When food smells like sewage: A rare after-effect of COVID-19?

When food smells like sewage: A rare after-effect of COVID-19?

Like many others, she too suffered Anosmia – the loss of smell and taste. However, instead of recovering from it, she started experiencing a new one – Parosmia.

Published: 17th December 2020 01:59 AM 

By Sushmitha Ramakrishnan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Imagine if lemons smell like petrol, or dosas like rotten cabbage! Twenty-five-year-old Sanjana (name changed), a doctor pursuing post-graduation in general surgery, is living this nightmare. Even her favourite food items now smell like raw sewage. She was treated for Covid in August-September.

Like many others, she too suffered Anosmia – the loss of smell and taste. However, instead of recovering from it, she started experiencing a new one – Parosmia. This is a disorder that distorts smells, often making them unpleasant.The various flavours she enjoyed smelled strange: mostly putrid or foul and made her nauseous.

Experts say smell dysfunctions are common after-effects of viral illnesses. However, in Sanjana’s case, the conditions persists a good three months after recovery, making her wonder if she will ever go back to enjoying her food again.

"I lost my sense of smell and taste by the end of August and I was on Covid-19 treatment," she said. While most people who develop Anosmia due to Covid-19 experience symptoms for about two weeks, Sanjana's persisted for over six weeks.

"For a few days in mid-October, I started regaining my smell, then suddenly just being around food made me want to vomit," she said, elaborating that then she realised that the problem was not with food but her sense of smell. After a lot of trial-and-error, she has standardised a meal of plain rice, fresh yogurt and select boiled vegetables.

"I have classified all food as only two kinds: One that does not make me vomit or food that smells putrid like sewage or toxic chemicals," she declared saying that she found that fruits like blueberries or pomegranate are not as intolerable as the citric ones.

The big problem that Sanjana is now facing is that she is unable to find an effective treatment for her condition. After consulting several physicians and finding very limited effective treatment, Sanjana found some solace within social media support groups, wherein people who developed Parosmia post-Covid, discuss symptoms and suggest food that doesn’t make them nauseous. The group hosts members who are as young as 10 years old and also those over 60. There are many patients who are unable to consume anything other than water, and for some even tap water smells like petrol. Unfortunately, most members in these groups have not reported recovering from Parosmia, causing worry if the impairment could be permanent.

Normally, people with Parosmia take a few years to regain their sense of smell, says Kilpauk Medical College Dean P Vasanthamani. “No Covid-19 patient in KMC has reported this symptom so far. Anosmia is one of the first symptoms many experience before they get tested for Covid-19. Parosmia could be a very rare offshoot of the viral infection,” she says.

Retired Director of Public Health Dr K Kolandasamy opines that linking Covid-19 and Parosmia needs more investigation. “There are no reported cases in Tamil Nadu so far and it seems like a rare case. It is too early to establish a correlation and it needs further investigation,” he added. Certain smell training programmes have helped some Parosmia patients train their senses to get used to the foul smell and to avoid throwing up. However, the programmes seem to have limited effect on recovery.

​

HC questions Theni MC on issue of TC

 

Theni to Chennai Train via Madurai may become reality in June 2021

 

Counselling for MBBS/BDS under management quota

 

HC: Sex with promise of marriage not always rape

HC: Sex with promise of marriage not always rape

New Delhi: 17.12.2020

Sex with the promise of marriage doesn’t constitute rape if the woman continues to have consensual physical intimacy over a long period of time, Delhi High Court has observed, reports Abhinav Garg.

Quashing a rape case filed by a woman who off and on had a physical relationship with a man for months, the court noted, “A promise of marriage cannot be held as an inducement for engaging in sex over a protracted and indefinite period of time.”

Justice Vibhu Bakhru noted that sexual relationships could be said to be induced on false promise of marriage if the victim fell prey to it momentarily. “In certain cases, a promise of marriage may induce a party to agree to establish sexual relations, even though the party does not desire to consent to the same. Such inducement in a given moment may elicit consent, even though the concerned party may want to say no,” the court explained.

Only in such cases a false promise to marry with the intention to exploit the other party “may vitiate consent and, thus, constitute an offence of rape under Indian Penal Code section 375”, it added.

