetic for its plight.

About the author: Sudhan Rackimuthu is from Father Muller medical college, Mangalore, Karnataka. He is a buoyant final year med student, who is trying to find repose amidst all the incessant chaos by penning down one’s stumbled thoughts.”

48

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

LIVES AFTER PANDEMICS: Past, present and future

In terms of Walter Scheidel ,the famous Austrian historian'"Pandemics are one of the horsements that have flattened inequality " Pandemics have been the most dramatic and violent ruptures but also the most effective levellers of social and economic equalities. They have hit the world several times in the past costing trillions of dollars and millions of lives. In terms of Walter Scheidel ,the famous Austrian historian- "Pandemics are one of the horsements that have flattened inequality "

Before late 1800's cup sharing and spitting was not illegal .Living conditions were very poor but when the Cholera outbreak of 1817 changed the perception altogether.

Governments understood the importance of public health especially the poor and this paved way for large scale public health measures to be adopted. Around a hundred years later in 1918 when the WWI was being fought the Spanish In 1350 ,Black death took so many flu invaded the world. It affected the lives that it caused a severe crunch of German army so badly they were workers and the few who were defeated and the war ended. It available were wanted by many served as a grim reminder of the fact landlords to keep their work going. that materialistic greed and fights for This forced the rich landlords to world stature by destruction does no increase the wages of the workers good and nature reclaims itself by and hence Black death became the some way or the other.

First step to Renaissance and Reforms in society.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

49

And the first time a need for an organisation working for global health not limited by borders was found for health training education and research and hence WHO was founded in 1948.Then the Asian flu hit Asia in 1957 followed by the one of the most deadliest outbreak of HIV /AIDS.In 1980 which first swept USA and then entire world.

Countries then collaborated and in a few years we were able to produce antivirals for its treatment but not before the usual blame game and undermining the extent of problem.

And now COVID 19 hit the world killing millions, confining billions into their homes and shutting down most industries pushing the entire globe into a recession even severe than that of The great depression of 1930.Though numerous researches have been going on to find a cure which is still far away many nations especially the most affected ones are caught in a verbal fight to put on blames.

We should stop blaming the system for its problems and instead see ourselves as a part of the problem and therefore a part of the solution. Millions across the world have been rendered homeless ,hungry and financially broken. Our mental ,physical health has taken toll alike.

Companies have turned bankrupt, families broken due to loss of their dear and near ones. The aftermath of this pandemic will see companies globally shift out of their present locations to their home states so that If such a tragedy hits the world in future the supply chain is not disrupted.

Many people will have to leave businesses that their families had practiced for generations.

Social distancing will become a norm with utmost precautions.

Jobs will be lost as companies trim expenditures.

Globalisation will take a hit ,policies of each nation may become protectionist that will not just prevent open flow of people from one country to another reducing opportunities but will also become integrating our economies and the world tougher.

Though both rich and poor have been affected a like yet the most affected people the poor, the destitutes ,LGBTQ will need support of their governments for food, shelter and other basic things for a long time until their earnings resume .People will save more for future but this will lead to fall of aggregate demand and hence lower incomes and automatically lower savings that will hurt the economy badly. Hence we need to build better systems to focus on preparedness and self reliance to build a health and food system that is not just resilient but sustainable.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

50

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA Instead of making urban shelters the focus needs to be on up gradation of rural infrastructure so that equitable population density can be maintained and resources can be used optimally and not ravenously. Policy frameworks have to be build that commits safety and security to

people or else taking presumptive response has always and will prove costly. Yes,starting new habits is tough an requires overcoming our inertia but the only way forward is to learn lessons from own mistakes and be ready for future.

About the author: Arpit mago is 3rd year MBBS student from Jawaharlal nehru medical college,Belgaum. He is a National officer-academics AMSA-INDIA 2020-21 51

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

Breathe Again Step out in the morning, and see the blue sky above. It’s free of the dreary grey smog that used to hang like a veil covering the beauty below. With nearly a 60% drop in air pollution levels across several indicators including particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide, while COVID 19 might be a respiratory disease, it has indirectly freed the air we respire from a more dangerous killer.

This isn’t the first time that a disease that has assumed pandemic proportions has helped the living world. One of the most talked about pandemics before COVID 19 was the infamous Black Death of the 14th century, when bubonic plague tore through most of Eurasia. After ravaging the entire European continent, when everything subsided, most agricultural lands were left barren. The peasants had either died, or pulled towards cities by economic opportunity. Many of these fields were reclaimed by forests; that was supposed to have reduced atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

Even mining and metallurgical activity reduced in magnitude, leading to a drop in atmospheric lead pollution.

Step out in the morning, and see the blue sky above. It’s free of the dreary grey smog that used to hang like a veil covering the beauty below.

When the Europeans reached the New World in the 16th century, they brought with them the maladies of smallpox and influenza, against which the native inhabitants had absolutely no immunity. The dying of the indigenous people in millions freed up the corn fields, and forests acceded to the throne.

This led to a drop in atmospheric carbon dioxide, not just making the air cleaner but also led to a global cooling effect. Regrowing did happen in the Amazon rainforest, the desert Southwest of the USA and southern New england as well.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION

52

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION If you believe in the supernatural, the COVID 19 pandemic is like an answer to the rage of the 2019 Amazon fires, the denial of the reality of climate change by people in power all over the globe and of course, a weapon against the menace of the severe air pollution that struck at the heart of all major Indian cities.

COVID 19 is perhaps one of the biggest events of the new millennium so far. As sorrow scourges the world, and we live in the grasp of grief, it’s time to be a bit optimistic. Yes, the economy has been razed to the ground, the global political situation is tense and we are all locked up at home. We can never forget the irreparable and irreplaceable losses of several fellow humans across the world.

But then, as Lillian Russell said, “Let the clean air blow the cobwebs from your body. Air is medicine.”

With the clear sky above, it’s time to rebuild the world, one breath at a time.

Fear not, because blue skies are coming. Literally.

As Lillian Russell said, “Let the clean air blow the cobwebs from your body. Air is medicine.”

About the author: Shruthi is a fourth semester student at the Madras Medical College. She is a quizzer, debater, Kuchipudi dancer and talks and writes about many socioeconomic or political issue.

53

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

NATURE HAS ITS OWN WAY

Already having faced much, Aftermath the humanly deeds, Which for a long time had lost the pious touch, And sown the pernicious seeds, The once known motherly nature, Decides to take the toll, The toll, for messing with the nature, The toll, for spilling the joyous rapture.

Now as you sow, so shall you reap, For waking the mother from the deep sleep, Let us be punished with the jarring smack, And the weather turning grey and black, As for our never-ending imbecility to grow, To grow, to the levels of no returning back.

Thus, with the tyranny of the nature at its blow, We shall see, all the lifelines tumultuously slack.

Let us be bestowed again, Only if we shall remember, This hour's chill and blain, And make this opportunity splendour, Relieving the nature's agony and pain, And be sorry for our heinous crime, All the time, through the night and day, As we shall know, that, the nature has its own way, After all, the nature has its own way...

About the author: Bhavya Khattri Is from Subharti Medical College. He is a Jolly guy, with a good hand in drawing, and has a motto of spreading love out there in this world.

