Daily Archives: February 21, 2022

Objective

In the era of evidence-based medicine, research in the area of herbal psychopharmacology has increased dramatically in recent decades. To date, however, there is no comprehensive review of safflower as an herbal antidepressant and anxiolytic with details on its psychopharmacology and applications in depression and anxiety.

This research is a review and qualitative research through an electronic survey among the Saudi population, thus assessing their knowledge about using safflower in treating depression and anxiety. The survey was distributed in Saudi Arabia in December 2021 and the results were finalized in January 2022.

A total of 1074 Saudi participants were included in the study; 1002 (93.3%) participants reported knowing safflower very well while 72 (6.7%) had never heard of it. Some participants had used safflower infusions to treat anxiety and depression; 446 (44.4%)participants had never used it, but the remaining 558 (55.6%) had used it to varying degrees to treat anxiety and depression. Among the 752participants who previously tried safflower, 279 (37.1%) reported that safflower was very effective, 389 (51.73%) reported some improvement, and 93 (12.36%) reported no improvement.

Emerging medical evidence is guiding herbal treatments. This research illustrates that more than 75% of the Saudi population are using Safflower to treat psychological stress. It elaborates that more than half of the population are already using safflower off the label to treat depression and anxiety and that they find it useful. A well-constructed clinical trial is thus critical to prove the evidence-based benefits of safflower in treating depression and anxiety. More studies on possible side effects are required to guarantee its safety. Nature has previously provided remarkable remedies, and more work will illustrate the value of safflower.

An herb is a friend of the physicians and a praise of the cooks. - Charlemagne

Natural products can boost health in humans and animals, and they have a significant role in the prevention of diseases. These natural products have various biological properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic activities. In vitro and in vivo studies have further established the usefulness of natural products in various pre-clinical models of neurodegenerative disorders [1].

In Arabic countries, funerals involve prayers at the mosque and tradition suggests that a safflower drink be included to soothe the mourners. Similarly, safflower is given in the puerperium period after delivery or even a miscarriage. Women are encouraged to add safflower to their drinks to help them cope with postpartum symptoms.

One Saudi study evaluated the prevalence, knowledge, and attitudes toward herbal medications used by Saudi women in the central region during pregnancy, labor, and after delivery. Of the 612 participants, 25.3%, 33.7%, and 48.9% used herbs during pregnancy, during labor, and after delivery, respectively. The primary motives for using herbal medicine during pregnancy, during labor, and after delivery were to boost general health, ease and accelerate labor, and clean the womb, respectively [2].

The safflower drink consists of safflower petals soaked in water until the water becomes yellow and the safflower aroma can be smelled and tasted.Although this traditional herbal recipe is easy, it is not broadly studied beyond local tradition. This review is targeted at physicians and pharmacists and the value it has for their patients, specifically psychiatric patients with depression and anxiety.

Safflower (Usferin Arabic and Kafesheh in Persian, anciently named bastard saffron) is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like annual plant with many long sharp spines on the leaves. The plants are 30 to 150 cm tall with globular flower heads (capitula) and brilliant yellow, orange, or red flowers in July. Each branch will usually have from one to five flower heads containing 15 to 20 seeds per head [3].

Traditionally, the crop was grown for its flowers, used as a food additive, for making dyes, and in medicines. In the last 50 years, it has been cultivated mainly for the vegetable oil extracted from its seeds. Safflower oil is flavorless and colorless, and nutritionally similar to sunflower oil. It is used mainly as cooking oil, in salad dressing, and in the production of margarine. It may also be taken as a nutritional supplement. The International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) identifier ofsafflower is Carthamus tinctorius [3].

A search of MEDLINE (PubMed), PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases was conducted (up to September 19, 2021) on the use of safflower as herbal medicine. Several in vitro and in vivo clinical trials provide preliminary positive evidence for its antidepressant effects and anxiolytic activity. To date, however, there is no comprehensive review of safflower as an herbal antidepressant and anxiolytic with details on its psychopharmacology and applications in depression and anxiety in humans.

This research is a review and qualitative research. An electronic survey was done on Google Forms and distributed among the Saudi population through social media, thus assessing their knowledge about using safflower in treating depression and anxiety. The survey was distributed in Saudi Arabia in December 2021 and the results were finalized in January 2022.

