Many diseases share the same symptoms, causing people to get confused and either undermine or overwhelm themselves with worries. With the current flu season on the rise, people in the United States are being very careful about their health and are taking necessary precautions to make sure they do not catch any more respiratory illnesses. Often these diseases show symptoms like coughing and wheezing, nothing that warrants anything more than a general doctor’s visit, sometimes people even think it it is a simple cold, but it could be something worse!

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report on 28 February, last Friday on Respiratory Virus Activity Levels reported a moderate number of people are seeking medical help for respiratory illnesses. The flu is sending many people to the emergency room, RSV Respiratory syncytial virus has been sending many people to the ER along with COVID-19.

While flu test results are slightly less positive than last week, COVID-19 and RSV test results are about the same. In our community's wastewater, the flu virus is still very high, COVID-19 is moderate, and RSV is low. Looking forward, we expect COVID-19 emergency room visits to stay low. While flu visits are still high, they should start to go down soon.

So, even though it might feel like winter is ending, these viruses are still active, and we need to be careful. They are not going away quickly and can still spread easily. Here are some symptoms that should be treated with urgency right now.

Severe Dehydration

When you're really sick, you might not feel like eating or drinking. This can lead to dehydration, which is when your body doesn't have enough water. If your pee is dark yellow, or you feel dizzy, you might be dehydrated. If you pass out, get confused, or your heart beats really fast, you need to go to the hospital right away. Healthcare professionals can give you fluids through a needle to help you feel better. Being dehydrated is very dangerous, and it is important to take it seriously.

Breathing Difficulties

If you're having trouble breathing, or if you're breathing really fast, that's a big sign. It could mean that you have pneumonia or that your body isn't getting enough oxygen. Shortness of breath is always a reason to go to the emergency room. Your body is telling you that something is seriously wrong. It is very important to seek help right away. Do not wait it out at home.

Low Oxygen Levels

If your lips or fingers start to turn blue, that means you're not getting enough oxygen. Also, if you're so tired that you can barely get out of bed, that's another sign that you need to go to the hospital. These are serious symptoms that mean your body needs help right away.

Who’s Most at Risk for Severe Symptoms?

Some people are more likely to get very sick from these viruses. Pregnant people, little kids, and older adults are at higher risk. Also, people who have health problems like heart or lung disease, or people with weak immune systems, are more likely to have serious problems. Older adults are often hospitalized with the flu, COVID, and RSV. These groups need to be extra careful to avoid getting sick. It is very important that these groups get vaccinated.

RSV is especially dangerous for babies and young children. It's one of the main reasons why young kids end up in the hospital. This virus can make it very hard for them to breathe. It is very important to protect young children from this virus, especially in the first few years of their lives.

The Supreme Court of India has directed a Noida hospital to form a medical board to assess whether life-sustaining treatment can be legally withdrawn for a 31-year-old man who has been in a vegetative state for more than a decade.

This has come from the bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Vishwanathan who noted the young man's condition that deteriorated over the years, despite care. The medical evaluation is now also required to be presented before the court to decide the plea. The hospital has also been told to submit its report within two weeks.

Also Read: 'Facing Breathing Issues After Morning Walk' Says CJI Surya Kant As Delhi's Toxic Air Worsens

The bench said, "We want the primary board to give us a report that life-sustaining treatment can be withheld. Once it is before us, we shall proceed to pass further orders."

What Made The Court Consider Passive Euthanasia?

This is the case of Harish Rana, whose life changed in 2013 when he suffered severe head injuries after he fell from the fourth floor from his PG accommodation while he was studying at Panjab University. He had been bedridden ever since, and survived on feeding tube. His father filed a petition seeking passive euthanasia under the guidelines Supreme Court had laid down in 2018 under Common Cause judgment. This is the second time the parents have approached the apex court.

Last year, the court also suggested that Rana could receive home-based care with support from the Uttar Pradesh government. The home-based care includes periodic visits by doctors and physiotherapists. The court suggested that in case home care was not feasible, he could be moved to Noida's district hospital. However, his parents have noted that his condition continued to worsen. Family advocate Rashmi Nandakumar also informed the bench that "nothing seems to be working out".

