The Union Health Ministry implemented a ban on 156 "irrational" FDC medicines, effective immediately. These medicines, including widely used antibiotics, painkillers, and multivitamins, were commonly used to treat fever, cough, and infections. The ban was imposed due to the associated health risks and lack of therapeutic justification for the ingredients in these FDCs.

What are FDC medicines?

FDCs or fixed-dosed combinations, also known as "cocktail drugs," are medications that combine multiple drugs in a single pill. They are designed to treat multiple symptoms or conditions simultaneously. While they offer convenience, they can pose significant risks. These risks include the possibility of overdose, adverse interactions between the drugs, and the development of antibiotic resistance. Additionally, many FDC medicines lack sufficient scientific evidence to support their safety and efficacy.

Expert opinions on FDC medicines

Experts have raised concerns about the use of FDC medicines. They believe that many of these combinations lack sufficient scientific evidence to support their safety and effectiveness. Additionally, the combination of multiple drugs in a single pill can increase the risk of adverse side effects and interactions with other medications.

Experts have also found that FDC medicines may not be as effective as individual drugs in treating certain conditions. It is important to note that safer and more effective alternatives are available for most of the medical conditions that FDC medicines were used to treat. One particular concern is the inclusion of antibiotics in some FDCs. Overuse of antibiotics can contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance, a major public health threat.

The risks of FDC medicines

The use of FDC medicines can lead to adverse effects, including serious ones. Additionally, safer alternatives, tested in clinical trials, are available to treat the same medical conditions. Experts recommend prescribing drugs individually based on a patient's clinical symptoms rather than combining them in FDCs.

The ban on irrational FDC medicines by the Union Health Ministry can be seen as a positive step towards promoting rational drug use and protecting public health. The goal is to eliminate unnecessary and potentially harmful drug combinations. This is a step forward in reducing the risks associated with medication and ensure safer and more effective treatment options for patients.

Nipah virus outbreak has triggered screenings at the airport. After two cases were reported in India's West Bengal, concerns have sparked in many parts of Asia, and measures at airports have been tightened.

Thailand has begun screening passengers at three airports that handle flights from West Bengal. Nepal has also stepped up checks, screening arrivals at Kathmandu airport as well as at several land border crossings with India.

In West Bengal, five healthcare workers were infected earlier this month, with one reported to be in critical condition. Around 110 people who came into contact with them have since been placed under quarantine.

Nipah virus spreads from animals to humans and carries a high fatality rate, estimated to be between 40 percent and 75 percent. At present, there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the infection.

What Is Nipah Virus?

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness that is transmitted to people from animals, and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from person to person.

In infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis. The virus can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers.

Although Nipah virus has caused only a few known outbreaks in Asia, it infects a wide range of animals and causes severe disease and death in people.

Read: Nipah Virus Outbreak In India: How Did It All Begin?

During the first recognized outbreak in Malaysia, which also affected Singapore, most human infections resulted from direct contact with sick pigs or their contaminated tissues. Transmission is thought to have occurred via unprotected exposure to secretions from the pigs, or unprotected contact with the tissue of a sick animal.

In subsequent outbreaks in Bangladesh and India, consumption of fruits or fruit products (such as raw date palm juice) contaminated with urine or saliva from infected fruit bats was the most likely source of infection.

Human-to-human transmission of Nipah virus has also been reported among family and care givers of infected patients.

Nipah Virus Symptoms

• Fever
• Headache
• Breathing difficulties
• Cough and sore throat
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Muscle pain and severe weakness

Nipah virus outbreak in India has led to nearly 100 people being quarantined. India is facing Nipah virus cases and contagion every year now. Experts are now cautioning people against the zoonotic nature of the viral infection. Rajeev Jayavedan, the former president of Indian Medical Association, Cochin, told The Independent, that infection among humans are rare and caused by the accidental spillover due to human-bat interface, which means consumption of fruits that may have been infected by bats. “This is more likely in rural and forest-adjacent areas where agricultural practices increase contact between humans and fruit bats searching for food,” he said.

Health and Me previously reported on how doctors are now advising people to be cautious while eating food. Speaking to TOI, Dr Aishwarya R, Consultant, Infectious Diseases at Aster RV Hospital advised people against eating certain food, including fruits fallen from trees, unpasteurized date palm sap and any other fruits without washing. The doctor explained that this infection can spread with infected animal who could bite fruits and spread the virus through their saliva.

In a podcast episode, Socialite Paris Hilton has revealed her struggle with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) and described it as "almost like a demon in your mind that is like saying negative self-talk to you".

While on Dear Media's The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Show, Hilton said people living with RSD feel negative feelings 'on such a deep level' and have to learn to identify those feelings as 'the RSD kicking in.'

'I've been through so many things in my life and especially in the 2000s, just everything I was going through with the media,' the mother-of-two said.

The 44-year-old said that she was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and she "didn't even know what [RSD] was before," but after talking to "so many people" with ADHD, she learned that many of them feel the same way.

"No one was talking about it when I was a teenager - especially for girls and women. You know, everyone just would say, 'Oh, this is, like, something little boys have" ... and back then everyone always only said the negative parts about it," she said of her delayed diagnosis.