54

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

EMERGING DISEASES

The new paradigm “Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.”

In the past century, the world has seen a rise of new and exotic emerging Diseases. These have had a huge impact on all aspects of human civilisation, governance and economics. Our past experiences with major outbreaks gives us an insight to what the future possibly beholds- a spectre of new diseases yet to emerge, their threat to mankind and also provides leads on tackling them at a global level.

Outbreaks of newly identified emerging infectious diseases gravely challenge very facet of the health care system. These may be confined regionally, or can spread across borders to become epidemics and pandemics. Often, diseases that had been controlled or eradicated previously re-emerge with resurgence of a mutated strain of the organism or other socio-cultural issues posing a greater threat.

In the last three decades, over thirty emerging infectious agents have been detected worldwide.

“Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.”

Sixty percent are of zoonotic origin and more than two-thirds have originated in the wild, further infecting humans due to contact with wildlife or consumption of infected meat. The world is now more susceptible to these diseases due to changing human demographics, climate changes and transforming ecosystems. Their universal spread occurs due to extensive air-travel, globalisation and a fleeting population. Hence, it’s likely that new pathogens, particularly viruses will be of significant health impact in the coming times.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

55

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA The major infectious disease outbreaks observed have been the SARS epidemic (2002), Zika virus outbreak (2006), H1N1 influenza virus (2008), MERS (2012), Ebola virus (2014) and the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was the first major severe infectious disease to emerge in the twenty first century. The outbreak originating in China rapidly spread across continents with high mortality.

The more recent 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and the Ebola outbreak of 2014 had calamitous ramifications as well. Key factors contributing to their spread were weak surveillance systems, poor public health infrastructure and inadequate preparedness.

Developing countries like India suffer disproportionately from these outbreaks due to a large growing population, socio- cultural factors and suboptimal healthcare delivery. In recent years, India has had outbreaks of Cholera (1992), plague (1994), Nipah virus (2001), resurgence of Chikangunya fever (2006) and Japanese encephalitis virus (2012).

Additionally, many vaccine preventable diseases like diphtheria continue to emerge as sporadic outbreaks.

Every such disease underscores the need to improve preparedness for future outbreaks at national and global levels. It’s important to acknowledge the past and seize the opportunity to prepare for the future. Emphasis should be on strengthening surveillance, and building a system that responds swiftly and efficiently across all echelons of government, bureaucracy and health care setups.

Advances in medical sciences, microbiology technologies for identification of pathogens and artificial intelligence models of disease prediction can mitigate future occurrence of an emerging infection before it transforms into a public health disaster. Thus, we have to learn and adapt from the many bygone stories of emerging disease outbreaks to efficiently conquer the next possible emerging infection.

About the Author: Gauri Mehta is a 3rd year MBBS student from Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre Bengaluru, Karnataka She lives by a simple motto, to always aspire to know more and grab knowledge in any from possible.

56

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

WHAT NEXT? The Corona pandemic was described by Jonathan Eich, a renowned British Intellectual as “The nearest we have to a revelation for atheists“, which is very true in itself.

India witnessed the biggest spike in new cases at 9971, the tally has now reached up to 2.46 lakhs, touching the total toll of 2,47,071 cases. India has now become the 5th nation with the highest number of confirmed cases. The numbers are indeed alarming, leaving each of us with a question to ponder about……what next?

We will have the corona pandemic around for more than we expected until treatment or vaccine for the same is discovered. The Corona pandemic was described by Jonathan Eich, a renowned British Intellectual as “The nearest we have to a revelation

for atheists“, which is very true in itself. All global issues that we had faced before the outbreak, will only return but this time, way more Potent than they were before The outbreak.

The World Economy has been shattered to pieces. According to the Internal Monetary Fund (IMF), the global economy is expected to shrink by over 3% in 2020 - the steepest slowdown since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Most economies have collapsed, the advanced economies including India being more severely struck.

Unemployment rates are also expected to rise drastically.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

57

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA The outbreak unearthed gaping holes in our lack of thinking about health policy. It has been made evident that an outbreak like COVID 19 requires public health care policies and not seeking preferred healthcare providers and seeking treatment. Countries including India have failed to provide a reasonable quality of healthcare services to its masses.

Governments have been more focussed on healthcare, which consists of transactional services provided through doctors to individuals, which is more politically attractive rather than investing in Public health interventions that have no immediate political gains.

Mental health remains an area that is often neglected but is indeed an alarming issue. With unemployment rates expected to go high, the risk of associated mental disorders like anxiety disorders, depression and suicidal tendencies are likely to go high. It could exacerbate the condition in those with anxiety disorders or may even lead to its development in normal individuals.

The nearest we have to come to a disastrous pandemic such as COVID19 is the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918.

With over one-third population dead in just 14-15 weeks, it remains one of the most dreadful pandemics of all time.

Though there are key differences between the two such as the severity and fatality, there are key similarities too such as the non-existence of vaccine and treatment along with gripping fear that the health care system is about to crack. In a time where viruses were yet to be discovered, the only solution to the pandemic was social distancing, which in due course of time proved to be the only way of dealing with the deadly pandemic.

Indian author Arundhati Roy said “Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next”

About the author: Philip T Paul is a Third year Medical Student studying in MOSC Medical College, Kolencherry. He is the present College Head of AMSA India. Interests include singing and writing.

58

Koffee with Adrian!

IN

CONVERSATION THE

WITH

OVERALL

CHAIRPERSON, AMSA-INTERNATIONAL

Adrian Khaw is a 6th year Medical Student at the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom. He is interested in voluntary programmes and academic conferences. He is driven by the passion and dedication of his team when carrying out projects, may it be academic, voluntary or social events. He thrives in rapidly growing and enthusiastic organisations.

When he isn’t glued to a computer screen, he enjoys going out with his friends or trying his best not to be the worst adventurer in Edinburgh.

Q1) Tell us something about yourself and about your decision to become a medical professional?

Dear friends and colleagues from AMSA India, thank you so much for having me here with you today. It’s truly an honour to be able to still interact with all of you despite an ongoing pandemic. I am grateful for having the opportunity to meet many of you during previous conferences and activities, and I was truly looking forward to meeting you again in AMSC London 2020.

Unfortunately, due to the current COVID-19, we would only be able to meet through online platforms. However, I am truly excited for all our online activities, hence a big shout out to AMSA India for your innovative online programmes. For those who I have not had the opportunity of meeting; I’m Adrian and I am blessed to be given the opportunity to serve our members internationally as the overall chairperson of AMSA International.

My decision to join the ranks of frontline healthcare professionals stemmed from my time volunteering at a local hospital during my high-school days. It was truly eye-opening and humbling seeing how doctors, nurses, technical staffs and carers working together to ensure that the best quality of care is given to their patients. My experience then inspired me towards becoming a doctor and spurred my interest in serving and caring for the community.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

59

Q2) One country you would love to practice medicine in? Why? I have joined my colleagues in the United Kingdom and I absolutely love the practice of medicine here! The standard of care in the UK is simply toptier and by being at the forefront of medical advancements, it is amazing to work with world-renowned experts and being immersed in an amazing healthcare system, aided by the latest available medical technology.