Also Read: Tini Younger Reveals Losing Baby Girl To Placental Abruption—What Is This Condition?

"He is falling ill quite often and is repeatedly admitted to hospital," she said. The advocate further added that the family only sought passive euthanasia, which is withdrawal of treatment, and not any active intervention.

Justice Pardiwala also read medical reports and observed, "Just look at the condition of the boy. It's pathetic."

What Is The Common Cause Ruling?

The Common Cause ruling refers to a landmark Indian Supreme Court judgment that involves the NGO Common Cause. This is a 2018 case that recognized 'right to die with dignity' and legalized passive euthanasia and living will.

Under the ruling, a request for passive euthanasia must be evaluated by a primary medical board and if the board concludes that treatment could be withdrawn, a secondary board will be constituted to verify the decision before taking a final call.

The registry has been instructed to send Thursday’s order to the Noida hospital and to the office of Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati.

A Legal Journey To Die With Dignity

Rana’s parents have been navigating an incredibly tough journey, caught between differing medical opinions and strict legal requirements. In July 2023, the Delhi High Court declined their request for a medical board, saying Rana did not fall under the criteria for passive euthanasia because he was not on mechanical life support.

The Supreme Court later agreed that he wasn’t being kept alive by machines since he could breathe on his own and was being fed through a tube. But the judges also recognized the overwhelming strain on his elderly parents, who have even sold their home to keep his care going.

By November 2023, the court again suggested that he could be cared for at home, but still did not allow treatment to be withdrawn.

Now, as Rana’s condition worsens and his parents struggle to manage, the court has taken a more urgent stance. It has ordered a thorough medical evaluation to understand whether continuing treatment is simply prolonging his suffering rather than helping him recover.

What Does India Say About Passive Euthanasia?

India permits passive euthanasia under strict guidelines, and legalizes only the withdrawal of life support for terminally ill patients. One of the key cases also includes the Aruna Shanbaug Case (2011).

Shanbaug was an Indian nurse who was attacked and strangled in 1973. This attack left her in a persistent vegetative condition for 42 years until her death in 2015. She was admitted in the same hospital she worked as a nurse, at KEM Hospital in Mumbai. The case was brought by her friend, who petitioned the Supreme Court of India to end her life through passive euthanasia. The court, in a landmark judgment, allowed passive euthanasia, and also set new guidelines for the legality of euthanasia in India.

At least 55 people have lost their lives and 279 remain missing after Hong Kong’s most severe fire in more than a century swept through several high-rise towers on Wednesday afternoon, officials said. Fire crews are still trying to put out the blaze in the Tai Po area and reach those who are trapped inside. By early Thursday, authorities said they had managed to control the fire in four buildings, though teams were still working on three others more than 16 hours after the flames first appeared.

What Happened in Hong Kong?

A residential complex in the Tai Po district caught fire at around 2:51pm local time on Wednesday. The flames started on the bamboo scaffolding fixed to the outside of one of the buildings. This scaffolding, made of bamboo poles used by workers during repairs, burns very easily. Once it caught fire, the flames moved quickly up the outside of the building, spread into the apartments, and then reached nearby towers.

The blocks were also covered in green construction netting from the ground to the roof because renovation work was taking place. This netting caught fire as well and helped the flames advance at a faster pace. Local reports noted that the fire grew at incredible speed. By 3:34pm, it had reached a level four alarm, and by 6:22pm, it had been raised to a level five alarm, the highest alert in Hong Kong. It is now the deadliest fire the city has seen in more than 100 years.

Hong Kong Fire: How Did The Fire Start?

The blaze spread in minutes because it began on the bamboo scaffolding around the building and moved to the green netting covering the towers. Both materials burn very easily. Once they ignited, the flames climbed the outside of the tower and reached many floors above. Burning fragments then dropped to the ground and set nearby buildings on fire within minutes. Wind and the open gaps created during the renovation work likely pushed the flames even faster. While officials are still examining the exact cause, they said that the flammable scaffolding, the construction materials, and the tall buildings standing close together all played a part in letting the fire grow out of control, according to Al Jazeera.

Hong Kong Fire: Essential Safety Tips To Keep In Mind During A Fire Emergency

As per The American Red Cross society, here are some essential safety tips you should follow during incase a fire emergency strucks.