Data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). The frequency and percentages were used to display categorical variables. A chi-squaretest was used to testthe association between categorical variables. The level of significance was set to 0.05.

This research has been ethically approved by the Central Research Ethics Committee at Prince Sultan Military Medical City in Riyadh on December 22, 2021, as project number 2021-51.

A total of 1074 participants were included in the study. Table 1 shows the sociodemographic and academic profiles of the participants. As for the age, 15 (1.4%) participants were less than 18 years old, 44 (4.1%) were between 18 and 25 years, 176 (16.4%) were between 26 and 35 years, 340 (31.7%) were between 36 and 45 years, 297 (27.7%) were between 46 and 55 years, 168 (15.6%) were between 56 and 65 years, and 34 (3.2%) were older than 65 years. Of the participants,100 (9.3%) were malesand 974 (90.7%) were females. As for the education level, 61 (5.7%) participants had an education of less than a high school degree, 168 (15.6%) had a high school degree or equivalent, 102 (9.5%) had a college education but not a degree, 104 (9.7%) had an associate degree, 555 (51.7%) had a bachelors degree, 64 (6%) had a graduate degree, and 20 (1.9%) did not specify their education.

Figure 1 displays the participants' previous knowledge of safflower. A total of 1002 (93.3%) participants reported they know safflower very well, while 72 (6.7%) reported they have never heard of it.

Figure 2 present the participants' source of information regarding safflower in participants who reported previously knowing safflower. A total of 775 (77.2%) participants reported they learned about safflower from family, 297 (29.6%) from social media, 214 (21.3%) from friends, 116 (11.6%) from books/publications, and 30 (3%) from other sources.

Table 2 demonstrates the participants' thoughts regarding the therapeutic benefits of safflower and their previous experience with it. As for the participants' awareness of the therapeutic benefits of safflower, 178 (17.7%) participants reported that the safflower has some general medical uses, while 826 (82.3%) reported that they are aware that it is used in treating psychological stress. As for participants' useof safflower infusion for medical purposes in general, 282 (28.1%) participants reported they never used it, while the remaining 722 (71.9%) had a varying degree of using it for general medical purposes. As for participants' useof safflower infusion to treat psychological stress, 245 (24.4%) reported they never used it, while the remaining 759 (75.6%) had a varying degree of using it to treat psychological stress. As for participants' useof safflower infusion to treat anxiety and depression symptoms, 446 (44.4%) reported they never used it, while the remaining 558 (55.6%) had a varying degree to treat anxiety and symptoms of depression.

Figure 3 illustrates the participants' reports on the improvement they experienced after using safflower. Among the 752 who previously tried safflower, 279 (37.1%) reported safflower was very effective, 389 (51.73%) reported they experienced some improvement, and 93 (12.36%) reported they experienced no improvement.

Figure 4 shows the participants' responses toward "Do you think safflower can be an effective medical treatment for symptoms of depression and anxiety?. Of the participants,834 (83.1%) reported that they think safflower can be effective in treating symptoms of depression and anxiety, while 170 (16.9%) did not think so.

Table 3 displays the factors associated with previous knowledge of safflower. Age was significantly associated with previously knowing about safflower (p < 0.001). The highest rate of knowing about safflower was seen in those between 46 and 55 years (97.3%) and those between 36 and 45 (94.7), while the lowest rate was found in those younger than 18 years (73.3%), and those older than 65 years (85.3). Gender was also significantly associated with previously knowing about safflower (p < 0.001). Females had a notably higher rate of knowing about safflower compared to males (95.8% vs. 69%). Education level was also significantly associated with previously knowing about safflower (p < 0.001). The lowest rate of previously knowing about safflower was found in those with education less than high school (69.7%), while the highest rate of previously knowing about safflower was found in those with bachelors degrees (95.9%).

Safflower has been used for its therapeutic value for centuries. Ancient writings like Historia Plantarum,abotanybook byJohn Raypublished in 1686, mentioned the use of safflower in treating respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases.

