"The current prevailing coronavirus strain abroad is XBB.1.5, which mainly attacks cardiovascular system and causes diarrhea."
A screenshot, going viral on the Internet recently, stated and added, "Prepare montmorillonite powder, oral rehydration salts (or electrolyte drinks), bacillus licheniformis granules, live, probiotics, lacidophilin tablets, and norfloxacin capsules."
Screenshot of the post calling for preparing medicines.
As a result, montmorillonite powder and other common gastroenterology drugs were once sold out on online shopping platforms.
The suggestion on medications in the screenshot is not entirely scientific, and there is no need to hastily purchase drugs, according to Chen Yonghe and Lian Lei, associate chief surgeon and director from the Department of Gastric Surgery of The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University.
Source:https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions
XBB belongs to the Omicron family of strains in essence, since it is a recombinant of the Omicron BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.7 subvariants, which can be taken to suggest that both strains infected someone at the same time and then completed recombination in that individual's body.
The US CDC published a graph showing the most common strains in the United States as of December 31, 2022. The dark purple strain represents XBB.1.5.
It can be seen that XBB.1.5 began to emerge in late November. However, by December 31, its viral lineages among infections had already hit 40.5 percent.
There's no indication it causes more severe illness than any other omicron virus, Dr. Barbara Mahon, director of the US CDC's Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division, said in a recent interview with NBC News.
Furthermore, there's no indication that XBB.1.5 results in more severe diarrhea. However, gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting are among the symptoms of COVID-19.
To treat diarrhea and other symptoms, according to Chen and Lian, scientific treatment and prompt medical advice are essential.
When taken orally with water, the montmorillonite powder can cover the digestive tract's mucous membrane, which has a fixing and inhibitory effect on viruses, germs and toxins produced in the digestive tract. It is safe to use by both children and pregnant women, and is effective against diarrhea and gastroenteritis induced by viruses.
However, it must be noted that Montmorillonite Powder is not required to use if just due to frequent bowel movements, and if it is used excessively, it may cause constipation. If the diarrhea is too severe and your whole body feels weak, you may have electrolyte abnormalities. In this case, taking montmorillonite powder will have less than optimal results. What you should do right away is to seek medical attention.
Norfloxacin capsules, on the other hand, are an antibacterial medication for bacterial infections and are commonly used to treat enteritis and dysentery. Yet it has no direct killing effect on viruses.
Having diarrhea, the body loses a lot of electrolytes, including potassium and sodium. In this instance, electrolytes drinks are effective at replacing lost electrolytes and reducing the severity of the illness.
Not all electrolyte beverages, meanwhile, can be used for diarrhea. Some products have been added with excessive amounts of glucose and other additives in an effort to improve the taste. This raises the osmotic pressure of the liquid, and drinking hypertonic beverages in the case of diarrhea can even aggravate the exudation of the intestinal mucosa.
Author | Hannah, Riz (intern)
Editor | Wing, Steven, Monica, Jerry