However, I would love to return to my home-country, Malaysia, to practice medicine. This is because I would want to bring whatever experiences and skillset that I’ve acquired to serve the citizens of my country, my home. By returning to Malaysia, I hope to reach out to those who may not have easy access to healthcare services, to ensure that they receive the necessary support.

Q3) In this unprecedented crisis, i.e. the pandemic what are some of your duties towards your community while working in the hospital?

COVID-19 and its effect on our world is truly shocking. At the time of this interview, more than 9 million people have contracted the virus, with many more being pre-symptomatic, asymptomatic or have not had the opportunity to be tested. This is concerning as many who are presymptomatic or asymptomatic are able to transmit the virus, making it harder to contain or trace all positive cases. Hence, it is important that everyone takes responsibility, both to protect themselves and to protect those around them. As for healthcare workers being in the community, simply steps such as adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and handwashing techniques are crucial towards curbing the spread of COVID-19. Based on hospital and local guidelines, PPE may include protective gowns, gloves, face masks and goggles, with an emphasis on special zones for patients with COVID-19 and those without. Of course, not every hospital has the luxury of space and resources to fully implement every suggestion given by national guidelines, hence the basic necessity is for us as healthcare workers to ensure that we maintain proper PPE and hand hygiene. Furthermore, when out in the community and as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), everyone should be wearing a mask and practicing social distancing. This is important to prevent pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic spread of COVID-19; while anyone with symptoms of a cold such as coughs, breathlessness or fevers, should self-isolate and contact their local health providers as soon as possible for advice. Anyone with severe respiratory symptoms such as struggling to breathe, severe chest pains or fainting (blackouts) should contact emergency services immediately. Any medical staff staying with the elderly or children should also follow the advice of their local health boards as some do advise temporarily staying apart with elderly relatives and friends or not visiting them. Of course, this is to the discretion of the healthcare worker and their circumstances, hence local advice should be sought.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

60

Q4) How were you introduced to AMSA and what motivated you to join it? How was your journey towards the post you're currently holding?

I joined AMSA back in university as they had a chapter there (A big shoutout to AMSA IMU and AMSA Malaysia!). I have always wanted to be part of a medical society and AMSA gave me the opportunity to network with other healthcare students and professional, while being able to serve the local community with great passion despite not having much experience.

Even so, AMSA members have the unique opportunity of being guided by senior medical students and doctors of different seniority ranging from house officers to senior consultants. Their advice and mentoring have been the hallmark of my learning and serving experience. I was recruited to AMSA International by the previous overall chairperson, Wong Suen Kuen (Ken, as many of you will know him by) in 2017. It was truly a blessing to have the amazing opportunity of joining the prestigious executive board of AMSA International. As the IT officer back then, I gained multiple learning opportunities and networking support throughout my time while dealing with the IT systems. I also received immense support from my Vice Overall Chairperson – Internal (VOCI), Dean Owyang, back then. He was kind, understanding and patient; an experienced leader in AMSA. Hence, this encouraged me to further my tenure in AMSA as the VOCI in 2018 to mentor and guide incoming executive board members by giving them the necessary support and developmental opportunities that only AMSA as an international organisation, yet still being fully grounded in all our local chapters, can give in 2019, I decided to take up the role as overall chairperson despite foreseeing that final year in medical school would be a challenge, having to balance clinical work, studies and AMSA activities. However, I was encouraged by Faza, Prima, Calvin and Yudis (my current senior management team) when they too decided to continue serving AMSA for another tenure, as I knew that they would constantly have my back if I needed support and they would always be there for me. This gave me the strength and courage to spearhead AMSA International into her next chapter.

I owe most of my wonderful experiences to the executive board (both e xecutive committee and regional chairpersons), local chapter leaders and AMSA members. Hence, I am grateful to many of you for shaping my fantastic time in AMSA and I am truly blessed to be given the opportunity to communicate and learn from each and every one of you.

Q5) How has your leadership position in AMSA impacted the medical aspects of your life as a student?

AMSA has given me a platform to connect and learn from my peers and seniors from across the globe. This has forged meaningful friendships and connections with people whom I never imagine I’d meet and interact with. These rare opportunities have given me an insight towards medical services in different parts of the world, the way that the medical curriculum is delivered in different countries and medical schools, and the diversified perspective of how medical knowledge is implemented in various locations.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

61

Q7) In what ways do you think, can the students who are members of AMSA across all the 27 chapters contribute to the society, especially in situations like the one we're currently facing?

As COVID-19 shuts down teaching and learning opportunities, especially clinical opportunities to reduce the risk of disease transmission, many medical students would have to acclimatise to a new way of learning medicine – through online sessions and interactive group discussions.

Most of us have been preparing ourselves during medical school to jump into emergency circumstances and would take every opportunity to help our local health system. Therefore, it is normal that most of us would feel guilty about not being able to help on the frontlines or not being able to “do something” in the battle against COVID-19. I strongly believe that each of us have our crucial roles to play, even if we’re not the medical staff attending to the frontline.

Our unique position as medical students gives us the opportunity to help by volunteering at local centres or by caring for those around us, through simple gestures such as checking up on those around us, buying groceries or collecting medications for our elderly neighbours, and even helping out the elderly with labourintensive chores. Most importantly, all of us should ensure that we practice social distancing, use face masks and ensure good hand hygiene. It is important to be certain that we are healthy before tending to those around us, hence it is vital to protect those around us by first protecting ourselves.

However, I would state that the main responsibility of medical students, especially in the younger years, would be to fully commit to their medical studies to ensure that our future doctors have a strong foundation in their medical knowledge to be able to serve our communities in the near future. Therefore, do not feel guilty about not being able to actively help on the frontlines, as the best thing that medical students can do is to equip themselves with the knowledge and skillset to provide top quality medical care in the future.

Q8) One saying/quote you want everyone reading this interview to live by?

Thank you once again for having me. I hope that you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy throughout these challenging times. I also look forward to meeting each and every one of you soon in future AMSA events or other academic settings. Last but not least, I’d like to finish off with one of my favourite quotes by Albert Einstein – “Only a life lived in the service to others is worth living”.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

62

Kindered Spirits

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

63

Visual Name : Sumedha Pandey College: Rmc, Kanpur About: View captured during car drive. During long drives, you need to do the window down to feels the winds rushing.

Name: Manan Sharma College: SGRD, Amritsar

About : I clicked this picture while I was in England, many tourists were visiting it and those animals got so frustrated that they started throwing stones at us. Exactly what nature is doing to us right now.

Nature has its own way of balancing things, the question is what part we have to play?

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

64

Retreat Name: Surendra S. College: Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bangalore About: The New Normal

Name: Madhavi Katta College: MIMER Medical College, Talegaon Dabhade, Pune About: Dew drops on the web after rains

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

65

Artists By: Chitwan Ghuman College: GMC, Amritsar

By: Gunjan Malhotra College- Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Health Sciences and Research, Amritsar, Punjab

By: Kanishka Kabra College :Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Wardha, Maharashtra

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

66

Rejoice By: Saptarshi Roy College: Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College & Hospital

By-Akshita gupta College: Rama medical College, Hapur

By:Â Bhavya Pahwa College: University college of medical sciences, Delhi

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

67

MAKE YOUR CHOICES!

68

Solutions at the end!