The modern literature has numerous studies proving that safflower has therapeutic advances in multiple medical conditions [4]. On top of the list of the medicinal uses of safflower is its miraculous healing properties [5]. It can help the body heal via its anti-inflammatory mechanisms [6]. Safflower also has value in cardiovascular diseases [7], specifically ischemic conditions [8].It can reverse cell death and regenerate adequate revascularization by angiogenesis [9].

Safflower can also overcome motor deficiencies in the central nervous system [10,11].The natural compound hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) isolated from the flower of the Carthamus tinctorius (safflower plant) can reduce apoptosis, partially pointing to the fact that HSYA protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury [12]. Hydroxysafflor yellow B (HSYB) has shown neuroprotective actions by recuperating the energy metabolism, scavenging free radicals, and decreasing lipid peroxides in the brain tissue [13]. Both compounds offer protection in response to cerebral ischemic reperfusion injury [14].

The flavonoid extract of safflower appears to have neuroprotective effects against neurotoxin-induced cellular and animal models of Parkinsons disease [15]. Safflower has been included in the synthesis of NeuroAiD, a treatment used to support functional recovery after stroke [16].It is also a complementary treatment for other brain injuries andAlzheimer's disease [17]. HSYA has been used to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases clinically in China, but the drug target is still not clear [4].

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) has been used in food and traditional medicine due to its active compounds such as flavonoids,phenylethanoidglycosides,coumarins,fatty acids, and steroids to treat conditions such as dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, and other diseases [18].

Lack of Research

The evidence for the efficacy of many complementary and alternative interventions used to treat anxiety and depression remains poor. Recent systematic reviews point to a significant lack of methodologically rigorous studies within the field. However, this lack of evidence does not diminish the popularity of such interventions within the general Western population [19].

Bipolar patients experience residual anxiety and insomnia between mood episodes and increasingly self-prescribe alternative medicines. Prior work concluded that adjunctive herbal medicines may alleviate these symptoms and improve outcomes in standard treatment despite limited evidence. Physicians need to have a more in-depth understanding of the evidence-based benefits, risks, and drug interactions of alternative treatments [20]. Even for alcoholism, the historical use of plant extracts to create herbal preparations for alcohol use treatment has been recorded, but their efficacy remains debatable, as further research is necessary[21].

A 2017 study showed that components (especially N-hexadecanoicacid)ofCarthamus tinctorius extract induce antidepressant-like effects by interaction withdopaminergic(D1andD2)and serotonergic (5HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors) systems. These findings validate the folk use of Carthamus tinctorius extract for the management of depression [22].

The most recent publication on safflower in treating mental illness was from Saudi Arabia earlier this year and it investigated Saudis' attitudes toward mental distress and psychotropic medications, attribution of causes, and expected side effects. This work analyzed participants' expectations toward alternative or complementary medicines using aromatic and medicinal plants via a survey. Here, 39 plants and herbs were reported by the participants and were a good start for creating a local library of medicinal plants traditionally used for treating mental distress. Mint (Mentha sp.) was the most commonly cited plant; it was mentioned 32 times. This was followed by chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile), suggested 22 times, anise (Pimpinella anisum), suggested 16 times, and lavender (Lavandula sp.)and safflower (Carthamus tinctorius),suggested 11 times each. Most of the reported plants and herbs have been documented for their psychological properties such as neuroprotective, anxiolytic, antidepressant, and anti-stress features via the inherent phytochemicals and secondary metabolites [23]. Surprisingly, only 18.8% of the participants agreed that medicinal and aromatic plants could treat psychological disorders. Participants (82%) reported that physicians are the most trustful and preferred source of information about alternative and complementary medicine [23].

Safflower (Carthamustinctorius)petal extract exerts neuroprotective and antioxidant activities [24], which helps with its antidepressant and antianxiety properties [25]. A recent study was performed to evaluate the antianxiety and antidepressant effect of Carthamus tinctorius petal extract. The results show that Carthamus tinctorius produced very significant anxiolytic and antidepressant effects compared to control, similar to the standard anxiolytic and antidepressant drugs diazepam and nortriptyline. Hence, they concluded that safflower may be an alternative therapeutic while treating patients with anxiety and depressive disorders [25].

