Call
+918447748545

Published on: Oct 28, 2020
2 minute read
By: Dr Rajan ( Medical Second Opinion Cell)

COVID: A Reminder To Stay Safe

COVID: A reminder to stay safe

As we approach the second wave of COVID, we need to remain vigilant with our actions to prevent the spread of the virus. We are continuously reminded about wearing a mask in public, maintaining socially distant, and not engaging in risky behavior such as large gatherings. But today we will focus on other forms of transmission. COVID is primarily transmitted by airborne droplets, but spreading the infection through infected surfaces is still feasible. Here we will look at three articles that investigate this mode of transmission.

SARS-COV-2 Survives for 28 days on surfaces

This study by Australian scientists has found that SARS-CoV-2 can survive on surfaces for up to 28 days. The team investigated using the same amounts of virus found on infected individuals, interacting with surfaces such as cotton, paper, stainless steel, glass, and vinyl. Such materials were chosen as they represent commonly touched objects such as mobile phones, ATMs, supermarket checkout regions, items that may not be cleaned regularly enough. Previous research showed the virus could be detected in aerosols for up to three hours, and on plastic and stainless steel surfaces for up to three days.

This study found the virus may survive as long as a week on most surfaces, with enough potency to re-infect. Even after two weeks, there were still plenty of detectable viruses. On other surfaces such as banknotes, the virus could survive as long as a month. The survival of the virus is also potentiated by colder temperatures. The virus is far less likely to survive at 30C than at 6 C, a worrying finding for countries currently approaching winter.

Survival of SARS-CoV 2 on the human skin

We know our skin is host to millions of different bacteria and viruses, but the conditions created by the body alongside the degree of microbial competition actually makes it quite a hostile environment for pathogenic microbes. Hirose et al looked to investigate how well the SARS-CoV-2 virus survives on human skin, using a model. They found that SARS-CoV-2 and the influenza A virus were destroyed more quickly on the skin than other surfaces such as steel, glass, and plastic. However, COVID lasted over 4x longer on skin compared to Influenza A (9 hours vs 1.8 hours).

More importantly, ethanol compounds were found to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 within 15 seconds on human skin. This highlights the importance of regular hand washing, even if with alcohol gel. Taking this in mind, it is useful to keep small bottles of alcohol gel on a person when traveling in public and using it regularly. After all, if you are touching door handles and other items that hundreds of other people may have touched before you, potentially with poor hygiene, it is safer to regularly disinfect.

Low risk of COVID transmission by fomites in real life conditions

Having taken these studies into account, it is quite difficult to quantifiably measure transmission from surface to a person. Knowledge of this transmissibility is quite important, especially to those working in a hospital environment. A review by Mondelli et al published in the prestigious journal The Lancet (Infectious Disease) describes two sequential studies to looking at the possibility of contamination of surfaces in an infectious disease ward of a major Italian hospital, and also whether risk of transmission was higher in emergency rooms and sub-intensive care wards.

These studies found there were very few surfaces in the hospital through which positive swabs could be taken, suggesting contamination was low. Of course the hospitals were running standard cleaning procedures, with regular wipedowns of commonly toughed objects. This again highlights the importance of maintaining hygiene, and how adequate cleanliness can significantly reduce the risk of infection.

Read Blog

Remote Cardiac Monitoring India: Transforming Heart Health Through Continuous Digital Tracking

Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death in India. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), cardiovascular diseases account for nearly 28% of total deaths in the country. With rising stress levels, sedentary lifestyles, air pollution exposure, diabetes, hypertension, and delayed diagnosis, the need for better cardiac monitoring has grown significantly. Remote cardiac monitoring India is emerging as a powerful solution to monitor heart health in real time and detect abnormalities before they turn into emergencies.

Remote cardiac monitoring involves wearable or portable ECG devices that track heart signals continuously or at regular intervals. These devices transmit data securely to cardiologists or AI-based systems, enabling early detection of arrhythmias, rhythm abnormalities, ischemic patterns, and fluctuations in heart rate variability (HRV). SecondMedic brings cutting-edge remote monitoring options that help patients manage heart-related risks effectively, anytime and anywhere.

Why Remote Cardiac Monitoring Is Becoming Essential in India

India has a disproportionately high cardiac burden. Reports by WHO show that Indians suffer heart attacks at a younger age compared to global averages. Additionally, more than 50% of cardiac patients in India do not recognize early warning signs and reach hospitals late.

Remote cardiac monitoring helps solve these challenges by offering:

Early arrhythmia detection
Timely identification of heart stress
Post-surgery cardiac recovery supervision
Reduced hospital dependency
Continuous heart rhythm tracking
Better outcomes for chronic heart patients

With easy access to digital ECG devices, monitoring is no longer limited to hospitals.