69

KNOW YOUR PANDEM ICS! In Eurasia somewhere lay my roots your lymph nodes ,i inflame dark as soot Quarantine, the concept i gave you all Lives of many jews ,i took a great toll Who am i , say you all?

From a European emperor, I get my name Somewhere to Piedpiper, my story is same Little rodents spreading it through grains Prosperity efforts of emperor in vain Who am i ? say my name?

Invincible to some extent is what i call my mortality your ARVS Still can't control your immunity has to pay a big toll not Me but my friends bring the death call who am I ? ,say you all.

Not one but seven pandemics i brought First one in your country India my lord Through water, I cross every wall to pillar Guess who am i, still a persistent Killer?

By now ,the most famous one i am positive sense RNA is my genome I am the one who keeps you locked in home To guess the easiest , to treat is a brain storm Who am I, say you little Holmes?

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

70

g n i t n e s e r P AMSA- INDONESIA AMSA-INDIA Quarterly Newsletter REVISTA MEDICOS delighted to receive contributions from our pal and fellow chapter, AMSAIndonesia.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

71

PULSE

HOW COVID-19 IS HURTING THE GLOBAL ECONOMY The global economy has been steadily growing over the past few decades.

According to the international Monetary Fund, the world economy, comprising 193 economies, in 2019 is projected around US$86.60 trillion. The global economy has expanded from US$11.39 trillion in 1960 to US$82.63 trillion in 2018, a 7.25x increase.

China, a large contributor to global economic activity over the past few decades, has experienced exponential growth ever since it broke the barriers of is old centrally-planned closed economy and evolving into a manufacturing and exporting hub to the world. Often referred to as “The World’s Factory” given its huge workforce in manufacturing.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

72

Back in 1980, China was the world’s seventh-largest economy, with a GDP of US$305.35 billion. Since its market reforms in 1978, the Asian giant has seen economic growth averaging 10% annually. In recent years, however, the growth of China has decelerated but remains relatively high compared to its neighhbouring peers.

Covid-19 or the novel coronavirus disease outbreak that originally started in China is ravaging through countries

damaging local economies and, as a whole, the global economy. The disease first came to light when patient zero was reported by health officials at Wuhan, China on the 31st of December 2019 and since then, the number of cases reported has skyrocketed.

Origins of the virus have been pinpointed to a wet market in Wuhan, China and have since then

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

73

spread across the Chinese mainland and over 100 countries in the world, including 1 international conveyance.

In the trade sector, China is the largest importer of commodities such as iron ore, soybeans, electronic parts such as integrated circuits and oil. The Based on data from the World Tourism Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Organization, China has been the largest Countries (OPEC) and its allies including contributor to overseas tourism Russia have considered the possibility of expenditure at about 16% which totals at cutting total oil production because of around $180 billion. However, because of diminishing demands caused by the recent travel bans and flight cancellations recent outbreak. The demand for oil is put in place since the emergence of the expected to fall by 435,000 barrels yearnew coronavirus. The UN’s International on-year in the first quarter of 2020, Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) predicts making it the first quarterly contraction that Japan could lose $1.29 billion of in over 10 years. Huge importers of tourism revenue in the first quarter China such as Japan and the U.S has because of the drop in Chinese travellers, seen significant reductions in imports. while Thailand could lose $1.15 billion. The This is caused by the shortages in outbreak has also impacted airline carriers products and parts from China as across the globe as the airline stock factories have delayed production after market has dropped by 30% as fears of the Lunar New Year and advised mass customer defection in part to the workers to stay home in a bid to help new coronavirus disease outbreak. A reduce the spread of the virus. Apple’s prolonged outbreak of this virus is manufacturing partner in China, projected to worsen many airline Foxconn, is facing production delays. companies globally.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

74

Several car-makers including Nissan and Hyundai have temporarily ceased productions outside China because they couldn’t get parts. The pharmaceutical industry is also experiencing disruptions to global production. Besides that, many trade shows and sporting events in China, Asia and across the world have been cancelled or postponed.

Currently, Covid-19 daily infections within China have decreased compared to last month. However, infections in other parts of the world have only either begun or skyrocketed reaching peak levels.

Many countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Italy have reached an

economic slump and more countries are projected to follow. A prediction by Bloomberg states that, if China can quickly get the outbreak under control, and factories rumble back to life by the second quarter of 2020, the impact on the rest of the global economy could be mitigated. Failure, however, is predicted to result in an economic recession as the world’s biggest economies suffer a slowdown as they struggle to contain the domestic spread of the virus. The best thing the world can hope for now is the effectivity on the containment of the spread and the quick development of a vaccine.

Matthew Guillaume, better known as Matt, is a first year medical student in Universitas Gadjah Mada. He is currently an active member of AMSA-UGM in the Publication and Promotion division.

75

An Online Webinar by

AMSEP Indonesia

INFANCY ACADEMIC

When we think of exchange programs, our minds flash images of hopping on a The series of academic hours started with plane to another country and spending a a lecture, delivered by dr. Yudianita week exploring it. It is a known fact that Kesuma (pediatric consultant) to provide most AMSEPs (Asian Medical Students’ the delegates a better picture of Exchange Program) typically go that way.

INFANCY’s grand theme – stunting. During However, the ongoing health pandemic the question & answer session, the has unfortunately rendered us unable to delegates were very active and keen to conduct AMSEPs the same way.

INFANCY is a 2-day online webinar series know more about its diagnosis, held on the weekend of June 6th - 7th, epidemiology, aetiology and many more.

2020. The webinar series aims to engage a broad audience of medical students across Asia Pacific focusing on several key topics. It brought together 160 delegates spanning across 15 chapters such as India, Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, Scotland and many more. The webinar commenced with a Welcoming Party, where participants warmed up by playing Kahoot The next day, a Problem-Based Learning with their group members. Then came the session was allocated for the delegates to AMSA-Indonesia Session, which was a discuss a whole case scenario. This presentation of our organizational session was assisted by seniors and structure, national events, and job descriptions by the Executive Board. alumni of AMSA-Indonesia. We witnessed Nevertheless, in this time of crisis, it is ever active participation from all the delegates more important to move on and in answering the scenario questions. At overcome. That was the strong principle the end, one group with the highest score underpinning the creation of the from the facilitators had a chance to International Forum for Academic and present their case, which was none other Cultural Exchange with AMSEP Indonesia, than Priyansh Nathani from Group 2! better known as INFANCY. 76 ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

Finally, Dr. Julius Albert gave a class on circumcision, a very common practice in Indonesian boys. He delved into its cultural significance, procedures, complications, and even gave a demonstration with a mannequin at the end of the session.

CULTURAL

After getting a brief overview of Indonesia, the delegates dived deeper into Indonesian culture by learning the Javanese script, a new and challenging alphabet to learn. Then it was time to learn hands-on how to cook nasi goreng (fried rice) where the delegates were given a chance to cook along with the tutorial. We heard their rave reviews on its taste and simplicity!

The final cultural session was a traditional dance class to learn Tari Ondel-Ondel and Tari Denok. To spice things up, each group had to send a representative to compete in a dance battle. We noticed some friends from AMSA India taking this chance

to show some awesome Bhangra grooves!

