Why divorce should be easy!

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Couples come together for a common purpose. They bear children and start parenting them. But at times, they may grow apart and not want to remain a couple. They may want to separate. But society and law often prevents this separation. Because they feel that children might get affected due to the separation. Hence, law has made divorce difficult and asks couples the reason for the separation. They need to show some fault in the partner in order to get legal separation. But this only opens another Pandora's box in which false accusations and blame game begins. This is unhealthy and stressful not only for the couple but also for their children. Divorce of their parents does affect children. It can lead to stress and academic struggles in them. They might suffer severe mental stress and demonstrate behaviour changes in them. They may have anxiety, depression, feeling of guilt and shame and sadness. This may affect them in school and their social circle. They could become an object of r...
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What is norovirus? What are it's symptoms and how to prevent it's infection?

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 Norovirus, also called the winter vomiting bug causes a significant number of cases of gastroenteritis in the world. It causes, vomiting, loose motions, and gastric pain. Fever with or without headache might be present. Usually, dehydration is less but common in young, old, and those that have co-morbid conditions. 

Norovirus

The virus gets its name from Norwalk in Ohio where it was first reported in 1968. It is a non-enveloped virus and is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus. RNA is around 7.5 kB long. The virus has an icosahedral structure.  It replicates cytoplasmically. It has 7 genogroups and several genotypes. Most infections are of genogroups GI and GII. Infectivity is high and just 5-20 viral particles can cause it. Transmission is person to person and through contaminated surfaces and food. Salad and shellfish are notorious to cause it.  Breathing aerolized particles can also cause infection. Viral shedding continues for a long time after symptoms subside. 

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Symptoms of the infection

Norovirus spreads by fecal-oral route. The symptoms arise 1/2 to 2 days after the virus enters the body. Symptoms that are predominantly noticed are vomiting, loose motions, and stomach pain. There may be fever and headache. If water intake is low due to any reason, it could cause dehydration. This is more common in extremes of age and patients with other associated health conditions. The infection is self limiting and lasts for a day to 3 days. 


Around the globe, annually 685 million cases of noroviral gut I section are reported. And 200k deaths occur per year due to it. It occurs in both developed and developing world. Cases and deaths are more in under 5 age group. It commonly occurs in winter and in outbreaks in overcrowded housing conditions. 

Diagnosis is by PCR which is reliable. ELIZA with antibodies has less sensitivity and specificity. Usually these tests are not available but done only during outbreaks. 

Treatment and prevention

No specific treatment exists. Drink lots of oral fluids. Intravenous fluids may be required in some. Antiemetic or antidiarrhoeal drugs are needed in some with excessive symptoms. 

Immunity lasts against the specific genotype of norovirus for 6 months to 2 years. Hand hygiene and decontamination of infected surfaces can help prevent infection. Alcohol-based sanitizers are not useful because the virus is not enveloped and alcohol acts only via disruption of the viral envelope. 


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