Lack of Human Studies

Safflower has been used in several cultures as a medicine for multiple conditions, especially mental illnesses, but such use is rarely recorded. No official clinical trial has yet measured its efficacy in treating mental illness in humans. This lack of human studies underscores the need to explore new treatments. Such a study is more feasible in some countries than others due to cultural beliefs and rituals.

Herbal teas with numerous ingredients, especially flowers, are common in traditional medicines and pharmacopeias of Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean. A study of traditional herbal mixtures with flowers shows their botanical ingredients and records the local medicinal uses of these mixtures in Greece, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Turkey. These mixtures are not consumed as a treatment when one is sick but rather to avoid getting sick as a preventive measure. The formulations can reach 40 ingredients (Zhourat in Arabic). The ingredients are usually whole or coarsely chopped in more traditional formulations, thus leading to the extreme variability of individual doses [26].

Emerging medical evidence is guiding herbal treatments. This research illustrates that more than 75% of the Saudi population are using Safflower to treat psychological stress. It elaborates that more than half of the population are already using safflower off the label to treat depression and anxiety and that they find it useful. A well-constructed clinical trial is thus critical to prove the evidence-based benefits of safflower in treating depression and anxiety. More studies on possible side effects are required to guarantee its safety. Nature has previously provided remarkable remedies, and more work will illustrate the value of safflower.

Read this article:

The Use of Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) in Treating Depression and Anxiety - Cureus

Newswise Olivia Gatlin usually knows when a seizure is coming: She starts to get anxious. The feeling starts in her feet and moves to her neck. Sometimes shes not sure if shes experiencing an aura, or anxiety. In either case, the 42-year-old uses self-taught breathing exercises to calm herself.

But until recently, Gatlin had never discussed anxiety with her neurologist.

I took it for granted that the anxiety was coming along with my seizures, and I was just going to have to deal with it, she said.

The impact of anxiety

Studies estimate that some form of anxiety disorder affectsat least 25% of people with epilepsy, yet anxiety is underdiagnosed and undertreated. More attention often is paid to depression, possibly because of the risk for suicide. However, anxiety disordersalso can increase risk for suicide, said Coraline Hingray, Ple Universitaire du Grand Nancy and Centre Psychothrapique deNancy, France, during a session at the American Epilepsy Society (AES) Annual Meeting in 2021. Also, said Hingray, anxiety in people with epilepsy is astronger influence on quality of lifethan either depression or seizure frequency. And it is associated with poorer epilepsy outcomes.

A recent studyfound that among people with newly diagnosed epilepsy, those screening positive for both anxiety and depression had 7 times the risk of recurrent seizures, despite treatment with anti-seizure medications (ASMs), compared with those who screened negative for both conditions.

A2021 survey by the ILAE Psychology Task Forcefound that only 41% of epilepsy care providers screened patients for anxiety at every visit. Another 1% never screened for anxiety, and 31% screened only if the patient or a family member spontaneously mentioned anxiety during a visit.

Bidirectional relationship

There is a bidirectional relationship between anxiety and epilepsy, said Heidi Munger Clary, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, USA, and co-chair of ILAEs Integrated Mental Health Care Pathways Task Force. People with anxiety are at greater risk for epilepsy, and people with epilepsy are more likely to develop anxiety. That is likely related to the same structures being involved in both conditions.

Addressing anxiety in people with epilepsy can make a major difference, said Munger Clary. Its critical that we do what we can to address anxiety and depression. We talk about anxiety less, and the amount of expertise and comfort with managing it is lower, she said. But there is a big opportunity for us to impact care and improve lives.

Screening for anxiety: A first step and a conversation starter

Many neurologists cite time constraints as a barrier to screening. The GAD-7 screening tool takes only a few minutes and can be completed in the waiting room. Its used in the general population to screen for anxiety and has been validated in people with epilepsy.

GAD-7 is available onlinein more than 50 languages.

Printable versions of GAD-7 in English are availablehereandhere.

This pageprovides a printable GAD-7 in French (Canada).

This pageprovides printable GAD-7 versions in Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Thai.

And an online, automatically scored, English versionis available here(no log-in is required and no identifying information is collected)

GAD-2, a short version of GAD-7, appears just as effective in identifying anxiety in people with epilepsy. A score of 3 or more on the GAD-2 identifies generalized anxiety disorder at least 86% of the time.