To wrap everything up, we held a Farewell Party and heard the delegates' thoughts on the event and hopes for the future. Then, when the delegates solved the final mission, a surprise aftermovie was shared on the screen, marking a bittersweet goodbye to end the whole event.

All in all, we were pleasantly surprised with the overwhelmingly positive feedback. We from AMSEP Indonesia are happy to see everyone sharing the spirit of student exchange. If we are to hold another webinar like this next year, we absolutely cannot wait to see AMSA India's participation once again!

Junjungan Nimasratu Rahmatsani, who usually goes by Jun, is a third year medical student in Universitas Airlangga. She is the National Director of AMSEP Indonesia 2019/2020 and the Project Officer of INFANCY. In her free time, she enjoys baking and writing. She was born and raised in the City of Heroes, Surabaya

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

77

Visual Retreat PHOTOGRAPHS

FROM

INDONESIA

About the photographer: Shela Azizah is the current Chapter Representative for AMSA International eNewsletter from AMSA-Indonesia. She is also an Advisory Board member in her AMSA-univeristy, AMSAUniversitas Jenderal Achmad Yani. Photography is her hobby, and these shots were taken when distance meant nothing.

78

g n i t n e s e r P

AMSA-THAILAND AMSA-INDIA Quarterly Newsletter REVISTA MEDICOS delighted to receive contributions from our pal and fellow chapter, AMSAThailand.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

79

Our world is changed No one noticed upcoming pandemics Every thing needs to be rearranged Including how we order and eat During this hard time Not allowed to go to anywhere Even we need limes The market is still no where The restaurant I went to eat Now no table and no seat To follow the rules “ Don’t get closed to anybody “ I obey, calling for online food delivery

Enjoy Thai-food during quarantine

Humans need to adapt So do the stores that sell Thai food Padthai and Pad Kaprao now delivered to my house The best of mine is still Thai food It’s delicious and tastes so good Come to this place after quarantine and try some We invite you so please come Tasting sour and savory Feeling the way they add chili Wonderful dishes with traditional recipe Come up with the culture and their stories Every dishes, they have their backgrounds How to cook them is what we proud Identifying how much do we like extreme flavors Thai food would tell you sooner To adjust the means in this situation Like surviving with the passion Love your food love your tradition Getting through this and let’s get one

About the author: Phiyada Sirisumsuwan is a first year student in Phramongkutklao college of medicine She loves reading and writing something. She also wants to learn languages so that she could talk to foreigners around the world!!

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

80

The Old Saying and Thai People Hygiene

Aiya Wongwanna is a third year student in Pharmongkutklao College of Medicine. Her nickname is Kwan. This is her first letter that she sent to AMSA. She doesn’t confide in her English, but wants to improve it by practicing.

In my country, Thailand, it has many old sayings to forbid people not to do something. For example, we don’t sing when we cook, otherwise we will have an old husband.

Sometimes people think they are nonsense. However, I think they have logics behind old sayings. As I give you the example, we don’t sing when we cook, I think this old saying has a reason that to prevent foods are contaminated by droplets. The old people may think secretions from human are dirty, but in that time we don’t have knowledge about infections. Because of agriculture society old people learn how to cure some diseases from herbs, but they don’t know microorganisms that cause many diseases so the old people of Thailand usually use stratagems to teach their descendants.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

81

Public Health Stewardship Program "The greatest medicine of all is teaching people how to not need it" - Hippocrates.

The Public Health Stewardship Program was based on the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations up until the year 2030. The aim of this project was to spread awareness of the health policies of the government into the community, acting essentially as a conduit for information. There were several on site activities like health hygiene workshop, breast cancer awareness and women and child healthcare.There are 11 Projects under PHSP currently.

01 02 03 04 05

Malnutrition and Zero Hunger Project Aahaar Abhiyaan Health Education for Children Project छलाँग Infectious Diseases Project Pact To Protect Clean water & SanitationProject W.A.S.H

Female Health- Project Astitva

11

06 07 08 09

10

Occupational Healthcare Project Swasth Aajeevika Mental HealthProject Muskurahat SanitationProject Badlaav

Climate change and PollutionProject Roots

Addictions -Project Hope Stone

Gender Equality- Project सा य

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

82

RIDE NOT REJUDICE "Variety is the spice of life, which gives it all it's flavour."

- William Cowper The world needs a lot of things to run properly, and the most important of them all is love. The beauty that is the rainbow called love shimmers brightest when all it's colours shine equally brightly and as such it's important to fill out minds with Pride for love and not Prejudice. On the 17th of May, the day of International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT). On this day AMSA India in collaboration with the Plane Jar foundation gave the opportunity for people to understand and become an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community.

It consisted of a two day online workshop in the hopes that in the future we can have health care professionals who understand and include the members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Kudos to Srijan Bareja and Gul Kalra for organizing this.

Big Spring tGELF To ensure psychosocial well being of our members under#kuchkarona campaign AMSA INDIA in association with ŠtGELF organised an online video making competition. The winners were given online courses from Osmosis and Big Spring as guerdons. Srijan Bareja and Pawandeep Chahal were the runner-ups with Ananya Wadhera being the conquistador of the contest. Kudos to the organisers and winners.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

83

Demystifying residency What better mystery than the USMLE for an international medical graduate. From an altogether different pattern of exam to different steps , everything sets the brain in neuronal Whirlpool . Now, fear not the Moses is here to split this whirlpool of utter confusion and perplexion. AMSA EXTERNAL conducted the Demystifying Residency -a series of webinars in collaboration with Kaplan medical to split open this whirlpool . From what is USMLE to how to get residency in US, it encompassed everything . We can't forget the great confusion regarding NEXT , we had another series of webinars for how to go about preparing for NEXT and the pattern . For our readers who weren't able to attend these webinars , we have uploaded them on the Youtube page of AMSA. Here's a link to it: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuKhp2EfXCAFDHHhVsDAioQ Kudos to the organisers: Malika Gupta (Secretary of Marketing and Sponsorship) Ann Georgy and Rebecca Moncy (National officers)

No Tobacco Tuesdays The toll of tobacco on India is heavy, every year Tobacco use kills about 1 million users, and exposure to second hand smoke kills 9,26,000 every year and most of these deaths are easily avoidable. The No Tobacco Tuesday Movement was started on 31st May, which is World Tobacco Day. The aim of this movement was to raise awareness about the hazardous affects of passive smoking on children. The duration of this event was for four weeks, spread across 3 challenges. The challenges were as follows: 1) Tongue Twister challenge : The creative tongue twister, "Taming the tobacco tone for tiny trotting trots by tuning tight the thirsty toon", perfectly sums up the aims and goals which started this movement.

2) Bingo: To clarify the myths and facts about passive smoking.

3) Burn it Out Smokeless challenge: To spread awareness about yoga exercises and breathing techniques which increase lung capacity and alleviate stress.

Truly an amazing initiative taken by AMSA India. Kudos to Yashasvi, Saundarya and Aiman for bringing out such an important topic to light

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

84

VIRTUAL

AMSEP is a part of AMSAInternational and began with an idea to expose medical students to health care and cultural aspects of various countries. India has been a part of AMSEP ever since its exchange with Taiwan in 2016 and Japan in 2019.