Full report on www.toi.in

Citizenship Act Indian diaspora's umblical cord; OCI Cardholders to be treated as Indian Citizens for professional course admission: Karnataka HC

Citizenship Act Indian diaspora's umblical cord; OCI Cardholders to be treated as Indian Citizens for professional course admission: Karnataka HC

Such a stance, the Court said, would be in tune with the ancient India thought of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,' that is, world is a family.

Rintu Mariam Biju

Dec 16, 2020, 12:31 PM IST

Minor children of Indian citizens born overseas must have the same status, rights and duties as Indian citizens, the Karnataka High Court recently said ruling that Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders should be treated as Indian citizens for the purpose of admission to professional educational institutions.

Such a stance, the Court said, would be in tune with the ancient Indian thought of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,' that is, world is a family.

A Division Bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and NS Sanjay Gowda, in effect, quashed section 2(1)(n) of the Karnataka Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission & Determination of Fee) Act, 2006 to the extent it includes the 'Overseas Citizens of India' or 'Overseas Citizens of India Cardholders' within the definition of "Non-resident Indian" (NRI).

"The impugned Section 2(1)(n) of the Karnataka Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission & Determination of Fee) Act, 2006, as amended by Karnataka Act No.22 of 2017, to the extent it includes the ‘Overseas Citizens of India’ or ‘Overseas Citizens of India Cardholders’ within the definition of “Non-resident Indian” is quashed," the High Court said.

The Court also said that the Citizenship Act is the umbilical cord through which the Indian Diaspora the world over have a connection with India—their country of origin.

Factual matrix

The Government of India through the Ministry of Home Affairs, had issued a gazette notification on April 11,2005, conferring further rights on OCI cardholders as per Section 7A of the Citizenship Act.

Subsequently, another notification dated January 5, 2009 was issued conferring certain rights on OCI cardholders entitling them to appear in All India Pre-Medical Test or any other test so as to make them eligible for admission in pursuance of provisions contained in the relevant statutes.

The Karnataka Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Determination of Fee) Act, was enacted in 2006 and this act did not include OCI cardholders for the process of admissions.

The OCI cardholders approached the Karnataka High Court against the State government for not permitting them to participate in online counseling for government/private quota seats for MBBS/BDS/Engineering courses.

The Karnataka High Court disposed of the same by an order in 2017, stating that OCI cardholders shall be entitled to be treated on par with NRIs in the matter of admission to MBBS/BDS course for the academic year 2017-2018.

Pursuant to that, the said petitioners participated in the counseling and selected government seats in Private/ Government Medical Colleges and are pursuing their studies in MBBS/BDS courses.

The State then filed an SLP before the Supreme Court against the High Court verdict but, subsequently, withdrew the same.

For the Academic Year 2018-2019, the Court had, by way of an interim order of 2018, permitted OCI cardholders to participate in the counseling for selection of seats insofar as Engineering and such other courses.

Against the interim order, the State filed writ appeal but no stay was granted in the appeal.

For the Academic Year 2019-2020, the grievance of the OCI Cardholders being the same, writ petitions were filed seeking similar reliefs which were allowed by a single -judge by way of the impugned order dated April 10, 2019.

The single judge considered the definition of NRI under Section 2(1)(n) of 2006 Act in light of both the Central Government Notifications and held that a OCI Cardholder cannot be equated to an NRI in the matter of admission to professional colleges by an interpretation of the aforesaid two Notifications.

It is in respect of this Writ Petition, the State has preferred this appeal while in the connected matter, writ petitioners have sought for prayers similar to the earlier years, for the Academic Year 2019-2020.

Arguments of Parties

The State Government contended the single-judge was not right in interpreting the notification issued by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, dated 05/01/2009 contrary to the provisions of the 2006 Act as well as 2006 Rules of the State Government.

Assistant Solicitor General, appearing for the Centre and Senior Counsel NK Ramesh appearing for the Karnataka Examinations Authority also concurred with the submissions of the State.

The counsel appearing for the respondent – OCI cardholders/students in the writ appeal submitted that said that OCI Cardholders cannot be included in the category of Non- Resident Indian under Section 2(1)(n) of the 2006 Act.