How Remote Cardiac Monitoring Works

Remote cardiac monitoring uses smart ECG patches, chest straps, handheld ECG devices, and even AI-driven wearables. These devices record heart electrical activity or rhythm patterns and transmit the data to:

Cardiologists
Digital dashboards
AI algorithms
Care teams

The real-time nature of the data allows immediate response in case of abnormalities.

Core parameters captured include:

ECG waveform
Heart rate variability (HRV)
Arrhythmias (AFib, SVT, PVCs)
Tachycardia or bradycardia
QT interval abnormalities
Stress-related heart rhythm changes

SecondMedic ensures that the captured data is clinically relevant and accessible to both patients and doctors.

Patients Who Benefit Most from Remote Cardiac Monitoring

1. Post-Cardiac Surgery Patients

After angioplasty, bypass surgery, pacemaker implantation, or stent placement, patients require strict monitoring for weeks or months. Remote devices track recovery trends.

2. Individuals With Arrhythmia

Conditions like atrial fibrillation (AFib) require continuous monitoring, as episodes may come and go unpredictably.

3. Patients With Heart Failure

Monitoring helps evaluate worsening symptoms or cardiac stress.

4. High-Risk Individuals

Patients with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, or family history of heart disease benefit from early detection.

5. Elderly and Homebound Patients

Remote monitoring eliminates frequent hospital visits for routine ECG checks.

6. People Experiencing Palpitations

Intermittent symptoms can be captured and analyzed with wearable monitors.

Key Advantages of Remote Cardiac Monitoring

Early Detection Saves Lives

Abnormal rhythms such as atrial fibrillation can go unnoticed and lead to stroke. Remote monitoring detects these in real time.

Avoids Emergency Situations

AI alerts allow doctors to intervene early before symptoms worsen.

Better Long-Term Cardiac Care

Continuous data provides better insights than occasional clinic-based ECGs.

High Accuracy

Medical-grade ECG wearables match hospital-level precision for diagnosis.

Patient Convenience

Patients can monitor their heart health from home, office, or while traveling.

Improved Doctor Decisions

Trend-based cardiac data supports more accurate treatment planning.

Role of AI in Remote Cardiac Monitoring

AI and machine learning models analyze patterns collected from ECG devices.

AI enhances care by:

Identifying subtle abnormalities
Predicting arrhythmia events
Detecting ischemic trends early
Classifying ECG signal types
Reducing manual interpretation burden

SecondMedic integrates AI-assisted analysis to strengthen cardiac risk evaluation.

Post-Surgery and Rehabilitation Monitoring

Cardiac rehabilitation is crucial after major procedures. Remote monitoring provides:

Heart rate control
Blood pressure trend tracking
Rhythm abnormality detection
Activity monitoring
Medication adherence support

This reduces readmission rates and supports safer recovery.

Remote Cardiac Monitoring in Rural India

Many small towns lack cardiology specialists or advanced ECG equipment. Remote monitoring bridges this gap by:

Connecting patients to cardiologists virtually
Providing ECG analysis without hospital visits
Reducing delay in diagnosis
Supporting long-term monitoring at home

SecondMedic helps democratize heart care access across India.

Challenges and Solutions

Device Accuracy Variability

Solution: Use medical-grade, certified ECG wearables.

Digital Literacy Issues

Solution: Simple interfaces, guided onboarding, multilingual instructions.

Data Security

Solution: End-to-end encrypted data under DPDP Act compliance.

Connectivity Challenges

Solution: Devices with offline sync capabilities.

Future of Remote Cardiac Monitoring in India

The next decade will bring significant advancements:

Patch-based continuous ECG devices
AI-driven early warning scores
Smart pacemaker data integration
Multi-day continuous ECG monitoring
Predictive arrhythmia detection algorithms
Tele-ICU support for remote patients

SecondMedic is actively working to integrate next-generation cardiac monitoring tools into its platform.

Conclusion

Remote cardiac monitoring India is transforming heart care by enabling real-time ECG tracking, early abnormality detection, and continuous cardiologist oversight. This digital-first approach empowers high-risk patients, improves outcomes, and ensures safer long-term cardiac management. SecondMedic’s integrated digital heart monitoring solutions allow patients across India to access expert cardiac care anytime.

To explore remote cardiac monitoring solutions, visit www.secondmedic.com

References

ICMR - Cardiovascular disease burden
WHO - Early cardiac risk detection
NITI Aayog - Digital health innovation in India
ABDM - Unified digital health mission
Statista - Wearable and ECG device adoption India
SecondMedic cardiac care insights

Request A Callback

+91

By using this website/app, I confirm that I am at least 18 years old and consent to the processing of my personal data in accordance with the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Declaration.