The COVID-19 may be successful in suspending all the flights, but it was not fortunate enough to cease the passion of AMSA members to get along with medical students of other chapters and to fulfil the Yes, for the first time ever since vision of AMSA-International: its start in 2003, AMSEP has Knowledge, Action and Friendship. organized a virtual Tri-Exchange program between 03rd June and 10th June, 2020, And our Indian chapter feels privileged to be a part of this historic event along with Malaysia and Thailand.

There was 3 days of academic session, each chapter hosting a day and from the part of India, we had a Bioethics workshop from the UNESCO chair.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

85

TRI-AMSEP

We also shared the must visit places across each ones’ country and we were thrilled to learn various languages during our socio cultural sessions within 3 days. And our journey was not only filled with learning and enjoying, but also extending our hands to the community service.

We were contented that we were able to raise a good sum to donate for ‘BOOKS FOR ASIA’.

Though we had only 3 hours per day, we were able to build a strong bond among each other. We all had a wonderful virtual adventure and the exchange holds an important locus in our quarantine memories.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

86

CANCER SURVIVOR'S DAY To incur fear into the minds of everyone just by the utterance of a single word speaks for how dangerous cancer is. The physical, mental and social toll the disease as well as the treatment takes mentally, physically and financially is enormous. To look such a gargantuan threat straight in the eye, to beat it and to live happily after, makes up for a tale as adventurous as any other, A tale which will instill joy, fear, sadness and the most important of all hope into the the minds of those who hear it. AMSAIndia was honoured to give a platform to the conquerors of cancer as well as their family members, so that they may tell their stories.Kudos to Yashasvi, Saundarya and Aiman for letting us have the privilege to get to know about these hard fought battles.

AMSA TALKS - DR. PRACHI SALUJA

The Department of External affairs organized an interview with Dr. Prachi Saluja which was streamlined in Youtube at 06pm on April, 30. Dr. Prachi Saluja served as the former Regional Chairperson of AMSA-India for the term 2016-17 and had recently matched in the Internal Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medicine, USA. Interviewed by Khushman Kaur Bhullar, VOCE, AMSA-India, the talk covered mainly the Path to the American dream of Medicine along with her success story and a great insight was given about the Legacy of AMSA-India.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

87

GRATITUDE TO SAVIOURS Date: MAY 24,2020 Asking my grand father ,how does god control earth He comes through humans , he smiles with mirth At times a Superman with cape or at times a Robin hood who knew wearing a white coat in this pandemic he stood.But when the world looks up to you , it's those little appreciations and kind words that fuel you and gives your conscience a push.

For fueling our Frontline warriors , AMSA INDIA took an initiative as "GRATITUDE TO THE SAVIOURS" to thank the heroes by sending gratitude filled messages and these were published on our social handles .

Organiser:Oshin Puri, Arpit Singh, Pratyush Kumar

BIOMEDICINA QUIZ There is no better way to test your knowledge than a quiz, and the rewards are always the cherry on top.

The biomedicina quiz is exactly the opportunity one needs to test their capacity. AMSA, in collaboration with AMBOSS hosted the quiz. The winners were rewarded with the valuable subscription for AMBOSS! Kudos to the organizers for hosting such a magnificent quiz. of body text

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

88

COVID BOT

AMSA INDIA'S FIRST ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PROJECT

With world fighting with this queer virus, times are getting tougher with the spread of unreliable information through the social media.

Why worry when IT Team of AMSA has developed the COVID-BOT that helps you track important information about this novel Corona virus and it will help you track important information about Coronavirus (2019 -nCoV), including (1) Near-real-time maps (2) Latest News (3) Symptoms & Precautions (4) Frequently Asked Questions From the Most Reliable sources such as WHO, John Hopkins, AMSAInternational COVID-19 Portal All you need to do is: Visit : https://www.amsaindia.in Also feel free to sign up for messenger alerts.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

89

EAR TO HEAR The Public Health and Research Department of AMSA-India in association with the Poddar Wellness Foundation organized a Wellness Volunteer Program, ‘Ear to Hear’. It was organized with an idea to train the medical students and incorporate the spirit of empathy in their dealings with people in distress 105 volunteers were selected and were given special training by the psychologists of Poddar Foundation and WVU.

After assessing their capability to handle the situation and redirect the calls, they will be allowed to participate in the main program and help people by answering the helpline calls.

REGIONAL TRANSLATION DICTIONARY 24*7 on helplines, language and not competence becomes the barrier.

So, to help our helpline Hercules, we with TGELFINDIA have launched a regional dictionary that would have all the common phrases of different languages and help us understanding the ails of ailing hearts.

Organizers: Gul Kalra & Devesh Chandra

Date: June 5.2020 ❝If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart❞-Says Nelson Mandela To understand what adversities the people face, the pertinence of knowing vernacular languages is implicit.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

90

QUIZATHLON 2020 For those little Marvel maniacs Or Harry potter geeks or Maybe the Bollywood fanatics Or for ones who appreciate quality medical questions Or probably just Quiz Nerds Academics or Not, AMSA caters to all and therefore AMSA INDIA organised The" National 3rd Quizathlon "

This year was a Battle for glory among the national houses for the National House cup the four houses competing were: Northern CrimsonThunderjaws Southern Saphire Stormbirds Eastern Emerald Enfields Western Medallion Valkeyries

The 3rd quizathlon called for the potter geeks is first competition and the winners for "Harry Potter and Patronus of Eternity "under 3rd quizathlon were Shreya Jain (GMC, Amritsar) Atharva (Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College, Pune) -Mithila (Oxford Medical College, Bangalore)

COVID MENTAL HEALTH QUIZ

With Corona subjugating not only physical wellbeing but also mental wellbeing, the pertinence of mental health in the society altogether becomes a vital issue. So, keeping that in mind, Rx linked AMSA INDIA collaboration with Rx linked© organised a national level quiz competition on COVID-19 AND MENTAL HEALTH. Date of competition: 13-15July, 2020 To cater to the economic breakdown COVID has brought, the sum collected was given for charity and the winners were awarded with prep ladder subscriptions.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

91

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION - INDIA

YogUtsav Amidst this lockdown, it's unimaginably difficult to take care of one's physical health. There's a lack of information bout which exercises to do as well as the lack of the urge to exercise. However there's always a solution! This International Yoga day AMSA India, in collaboration with Fitara and ExploreiT presented the YogUtsav. YogUtsav was an online yoga session which consisted of Yoga as well as Zumba and Meditation practices. Truly a wonderful initiative by AMSA India, Fitara and ExploreiT and Kudos to Assistant VOCI Gunteshwar Singh Brar and State Head Maharashtra Aakruti Ganla for organizing this event!

MED SPELL BEE

The Academic council of AMSA India presents the MED SPELL BEE! This competition was held in two phases. The first phase was held on 23rd June on the quizizz app, and it was the preliminary round.

The second phase was held on 24th June, held over the zoom app and it consisted of the semifinals and the finals.

From these gruelling challenges, emerged victorious: 1st position - Akshi Garg 2nd position - Aakruti Ganla 3rd position- Pratyush Kumar And proved that they're all un-bee-lievable spellers!

Kudos to Abhilasha Tyagi and Chitwan Ghuman for organizing this event.