The Epilepsy Anxiety Survey Instrument (EASI-18) and its briefer counterpart, brEASI, are also anxiety screeners designed and validated in people with epilepsy. They arefreely available in Englishand currently being translated and validated in other languages.

Offering a screening tool before an office visit is an excellent way to start a conversation about anxiety, said Munger Clary. If time or resource constraints prevent using a screener, she recommends asking a single question during the visit. I might ask, Are you having any challenges with mood? or Are you having challenges with depression or anxiety?, she said. Patients seem to respond well.

Barriers to anxiety management

More than 93% of respondents to the ILAE Psychology Task Force survey agreed that the management of depression and anxiety is integral to the care of people with epilepsy, but only 40% agreed that they had adequate resources.

Guidelines, or the lack thereof, are another concern. I think everyone recognizes that anxiety is common and problematic, but there arent integrated protocols on what to do, said Milena Gandy, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia. These barriers should not deter epilepsy care providers, said Gandy. The psychosocial factors are potentially modifiable, whereas many of the medical factors arent. You cant change the type of epilepsy people have, but you can help people modify the way they think, what they do, and how they understand their epilepsy.

Types of anxiety

A 2011 consensus statement from the ILAE states that its essential to establish the relationship, if any, between the anxiety and the epilepsy. Anxiety can be any of several types, and many people experience more than one type:

Anxiety also can be associated with fear of seizure recurrence (seizure phobia), or a reaction to the diagnosis of epilepsy and the limitations associated with it.

Medication and counseling

Gatlin, who lives in North Carolina, started medication after she began to have panic attacks in late 2021. The attacks started days after her first generalized tonic-clonic seizure. They come out of nowhere.

I get pressure on my chest and my hands go numb, she said. You feel like youre having a heart attack, like youre going to die, she said. The first time I really discussed anxiety with my doctor was when I started having these attacks.

Panic disorder may respond to any of several medications. Interictal anxiety often responds to medication or psychotherapy.

If the anxiety is pervasive and not seizure related, Munger Clary usually offers patients a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or selective norepinephrine uptake inhibitor (SNRI), if they arent already taking one. I can do that on my own, and its pretty effective, she said.

A 2016 review article inEpileptic Disordersdiscusses clinical, neurobiological, and pharmacological aspects of treating anxiety in people with epilepsy. The article includes recommendations for treatment of several anxiety disorders, including panic attacks, social anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

When it comes to psychotherapy, finding counselors who specialize in people with epilepsy, or in people with chronic conditions, would be ideal but isnt necessary, said Munger Clary. I think most people with epilepsy could benefit from a counselor with just general expertise, she said.

Gandy agreed. Seeing a psychologist and getting care is more important than finding someone who specializes in epilepsy, though in an ideal world you would want someone who has a bit of understanding of epilepsy and can tailor treatment to some of the unique challenges of seizures, as well as the stigma people face and what they can and cant do.

For more about cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a recommended treatment for some types of anxiety, see the callout box below.

Selecting treatment

Neurologists dont necessarily need a definitive answer for how to manage someones anxiety, said Munger Clary. Often, the choice of treatment depends on what the person with epilepsy prefers. Having a conversation about wellnesshealthy eating, good sleep patterns, physical activitycan help people begin to address anxiety before (or instead of) medication or counseling. Munger Clarypublished a study in 2021in which 89% of participants were willing to try wellness options for their anxiety.

Connecting patients with an epilepsy support group or asking if they have one or two supportive family member or friends also can make a big difference, said Munger Clary. And for people with epilepsy-related anxiety, an epilepsy action plan can ease fears and establish a protocol.

Other options include educational handouts about relaxation techniques, suggestions for apps or online materials, a referral to a psychologist or psychiatrist, and epilepsy support groups. And then there are alternative medicine types of opportunities--relaxation training, yoga, said Munger Clary. You can think through a lot of options and hopefully theres something that can be done, if the person is looking for help.

Who is responsible?

