Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd.

  Early on researchers had observed the complications of abnormal blood clotting in COVID-19 patients.  D Dimer, a coagulation marker, is playing an important role in early identification of complications caused due to blood clotting and thus aiding in treatment of severe COVID-19 cases. How blood clots are proving to be fatal in COVID-19 Early on, while doctors were still trying to understand COVID-19, signs of blood clotting were being detected in different organs. Nephorologists were noticing dialysis catheters getting plugged with clots. Neurosurgeons were witnessing a surge in patients with strokes.  “Researchers have found stroke rate to be seven times higher in patients with severe COVID-19 than those with severe seasonal flu(1).” Evolving clinical resources confirm a convoluted role of abnormal blood clotting in COVID-19 that manifests in the form of both micro thrombosis (formation of small blood clots) and venous thromboembolism (VTE). VTE is a condition when a ...

The world over, countries are eagerly waiting for a vaccine to give their people protection against SARS-CoV-2. In the interim period, health officials are relying on serology (antibody) testing for public health decision making and bringing life back to normal. Critical use of antibody tests The presentation of symptoms and a positive RT-PCR test gives a confirmation of the COVID-19 infection. However, there is a large population that remains asymptomatic and hence undiagnosed. In fact, various studies conducted at different times during this pandemic, have indicated to a significantly large population in India being asymptomatic. And that has led to the speculation about whether or not these people can further transmit the virus. Obviously, this can be dangerous for India in the long run, if these asymptomatic carriers remain untraced. This is where antibody testing plays an important role. While RT-PCR and antigen tests assess the viral load in infected patients; antibody test helps...

“When the going gets tough, the tough gets going”, a famous adage that makes more sense now than even before! While each of us has our own unique stories to tell from the lockdown, we present to you experiences of our very own frontline heroes, who lived up to Transasia’s vision of a Healthier India! This is not a narrative from a Bollywood movie, of an actor fighting all odds to win over his love, or a sci-fi flick of a superhero saving the world from ETs. These are true experiences of grit and determination, of working with your heart, to give it all you have for a healthier nation! While the COVID pandemic and ensuing lockdown left most with no choice but to work from home, there were some for whom it did not matter whether an area was declared a containment zone or a hotspot. What mattered for these great heroes was that they are the face of India’s leading In-vitro Diagnostic Company, and providers of essential diagnostic services. So, while India came to a standstill, it was co...

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has once again turned the spotlight on to pathologists and laboratory medicine, not to miss out the indispensable role of microbiologists, virologists and biochemists. Now more than ever, their role can be compared to that of a film director, who remains behind the scene but calls the shots! By now we all know that blood samples and naso and oropharyngeal swabs are been collected by PPE clad, trained laboratory professionals for COVID-19 testing. But have you ever wondered what happens after you give your samples? How are the various results arrived at? How does the Doctor arrive at a treatment plan based on these numbers? It is the pathologist and his team of trained clinical laboratory personnel who don the hats of both a physician and a scientist to give all answers. Pathology - the backbone of medicine Pathology is a marvelous medical science that underpins every aspect of patient care, from diagnosis, monitoring and interpretation of clinical findings...

It is interesting to know how a routine blood test can give the clinician a plethora of information! Pathologists the world over are relying on various hematology parameters for severity assessment of COVID-19. Renowned scientific and clinical publications have now concluded that various biochemistry and hematology parameters play an essential role in the early detection, prognosis and management of COVID-19. Significant reduction in absolute Lymphocyte count and Hemoglobin, is associated with the increase in total WBC count, absolute Neutrophil count, ESR, Prothrombin Time, D-Dimer, C-Reactive Protein and Pro-calcitonin. Additionally, various routine biochemical parameters also get deranged and signify the severity and poor prognosis. These lab findings, especially elevated Ferritin levels, suggest an imminent ‘Cytokine Storm’ which might lead to complications like Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), Pneumonia and Multi-organ Failure (MOD). Elevated troponins & CK-MB signi...

Whoever thought that a simple sneeze can grip the attention of the whole world and ‘Corona’ would garner more attention as a deadly virus rather than the amber, scintillating aura that surrounds the sun? As India’s leading diagnostic manufacturer, we have always been at the forefront for raising our concerns on imports, be it from China or the rest of the world. Today, yet again, we raise our concerns, this time to curb yet another import, that of the Corona virus. The world will remember the year that was (2019), for reasons more than one, especially the end of an eventful decade of tremendous change and development globally! But the start of the new decade has challenged the global health machinery, with the rampant spread of the Corona virus. Christened COVID-19 by WHO, the deadly virus, which originated in China, has so far claimed over 3200 lives and infected more than 90,000 people worldwide! While medical experts are working round-the-clock to develop a vacc...

It’s that time of the year when India Inc. puts forth their suggestions and expectations from the Government in allocating policies and budgets for the year that will be, and healthcare is no exception. The Indian healthcare industry is on a progressive track and the diagnostic industry in particular is expected to steadily grow at a CAGR of 13-14% through 2020. Having said that, the industry looks forward to crucial government reforms that will help achieve these numbers. While technology is expected to continue to make in-roads, I reiterate that affordability and accessibility of healthcare need to take centre-stage. I am hoping that a major focus in the Union Budget 2020 will be given to the diagnostic industry, as it is the starting point to building a Healthy and Happy India. Hard reality of the USD 7 bn Indian medical device industry is that imports still constitute to 72-80%. While Make in India continues to remain the central focus for the government, as an Indi...