"Spelling is improved when reading is done" -Stephen D Krashen.

92

Asclepius 2020:

Occam's Razor Asclepius is back for the third time! This time named after the Occam's Razor "The simplest solution is usually the right one". The UG National Level Medical Quiz which tested the analysis capacity and the ability to inter relate concepts of the participants! It was a two day online event which took place on 4th and 5th July of 2020! Asclepius was organized by SPQR Society of JSSMC in collaboration with AMSA India, and powered by Unacademy. Congratulations to the winners of the quiz : Karthik B, Armaan Saith and Balaji Dattatraya Shukla.

Kudos to Ankita Drolia and Aman Aggarwal for organizing such an amazing event.

Webinar on Mental Health

and Well Being

This pandemic has changed the way we view life, all the things we took for granted have been taken away from us, and nobody has the answer to the most difficult question of when this pandemic will finally end. All of this can result in people feeling stresut and anxious. To discuss the issues of Mental Health and to spread awareness, AMSA India collaborated with Girl up Noor to create a webinar on Mental Health and Well being on the 21st of June. The guest speaker Deeksha Grover Chilana, a skilled trainer and an ICF certified life coach from CoachU guided us. Kudos to aneev Singh and Chavi Arora for orgganizing this event.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

93

Pathways to opening medical schools

after COVID-19 Pandemic

Our DoIT-Samarvir Jain represented the views of Asian Medical Students as one of the Student Panelists in the next installation of the COVID-19 Rapid Response Webinars: "Pathways to Re-opening Medical Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic" hosted by Operation SmileThis session was scheduled from 9:00am to 10:30am EDT on Thursday, June 25. COVID-19 has shuttered most medical schools and we need to find safe ways to reopen them.Operation Smile, the American Medical Students Association (AMSA), the Association of Medical Schools in Africa (AMSA), the Association for Medical Education in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (AMEEMR), World Federation of Medical Education (WFME), International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA), and the Asian Medical Student Association International (AMSA International) representatives will come together to share the challenges and solutions we face in regards to reopening medical schools and what the new normal for medical education will be.

Women's health team

We are proud to announce our alliance with 'Students against Covid' a global grassroots movement dedicated to fighting against COVID-19 with 300+ volunteers from 60+ countries, who help drive the overall mission of the movement and partake in 25+ active teams & initiatives within the movement Under this alliance, we open calls for volunteers for our first Joint Initiative- Women's Health Team working in lines with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 5.Three main areas of focus of the team are - • Domestic violence • Maternal Health • Sexual Health and Reproductive Rights.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

94

YES

Youth Empowerment Seminar

The Department of External affairs in association with the Art of Living foundation organized the Yes+ Youth Empowerment seminar from 11th June to 14th June.

It explored various areas of like decision making, leadership, memory enhancement, creativity and lots more. It not only covered the solutions for anxiety and stress but also saturated with fun-filled activities such as Dance, Yoga, and games. The highlight of the show was the Sudarshan Kriya Yoga [SKY], a breathing technique to increase the Natural Killer cells and to enhance knowledge about ourselves,

4HOUSES

THE VISION:

Avi Singh VOCI

AMSA -India

The mystical concept of houses. Who doesn't want themselves to be sorted into a house while they are in schools or colleges? The vibe of a healthy Competition they bring along and this sense of belongingness, to earn something for your clan.

The purpose of houses:

Besides the absolute joy of being an equal house member, there are specific values the house system would help the family of AMSA, India and medicos in general: 1. A sense of achievement at the end of the year while holding the national house cup 2. A sense of teamwork among adjacent states of India 3. A platform for national events (like the Quizathlon) to earn points for your house

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

95

Northern Crimson Thunderjaws Raging across the skies- This house stands for constant evolution, the leadership it requires and a delicate balance of empathetic emotion and ferocious dedication. The Thunderjaws remain ever so excited to venture into new endeavours and leave a mark. Versatility is what defines this house.

Punjab, Delhi, Uttrakhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K

s y r a c a r D m Imperiu

Values: Ferocity, Leadership, Enthusiasm, Generosity

Western Medallion Valkyries Unyeilding and uncompromising, the valkyries are guardians angels for people in need. Ready for a challenge and uniquely skilled for different competitions, the members of this house shall fly with each other in the service of collective good.

Maharashtra, Gujarat, MP

: a l l a h l a V ` a r o l Va

Values: Valor, Righteousness, Determination, Courage 96

Eastern Emerald Enfields

Natura tempestas

Believing Nature always takes its course, no matter what- the enfields know gratitude in what they have, and sore unimaginable heights at the same time.

Being resourceful and ever ready to help with a delightful heart is what sets them apart from the rest.

West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa and NE states Values: Teamwork, Patience, Sustainability, Resourcefulness

Southern Sapphire Stormbirds

Lumos Electrica

Ambitious and equally capable of achieving goals not even visible to most, the Stormbirds have an arsenal of tactics they preserve and hit hard when the time is right. The Stormbirds intend to passionately enlighten the world with the magic of knowledge, And leave an everlasting impact with their electrifying personalities.

Tamil Nadu, Kerala, AP, Karnataka, Goa,Puducherry Values: Ambition, Diligence, Speed, Accuracy

97

Poem writing competition in MGM, Navi Mumbai

Winner: GOODÂ NIGHT by Khushi Mehta I remember being excited to go to bed For him to tell the tales he had read We plunged into the ocean of words and sounds As we heard the stories of old ladies or crazy hounds We visited the Andher Nagri of Gaandu Raja And peaked into the heart of Kabuliwala We saw young Mini in a bride's role And heard the music of the "hands free" dhol We witnessed Birbal's wit And heard Ramayan and Mahabharat in bits As the stories of devoted Shravan and Shabri came together We learnt to swim our way through the worst weather Kahna's mischief and Sarthi's wisdom Taught us this life's worthless materialism There were times where jokes were a guarantee Punning over phrases like "2 cup tea" There were nights where he told us about The Hell where people would burn and shout I remember clinging to his rough, warm hand And I knew he would protect me from going over to that land These childhood stories have moulded me Into a person who I hope he is proud to see As I write this poem I can hear his voice growing louder Something I feared I had forgotten And as I feel him in every season's breeze All I want to say , "Dada one more story please."

I go to bed every night wishing he was here I pretend to sleep just to hear him say "Good night dear.�

Other Winners: 2nd place - Umama Aftab Siddiqui (3rd year) 3rd place - Anusha Nicole Prabhu (3rd year)

98

MERSA

Medicos’ Education and Research Society of AMSA: India

Catering to the unequal distribution of Research Opportunities in India AMSA: India brings to you an all in one education and research societyMERSA. This society has been established to provide a one stop shop to Research learning, Researching and Post-Research Opportunities.