In the ILAE survey, 64% of epilepsy care providers said they werent responsible for managing anxiety in their epilepsy patients. This needs to change, said Adriana Bermeo Ovalle, Rush Medical Center, Chicago, USA. Epilepsy providers should screen, diagnose, and pursue treatment of the psychiatric conditions that epilepsy patients face on a daily basis, she said in a 2021 AES Annual Meeting session on patient care. We dont have the luxury of not making the diagnosis, she said.

Bermeo Ovalle recommends that neurologists become familiar with SSRIs and SNRIs for anxiety.

There are some intriguing data showing an improvement in seizure frequency when people with epilepsy are treated with SSRIs, said Munger Clary. There needs to be more research, of course, but it does raise the questionif the same brain structures are involved in both conditions, will we one day discover a drug that can treat both?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): What is it?

CBT aims to change unhelpful patterns of thinking and behavior. It is based on the principle that learning coping skills can help not only with mental health, but also day-to-day functioning, including medication adherence and lifestyle modifications.

CBTs impact can be broad. It is hard to manage a health condition and it requires skills how do I problem-solve this, where do I ask for help with that, what can I do, said Gandy. Some people might have those skills naturally, but others might need a bit of help. Thats where CBT can come in.

One 2019 studyrandomized 200 people with epilepsy and depression to either an online CBT intervention or to usual care, with anxiety as a secondary outcome.

People receiving CBT had significantly greater improvements in anxiety (as well as in depression, stress, social-occupational impairment, and epilepsy-related quality of life). At 3months, they reported fewer illness-related days off work and fewer days hospitalized, compared with people in the control group.

Online help for anxiety

Online, interactive courses are becoming more common for managing anxiety. Gandy runs a 10-week course that provides online psychoeducation similar to what would be given through in-person cognitive behavioral therapy, but with several advantages.

The typical counseling session is 50 minutes; thats a long time to pay attention, Gandy said. And often, people with epilepsy have additional attention challenges, as well as practical difficulties that make it difficult for them to keep in-person appointments. Online interventions can get around these barriers.

Delivered over 10 weeks, the course offers 6 online lessons, worksheets, other resources and case studies, as well as brief weekly contact with a clinician through email and telephone.

Actionable advice on anxiety and epilepsy

Gatlin urged neurologists to be upfront with their patients about anxiety and epilepsy. Doctors need to cover any and every side effect or other experience we could have, she said. People need to know that anxiety and panic could come along with the seizures, so they are prepared for it.

Her advice to people with epilepsy: Pay attention to yourself. Epilepsy has made me much better at listening to my body and evaluating myself, said Gatlin. There are ways to deal with anxiety, but first you have to be conscious of whats happening to you.

The benefits of targeting mental health in people with epilepsy are wide reaching, said Gandy. You can help peoples quality of life as well as epilepsy outcomes. She said ILAEs Integrated Mental Health Care Pathways Task Force is studying what can be learned from other disciplinessuch as oncology and cardiologyabout integrating mental health care into epilepsy care.

One in three patients that walks through your door are going to be anxious at some stage, she said. We know that depression and anxiety predict poorer outcomes. Its not an easy thing to fix, but theres no reason not to focus on it.

ILAE hasmore informationabout screening tools for anxiety and depression in people with epilepsy.

***

Founded in 1909, the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) is a global organization with more than 125 national chapters.

Through promoting research, education and training to improve the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disease, ILAE is working toward a world where no persons life is limited by epilepsy.

Website|Facebook|Instagram|YouTube

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The rest is here:

Anxiety in people with epilepsy affects seizure control and quality of life. Too often, it is overlooked. - Newswise

Rule change won't affect critical cases

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul insists the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) scheme for treating Covid-19 sufferers is not being scrapped following his signing off on changes to the programme.

Mr Anutin said he formally approved the changes on Feb 18, which will go into effect on March 1.

He also sought to ease people's fears the scheme would be abolished, saying people infected with the virus can still obtain treatment under the programme.

Under the UCEP scheme, patients can seek treatment at any medical facility for three days, after which they will be transferred to a hospital where their state welfare and/or health insurance scheme is registered.

However, the government recently removed Covid-19 from the list of conditions covered by UCEP, which means that from March 1, those who test positive for Covid-19 but do not require critical care will have to pay their own medical bills if they choose to seek treatment at private hospitals.

