april, 2020 | The healTh
| Hot Topic |
Prevention is
better than cure
holista joins fi ght against Covid-19 with
nasal balm sanitiser
he urged the public to take
preventive action and avoid panic in
dealing with the increasing numbers of
Covid-19 cases.
“in dealing with Covid-19, the public
should not panic by rushing down to
emergency wards and creating stress to the
system. The healthcare providers are not
only dealing with Covid-19 patients, but
they are also dealing with other patients of
diff erent illness,” he said.
Covid-19 is said to be a collective battle
to be fought by all Malaysian citizens.
Dr arasu said: “This is not a
responsibility for the ministry and
healthcare professionals only. it is a
collective responsibility of all the 32
million population in Malaysia.”
On an opposing matter, the numbers of
doctors for infectious diseases in Malaysia
is not the primary concern.
said Dr arasu: “The main issue is we
may have the number of doctors but are
there enough facilities? Doctors can only
work if there are enough facilities.
“Doctors and other healthcare
providers are doing their best to treat
Covid-19 patients. For the doctors, we must
understand that they will go through a
certain level of psychological stress. it is
preferred for specialists to be provided
with help in terms of psychologists if
needed.”
at the moment, 59 out of 140 above
public hospitals are designated for Covid-19
cases. Converting the sungai Buloh
hospital into a centre for infectious disease
was one of the government’s steps in
providing better management of infected
patients.
Dr arasu concluded: “We hope the
number of Covid-19 cases will improve. But
if the number continues to escalate, public
hospitals and private hospitals must come
together.”
Finding a cure for Coronavirus may
take some time, and The MMa have always
encouraged the government to spend more
on Research and Development (R&D) in the
continuous search for the right remedy (a
cure). — The Health
M
OsT transmissible
diseases can quickly be
arrested or contained if
people are sensitive to
their surroundings and
pay attention to personal
hygiene.
Datuk Dr Rajen
Manicka, CeO of holista CollTech ltd
(holista), strongly believes prevention
is better than cure and is working on
satisfying the demands for holista’s
handheld natshield sanitisers as well as
developing a nasal balm sanitiser.
according to Dr Rajen, the nose is
the most sensitive and weakest point of
transmission for viruses, bacteria and
fungus. The dampness, darkness and
warmth of the nose make it the perfect
environment to host the microbes. The
nasal mucus secretion also helps with the
growth of the microbes exponentially. Once
it has multiplied to a more substantial
amount, it gets inhaled into the body and
thus leads to infection.
“The nose is an open target as the
microbes can enter through inhalation and
by hand-to-nose transmission. The hand is
more susceptible to be in contact with the
microbes because of the touching of objects
or surfaces which has the germs, such as
handshakes, elevator buttons, door handles
or even restaurant cutleries.
“One must avoid touching the face, most
especially the nose, to avoid hand to nose
transmission.”
Dr Rajen encourages the practice of
basic hygiene sanitisation. Washing hands
frequently and regularly with soap and
water is the best way to prevent infection.
“if we practise basic hygiene, we don’t need to
suff er needlessly,” said Dr Rajen.
he notes countries such as Japan and
Korea practice strict hygiene sanitisation,
The nose
is the most
sensitive and
weakest point of
transmission for
viruses, bacteria
and fungus say Dr
Rajen.
where the use of face mask and sanitisers
has been the norm for many years.
such practices will make for a cleaner
environment and reduces the chances for
viral infections to catch on.
as a means to combat microbial
transmissions more eff ectively, holista
has developed a handheld sanitiser. Called
natshield, it is a plant-based sanitizer,
which is free from chemicals, alcohol and
genetically modifi ed organisms (GMOs).
it contains a plant-based active
ingredient called Path-away, which is
proven to kill over 170 viruses, bacteria
and fungi. The active ingredient works by
attaching to the virus and weakens its cell
wall. Once crippled, the virus cell clumps
together and in the process kill each other.
amidst the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus,
natshield has been in high demand locally
and internationally. holista has been trying
to meet demand as the outbreak has caused
a shortage of spray heads and bottles, which
were produced in China.
holista has since opened a second plant
in the Philippines to bottle the sanitisers
alongside the Malaysian plants and
currently has the capacity to produce 50,000
bottles in a week. Dr Rajen also shared that
they are developing a nasal balm sanitiser,
which also uses the same active ingredient
Path-away.
“The nasal balm is expected to hit the
market in July this year. There are procedures
we have to complete before the balm is on the
shelves,” said Dr Rajen.
holista CollTech ltd is an australian-
based research-driven biotech company
which operates from its Malaysia and
Perth offi ces. holista produces products in
three diff erent divisions, which are
dietary supplements and personal care,
food ingredients and lastly, sheep collagen.
— The Health
19