Education and Research shouldn’t be bounded by any organisation thus, We are opening calls for every medical student out there irrespective of their affiliation with any organisation. All you need is a pinch of experience, a river of passion and an ocean of motivation to help your counter parts in all corners of the country. This opportunity is free for all, irrespective of their membership status in any organization. But, before we start working for the betterment of the Indian medical Students’ fraternity, we need a team of highly dedicated, motivated and experienced students’ who can share their skills with the rest so that all of us grow. So brace yourselves, The entries for MERSA are open. Wish to apply for the post of/ in 1. Chief of Education and Research Contact Person - Priyansh Nathani - | +91 88282 45855| or | rc@amsaindia.in| 2. Research Council Contact Person - Oshin Puri - | +918800932613 | or | avoci@amsaindia.in | 3. Academic Council Contact Person Chitwan Ghuman +91 8360202927 |or| academics@amsaindia.in 4. External Council Contact Persons Khushman Kaur Bhullar +918146275037 Gunteshwar Singh Brar +91 94786 19011 Or amsaindiaexternal@gmail.com Queries are most welcome

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

99

MED DECLATHON AND VPC ‘The easiest thing is to react; the second easiest is to respond; but the hardest thing is to initiate -Seth Godin AMSA-India is the picture behind many initiatives across the nation; one of its kind is the Virtual Patient Challenge. VPC is a legacy itself, with the most prestigious schools around the world. Transpiring for the first time in India, the VPC is well-known for its efficacy to test each participant’s clinical senses, rapid responses and effective team communication in critical circumstances. Occurring on August 04th of this year, each participant is promised to take back an evocation of knowledge, thrill of action and new bonds of friendship.

The participants are selected based on their excellence in ‘Med Declathon’, which will be held from July 12th to July 22nd covering 10 organ systems at Quizizz app, where the questions will intrigue brains, and bring out the hidden potential. I’m sure, the participants are gearing up their gray matter and exploring one system per day.

The event is even more spiced by innovative and skill-based workshops of ‘Clinical Communication Skills, Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, and Online Surgical Skills’ workshop conducted by esteemed persons around the globe between August 01 and August 03.

On a whole, the entire plethora of events are organized in such a way that it not only helps us to not only gear up our senses but also to build a healthy bond with our fellow medicos across the nation. Kudos to the entire organizing committee of VPC for collaborating with Body Interact and engaging us for almost a month in a productive way as well as a build a strong friendship and deep platform in our clinical senses!! So guys, Mark your calendars and witness the most exciting event of the year, the Virtual Patient Challenge, the first of its kind in India.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

100

AMSEP Philippines

X ‘There is no harm in repeating a good thing’ – Plato ‘A great man is different from an eminent one in that he is ready to be the servant of the country’ and it is certain that the delegates of AMSEP will always persist to be eminent by amalgamating with each other and do their role to the society.

Before the delegates of the first virtual exchange has breathed out their memories, AMSEP-India is back again with the same glory and zeal for yet another exchange with the Pearl of the Orient Seas, the Philippines. About to happen from 21st July to 26th July, the Virtual Bi-AMSEP will sure deliver the delegates an inexpungable experience and relationship with the Filipino Medicos and a colossal knowledge exchange between the countries. Spiced with Academic and Socio-cultural session, this exchange will definitely not fail the legacy and motto of AMSEP-International just like its predecessors.

Kudos to Preeyati Chopra (DoAMSEPIndia) and the entire AMSEP-India team for organizing such a splendid Exchange for us to commemorate within a short span of time and I’m sure every reader would be looking forward for such a stupendous event about to occur.

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

101

FEATURED!

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

102

Make your choices!

103

OTTENDORPH CODE: To Dr.Sherlock reading here, can you able to crack the code: 23,2,23,1 - 26,0,25,6 - 36,0,19,1 - 50,1,2,5 - 28,0,1,2 - 60,0,18,10 - 37,2,11,2 50,1,9,1 - 76,2,17,2 - 50,1,9,5 - 98,0,24,1 - 27,0,11,5 - 60,0,19,4 - 37,2,16,2 50,1,1,2 - 22,0,8,7 - 75,1,13,2 - 59,0,10,3 - 51,2,1,3 The code given in the CONTENTS Page is a modified version of the Ottendorph Cipher [Can you recollect The National Treasure (2004) movieThe Declaration of Independence].

In the cipher, each word is represented by 4 numbers; the fourth no. is the word number, the third no. indicates the number of line in the page where the word is, the second no. indicates whether it is from left side (1) or right side (2) text (0 if there is no separation in the page) and the first no. indicates the page number. Following this rule, 23,2,23,1 - Often; 26,0,25,6 - when; 36,0,19,1 - you; 50,1,2,5 - think; 28,0,1,2 - you; 60,0,18,10 - are; 37,2,11,2 - at; 50,1,9,1 - the; 76,2,17,2 - end; 50,1,9,5 - of; 98,0,24,1 - something; 27,0,11,5 - you; 60,0,19,4 - are; 37,2,16,2 - at; 50,1,1,2 - the; 22,0,8,7 - beginning; 75,1,13,2 - of; 59,0,10,3 - something; 51,2,1,3 - else The mystery solved: ‘Often when you think you are at the end of something; you are at the beginning of something else’ – Fred Rogers Comment: We have chosen the quote to remind the readers that, at the time we successfully cope up with the ongoing crisis, we are entering a new world where will be more cautious about their health and have a good relationship with people as they have known the misery of quarantine– A new beginning for all of us (Maybe this was the dream that our missile man, Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam would have dreamt in 2020 – a more responsible society)

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

104

7-PANDEMICTRIVIA RESULTS Winner: Gauri Mehta 2nd Place: Rahul Jagadishchandra Mittal 3rd Place: Pranjal Jain and Ridhima Bajaj

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

105

PANDEMIC RECOMMENDATIONS For the little learners at Sunny Oaks Preschool

BOOKS

MOVIES ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

106

OUR PARTERNERSHIPS

Lecturio is an all-in-one study resource for medical students that combines learning science and medical education into one easy-to-use platform. You can access a variety of high-yield medical video lectures, take a closer look at the human body with scientifically-accurate 3D anatomy models, test your knowledge and assess your learning progress by answering interactive quiz questions, and prepare for exams using the most advanced question bank available. Even better, all of Lecturio’s exam-style clinical case questions include text and video answer explanations.

VisualDx is teaming up with AMSA India to offer students and residents an exclusive free access period. With virtual education a must-have during this COVID-19 pandemic, VisualDx provides a decision support system for differential diagnosis, testing, and therapeutic decisions that is accessible on the web and any mobile device. VisualDx helps: · Enhance clinical reasoning skills · Provide point-of-care information access · Uncover how cognitive biases impact accuracy and diagnosis

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

107

OUR PARTNERSHIPS

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

108

OUR PARTNERSHIPS

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

109

CREDITS: Pandemic Panorama: Sriharmendar Kant Eticia perguntas: Samneet Singh Pandemi-Puzzle: Suhani Devgan No-Snooz-News: Sriharmendar Kant Koffee with Adrian: Shashwat Misra Doodles: Sanjali Dharamshi Memes: Shashwat Misra Make your Choices: Samneet Singh Pandemics Recommendations: Sanjali Dharamshi, Shashwat Misra Content- Samneet Singh, Shashwat Misra, Vignesh M. Design- Sriharmendar Kant, Sanjali Dharamshi, Anushree Rai Proofreading:-Samneet Singh, Shashwat Misra, Vignesh M., Asmitha P. Reddy, Anushree Rai

SOURCES: Images: Canva pro images, Google images, Pinterest Content: Available upon request

ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION- INDIA

110

THANKS FOR READING

111

112