Yesterday, Mr Anutin said a new scheme called Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) Plus is being launched, which will handle Covid-19 sufferers who require emergency treatment for moderate to severe symptoms.

The Public Health Minister added that in practice, there should be no glitches in providing treatment under the UCEP after March 1.

He said the changes were intended to streamline the scheme and bring about improved budget management while keeping up Covid-19 treatment standards.

"We have to make necessary adjustments [to the UCEP scheme] for the sake of giving fair and effective treatment while also considering budgetary factors," he said.

Also yesterday, the National Health Security Office (NHSO), which runs the gold card universal health care programme, said most Covid-19 sufferers in the latest outbreak did not exhibit severe symptoms, despite rapidly rising caseloads.

The situation was generally less critical than in previous outbreaks, according to NHSO deputy secretary-general Yupadee Sirisinsuk.

Those with mild conditions receive home isolation care and the NHSO has a network of medical facilities to adequately provide medical services to sufferers in home quarantine.

"The idea of home isolation is not to leave sufferers to fend for themselves. We've got teams of medical and care workers to regularly follow up on their conditions," she said.

Symptoms permitting, sufferers should avoid going to hospitals that are reserved for those who require more intensive treatment, according to Dr Yupadee.

The majority of sufferers with no or mild symptoms are young people who tend to develop a fever. Close monitoring is necessary for sufferers who are elderly or those with underlying illnesses.

Meanwhile, Mr Anutin said the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine has asked the Public Health Ministry to approve the use of green chiretta (fah talai jone) for treatment of asymptomatic sufferers.

Green chiretta would provide a safer option than favipiravir, a medicine which may be too strong for sufferers with no symptoms, the Public Health Minister said.

Originally posted here:

Anutin insists govt will cover Covid treatment cost despite review - Bangkok Post

Rule change won't affect critical cases

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul insists the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) scheme for treating Covid-19 sufferers is not being scrapped following his signing off on changes to the programme.

Mr Anutin said he formally approved the changes on Feb 18, which will go into effect on March 1.

He also sought to ease people's fears the scheme would be abolished, saying people infected with the virus can still obtain treatment under the programme.

Under the UCEP scheme, patients can seek treatment at any medical facility for three days, after which they will be transferred to a hospital where their state welfare and/or health insurance scheme is registered.

However, the government recently removed Covid-19 from the list of conditions covered by UCEP, which means that from March 1, those who test positive for Covid-19 but do not require critical care will have to pay their own medical bills if they choose to seek treatment at private hospitals.

Yesterday, Mr Anutin said a new scheme called Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) Plus is being launched, which will handle Covid-19 sufferers who require emergency treatment for moderate to severe symptoms.

The Public Health Minister added that in practice, there should be no glitches in providing treatment under the UCEP after March 1.

He said the changes were intended to streamline the scheme and bring about improved budget management while keeping up Covid-19 treatment standards.

"We have to make necessary adjustments [to the UCEP scheme] for the sake of giving fair and effective treatment while also considering budgetary factors," he said.

Also yesterday, the National Health Security Office (NHSO), which runs the gold card universal health care programme, said most Covid-19 sufferers in the latest outbreak did not exhibit severe symptoms, despite rapidly rising caseloads.

The situation was generally less critical than in previous outbreaks, according to NHSO deputy secretary-general Yupadee Sirisinsuk.

Those with mild conditions receive home isolation care and the NHSO has a network of medical facilities to adequately provide medical services to sufferers in home quarantine.

"The idea of home isolation is not to leave sufferers to fend for themselves. We've got teams of medical and care workers to regularly follow up on their conditions," she said.

Symptoms permitting, sufferers should avoid going to hospitals that are reserved for those who require more intensive treatment, according to Dr Yupadee.

The majority of sufferers with no or mild symptoms are young people who tend to develop a fever. Close monitoring is necessary for sufferers who are elderly or those with underlying illnesses.

Meanwhile, Mr Anutin said the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine has asked the Public Health Ministry to approve the use of green chiretta (fah talai jone) for treatment of asymptomatic sufferers.

Green chiretta would provide a safer option than favipiravir, a medicine which may be too strong for sufferers with no symptoms, the Public Health Minister said.

Link:

Anutin insists govt will cover treatment cost despite review - Bangkok Post