Combatting COVID with Experts: Interview with Dr. Krutika Kuppalli

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Source: @KrutikaKuppalli Twitter

2020 was a year for the history books, with the world having to make adjustments as COVID-19 gripped almost every area of our lives. 2020 was a year that saw it’s deadliest global pandemic since the Spanish Influenza of 1918. However, as we embark on the dawn of a bright new year with hope and possibilities, two vaccines being rolled out in America and several more in late-stage clinical trials- 2021 is looking a bit brighter.

This doesn’t mean we don’t have questions- and a lot of them. How is the world going to look in the future? What are our biggest hurdles to come? Is humanity as we know it changed forever? When will I be able to hug grandma again?

As a trusted health and fitness resource committed to providing unbiased and science-backed facts to our readers, we decided to ask the experts and brilliant minds who have devoted their lives to research in virology and epidemiology some of these burning questions.

Dr. Krutika Kuppalli is an infectious diseases physician who has focused on the care of vulnerable patients in the U.S. and abroad. She is an Emerging Leader in Biosecurity Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security. As the vice-chair of the Global Health Committee at the Infectious Diseases Society of America,  she is spearheading efforts to prepare and train physicians to handle infectious diseases. 

HFR founder Samir Becic asked Dr. Kuppalli some important questions in this exclusive interview:

Samir Becic: In your professional opinion, what should we expect differently in 2021 with regards to COVID-19? When do you think we can expect to go back to normalcy?

Dr. Kuppalli: I think much of the focus of 2021 is going to be working to educate the public on the vaccine and helping to roll it out not only here in the U.S., but also to the rest of the world. Remember, this is a global pandemic and we need to focus on the fair and equitable distribution of a vaccine globally and make sure the entire population is safe from this disease. I don’t ever think our world will go back to the way it was in 2019- we will go back to a new world that has been changed by this pandemic and it will be our new normal. My hope is that we will get enough of the vaccine rolled out and have the pandemic under control by the end of 2021. To do this, it will take all of us coming together

Samir Becic: Do you have a vaccine preference and why?

Dr. Kuppalli: Of the two vaccines that have obtained EUA, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Moderna, I have no preference. They are both mRNA vaccines and the data from both trials is very similar.

Samir Becic: Besides the obvious of social distancing, wearing a mask, and washing your hands, what are 3 other tips you would give to people?

Dr. Kuppalli: If you are going to gather with others, please do so in small groups while wearing your face masks and do so outside.

If you don’t feel well please stay home.

Please stay as close to home as possible and avoid travel unless necessary.

Samir Becic: The seasonal flu affects children as much, if not more than adults, whereas COVID-19 has very little effect on kids. Why is that?

Dr. Kuppalli: That is still being studied and there are various hypotheses. Some of them are that kids may have fewer ACE-2 receptors, or it could have to do with hormonal differences in kids.

Samir Becic: In a couple of short sentences, how does a virus mutate? How concerned should we be about COVID-19 variants?

Dr. Kuppalli: These variants are concerning, especially because they lead to increased transmission which means they can lead to an increased number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. This is concerning because this leads to an increased burden on the healthcare system (look at what is going on in London) and can cause a collapse of the healthcare system since there are not enough healthcare professionals or resources to care for patients. Also, the more patients who get sick also leads to increased morbidity to patients being infected as we know many patients have long term effects from Covid.

Samir Becic: Do you think masks are here to stay?

Dr. Kuppalli: Yes. We have not only seen the effect on COVID but also we have had a nonexistent flu season and this may in part be due to wearing masks.

Samir Becic: A popular conspiracy theory is that this virus was created in a lab. What is the most insane conspiracy theory you’ve heard?

Dr. Kuppalli: That one.

Samir Becic: What is the absolute worst-case scenario with regards to COVID-19?

Dr. Kuppalli: That the cases go up and we continue to see more hospitalizations and deaths and we don’t have the capacity to care for patients. Like what we saw in China, Italy, NY last year.

Samir Becic: Billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates has been donating millions of dollars to fighting COVID-19 and other infectious diseases throughout the world. Do you think that more private donors should follow in his footsteps?

Dr. Kuppalli: I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to say what other people do with their money. I do think that it is commendable to see what Gates, Buffet, and others have done to help further the causes of infectious diseases.

Samir Becic: The Spanish Influenza pandemic was in 1918, approximately 100 years before COVID-19- do you think the frequency of global pandemics will increase?

Dr. Kuppalli: Yes. We have seen just over the last 40 years the frequency of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases increase. With more interconnected societies and mobile populations, along with changes in the environment, it is bound to increase the frequency with which outbreaks occur.

Samir Becic: What healthy habits are part of your daily routine (exercise, nutrition etc.)?

Dr. Kuppalli: Sleep and when I have time, meditation.

Samir Becic: Obesity has been shown to be one of the highest risk factors when contracting COVID-19- what are your tips for people in this demographic?

Dr. Kuppalli: Adhering to the public health protocols that have been advised, exercise, and getting the vaccine when able.

Samir Becic: Considering that you’ve been interviewed frequently, what was the best question you’ve been asked?

Dr. Kuppalli: What can we do to prevent this from happening again in the future (we need to be a more proactive society so I like questions that think like that).

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