What Is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria?

RSD is an intense, overwhelming emotional pain triggered by the perception—not just reality—of being rejected, criticized, or failing to meet high expectations. According to the Cleveland Clinic, while RSD isn’t an officially recognized symptom or diagnosis, it’s still a term that experts use in connection with recognized conditions such as ADHD>

While rejection is something people usually don’t like, the negative feelings that come with RSD are stronger and can be harder to manage or both. People with RSD are also more likely to interpret vague interactions as rejection and may find it difficult to control their reactions.

Commonly linked to ADHD, it causes severe, immediate emotional distress or rage, often leading to people-pleasing, perfectionism or social withdrawal to avoid further hurt.

People with RSD often show the following signs:

• It’s very easy for them to feel embarrassed or self-conscious.
• They show signs of low self-esteem and trouble believing in themselves.
• They have trouble containing emotions when they feel rejected especially children and teenagers with this condition
• Instead of losing control of their emotions outwardly, some people with RSD may turn their feelings inward
• Often, people pleasers' and become intensely focused on avoiding the disapproval of others.
• They may avoid starting projects, tasks or goals where there’s a chance of failure.
• They compensate for their fear of failure or rejection by going all-out or striving for perfectionism. However, the downside of this is that they often experience intense anxiety and may not easily make self-care or downtime a priority.

What Else Did Hilton Say?

She went on: 'I'm obsessed with learning more about it and spreading the message, because I want people to know that it doesn't have to be something that holds them back in life; it could be something that they can harness as a superpower, to really go for their dreams in life.'

The Simple Life star claimed that she was not diagnosed with ADHD as a child because society and the medical community were not focused on the ailment at the time, leading it to an impact on her education: 'I was always so confused, and in school, it was so difficult for me.'

'As hard as I would study, I could never remember anything. I was always failing my test. I was just always in detention, getting in trouble. And it was always just very difficult for me.'

Hilton said she feels she has properly refocused her mind to adapt to the conditions and thrive, which is why she 'really wanted to reframe' the public discourse on the topic in an effort to help people.

'I see this my superpower, and I wouldn't be entrepreneur I am today without it,' Hilton said. 'It was me, like, this drive, and always being in the future, and there's, like, hard parts about it to it - very overwhelming.'

Chinese officials are sounding the alarm over the outbreak of the highly fatal Nipah virus in West Bengal and demanding travel restrictions before the Lunar New Year on February 17.

Earlier this month, two hospital nurses at AIIMS, Kolkata, had tested positive for the infection and were quarantined, prompting widespread testing. As of January 24, five cases, including a doctor and a staff member, were confirmed and nearly 100 people have been quarantined.

While health officials state it is nearly impossible for the virus to transmit across countries and unlikely to cause an outbreak in China, a majority of the public remains concerned as the disease has a fatality rate of up to 75 percent and no effective treatment or vaccines are available.

Also Read: Nipah Virus Outbreak In India: How Did It All Begin?

“It’s so scary, especially with the Spring Festival coming up. I don’t want to experience another lockdown,” a Chinese citizen said online, referring to the Lunar New Year holiday. Another asked, “Can’t we temporarily shut the travel channel with India?”, according to the South China Morning Post.

As of late 2025, India has lifted major travel restrictions on Chinese nationals, with tourist e-visas, business visas and direct flights fully resumed after a five-year suspension due to the 2020 border clashes, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

The visa regime is fully functional, allowing Chinese citizens to apply for up to 5-year, multiple-entry e-TVs.

Nipah Virus: What Is It And What Are The Symptoms?

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness that is transmitted to people from animals and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from person to person.

In infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis. The virus can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers.

Although Nipah virus has caused only a few known outbreaks in Asia, it infects a wide range of animals and causes severe disease and death in people. Some of its common symptoms include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Breathing difficulties
• Cough and sore throat
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Muscle pain and severe weakness

In 2018, another outbreak occurred in Kerala, India, where 23 confirmed and suspected cases were reported. The virus spread across three hospitals, with both primary and secondary infections traced back to one initial patient.

Samples collected from the patient’s home and workplaces, including pets and partially eaten fruits dropped by bats, all tested negative for the virus, and the exact source of the infection could not be identified.

What Do Doctors Say?

Experts are now cautioning people against the zoonotic nature of the viral infection. Rajeev Jayavedan, the former president of the Indian Medical Association, Cochin, told The Independent, that infection among humans are rare and caused by the accidental spillover due to the human-bat interface, which means consumption of fruits that may have been infected by bats.

“This is more likely in rural and forest-adjacent areas where agricultural practices increase contact between humans and fruit bats searching for food,” he said.

Health and Me previously reported on how doctors are now advising people to be cautious while eating food. Speaking to TOI, Dr Aishwarya R, Consultant, Infectious Diseases at Aster RV Hospital advised people against eating certain food, including fruits fallen from trees, unpasteurized date palm sap and any other fruits without washing. The doctor explained that this infection can spread with an infected animal which could bite fruits and spread the virus through their saliva.