It was further brought to the attention of the Court that even in States of Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the expressions “Non-Resident Indian” and “Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder” have been distinguished, but they may not be entitled to any kind of reservation which is permissible only for Indian nationals.

What the Court held

Referring to statutory provisions under the Citizenship Act and notifications issued thereunder, the court observed that the amendment made to Section 2(1)(n) of 2006 Act is contrary to the central law and therefore, has to be struck down on the ground of repugnancy as per Article 254 of the Constitution.

In this regard, the Court held that,

Therefore, if, on an interpretation of the Notification dated 05/01/2009 it is held that the parity of OCI Cardholders with Non-Resident Indians in the matter of appearance and eligibility for admissions in the Medical/Dental and Engineering Entrance Test is removed, the OCI Cardholders cannot be treated as a Non-Resident Indian. The said Notification having been issued on 05/01/2009, would prevail as it is a Notification issued under the Citizenship Act, which is a Parliamentary legislation and not State law.

The Court added that,

"Thus, an OCI Cardholder cannot be treated on par with the Non-Resident Indian under Section 2(1)(n) of 2006 Act (State law), on account of the interpretation given to Notification dated 05/01/2009 and the State law will have to yield to the Central law, due to applicability of doctrine of occupied field and having regard to the repugnancy under Article 254 of the Constitution."

In its 123 page long judgment, the Bench remarked that, "The Citizenship Act is the umbilical cord through which the Indian Diaspora the world over have a connection with India—their country of origin."

The Court, therefore, held that Rule 5 of the Karnataka Selection of Candidates for Admission to Government Seats in Professional Educational Institution Rules, 2006, to the extent it prescribes Indian Citizenship, should be interpreted so as to include within the scope of the expression ‘Citizen’, OCI C\cardholders as per Section 4 of the Citizenship Act and as per Notification dated January 5, 2009.

Thus, the court upheld the direction of the single judge to permit petitioners to register for CET-2019 and participate in the ensuing counselling of CET-2020 or subsequent years, for selection and allotment of seats in BE/B.Tech/B.Arch.

Similar direction was also issued for MBBS/BDS course wherein NEET scheme will apply.

Allopathy doctors, avoid professional association with other medicos: MMC

Umesh.Isalkar@timesgroup.com

Pune: 17.12.2020

Maharashtra Medical Council, the governing body of allopathy doctors in the state, on Tuesday issued an advisory to its members to not “professionally associate” with non-allopathy practitioners. The council has also directed postgraduate allopathy doctors to mention the abbreviation of their graduation degree, MBBS, before the postgraduate degrees MS and MD on their clinic boards, letterheads and visiting cards, among others. The postgraduate degrees of ayurveda doctors are MD and MS too.

The move comes in the wake of the recent Union government notification allowing postgraduate ayurveda doctors who have specialized in shalya (surgery) and shalakya (diagnosis and prevention) to perform 58 procedures.

MMC reiterated the ultimate responsibility of treating a patient, where an allopathy doctor is professionally associated with a non-allopathy doctor, lies with the former alone under relevant sections of the law. Besides, allopathy doctors running nursing homes and hospitals should ensure that a non-allopathy doctor working as an assistant does not issue a prescription of allopathy drugs with the latter’s signature.

MMC president Shivkumar Utture said, “This advisory is already there in the Indian Medical Council Regulations and MMC Act. We have simply reiterated it to sensitise our members and safeguard patients’ interests.”

In circumstances where an allopathy doctor has to employ a non-allopathy doctor or work in hospitals run by non-medicos or non-allopathy doctors, the entire responsibility of the patient’s treatment lies with him or her, the advisory stated.

Pune’s senior paediatrician and MMC member Dilip Sarda said, “First, the registered medical practitioners or allopaths should not professionally associate with non-allopaths. If they have to, then the onus of treating a patient lies solely with the allopath.”

Telemedicine could prove a better tool for registered medical practitioners employing non-allopathy doctors as assistants at their clinics, nursing homes and hospitals.

“Digital signatures, prescriptions and telemedicine are valid tools under the law. The allopaths can use them to the fullest while running the operations of nursing homes and hospitals,” said Sanjay Patil, state vicepresident of IMA.

The MMC advisory was issued under the relevant regulations and sections of the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, and MMC Act, 1965.