Smoke Alarms:

• Make sure your home is fitted with working smoke alarms.
• Place an alarm on every level of your home including inside each bedroom and outside every sleeping area. Connect the alarms so that they all sound together.
• Install alarms and alert tools to help family members who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Alert tools such as strobe lights flash when the alarm rings. Pillow or bed shakers can help wake someone who is sleeping. These devices are triggered by the sound of the smoke alarm and shake the bed to warn the person about the fire.
• Test each alarm at least once a month. Press the test button to check that it works.
• Visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission website for details on smoke alarms that may have been recalled.

Home Escape Plan

• Create a home escape plan that includes two ways out of every room. Share this plan with all family members and guests.
• The plan should show two clear exits from each room and a meeting point outside the home.
• Make sure everyone in the house knows the plan.
• Practice your fire drill regularly.
• Ensure that children, older adults, and people with disabilities have the help they need during an escape.
• Keep stairways well lit to prevent falls.
• Clear clutter so no one trips while trying to leave quickly.
• Add handrails along both sides of staircases.
• If you live in an apartment, know where all exit staircases are located on your floor in case the nearest one is blocked by smoke or flames. Always use the stairs to leave the building. Do not use the elevator unless the fire department says you can.

Fire Response

• If there is a fire, get out quickly and stay outside. Then call 9-1-1.
• If you cannot leave the building, call 9-1-1 and tell the fire department you are unable to get out. Wave a light coloured cloth or a flashlight near the window to signal for help, but keep the window closed.
• If you see smoke, use your second escape route. If you must move through smoke, stay low and crawl under it.

Sonali Bendre, actor, who is known for talking about her cancer journey, inspiring other survivors to talk about it too, has found herself at the center of a heated debate after she spoke how naturopathy and autophagy helped her in her cancer recovery.

Bendre, who was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic endometrial cancer in 2018, wrote on X that she believes autophagy played a role in her healing journey. Her post quickly drew sharp criticism from several doctors.

Doctors Point Out That Cancer Remission Came Through Medical Treatment

Members of the medical community reminded her that her remission was the result of evidence-based cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Many emphasized that autophagy is not a recognized medical therapy and should not be presented as one.

One post from hepatologist Dr Cyriac Abby Philips on X said, “Your cancer went into remission after chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery at an advanced cancer treatment hospital. Not because of Naturopathy. Not because of autophagy. Because you have the option and privilege to opt for the best treatments from scientific practice to help you.”

Bendre Clarifies Her Stand

Following the criticism, Bendre clarified that she was sharing her personal experience as a survivor, not medical advice. She wrote that her journey included elements she explored with the help of her naturopath, and these practices were only part of her overall healing process. In her words, “I have never claimed to be a doctor, but I am certainly not a quack either. I am a cancer survivor, someone who has lived through the fear, pain, uncertainty, and rebuilding that the disease brings.”

What Autophagy Actually Is

Autophagy is a natural process in which the body breaks down and recycles old or damaged cell components. Cells contain various structures that help them function, and over time some of these structures wear out. Autophagy acts like a clean-up and recycling system. It allows cells to dismantle faulty parts and reuse the useful components to maintain healthy cell function. Anything that cannot be used is removed by the cell.

This process is an important quality control mechanism. If too much cellular waste builds up, it can interfere with normal cell activity. Autophagy helps keep cells efficient and healthy. The scientific understanding of autophagy grew significantly after Japanese biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2016 for his work uncovering how it works. While autophagy is essential for survival, it is not considered a medical treatment for diseases.

Can Autophagy Treat Cancer?

Experts explain that autophagy plays a complicated role in cancer. In the early stages, it may help prevent tumor formation by clearing damaged components. However, in established cancers, the same process can allow tumor cells to survive stress and become more resistant to treatments like chemotherapy.

Disclaimer: Please consult a qualified doctor or oncologist before choosing any treatment for cancer. Health and Me does not endorse alternative therapies as substitutes for evidence-based medical care. This article is based on publicly available information. All medical conditions should be evaluated and managed under the guidance of a licensed healthcare professional.