The AMR story

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<img src="https://i.ibb.co/6WdMtd8/SN-POS-RGB.png" alt="SN-POS-RGB" width="100" border="0"> It is the end of the rains and it has not completely dried out yet. The weather is unpredicatble. It is damp all the time and then all of a sudden it is very hot. It is one of those days in between two seasons which seems to be the best time to be a bug. Not just the creepy crawly bug, but the kind of bug that can get inside you if someone sneezes too close to you. The bug could be a //Streptococcus// species. Or it could be something else altogether. <img src="https://i.ibb.co/27M5VYg/cdc-QEU-Qg-IOJKA-unsplash.jpg" title="Photo by CDC on Unsplash" width="100" border="0"> That bug has caught you. Congratulations, you have a cold, and also a sore throat for good measure. You need to get better ASAFP*, because [[your favourite team is playing in the IPL final!->Final Match Scenario]] *ASAFP: //As Soon As *** Possible :) //

<<set $ABdose to 0>> We get it, you favourite cricket team, the ''Royal Challengers Bangalore'' are finally in the final! <img src="https://i.ibb.co/V3xm1xv/Virat.jpg" Title="Virat" width="100" border="0"> You also have tickets, and not just any tickets, you have seats right at the edge of the pitch from where you can see all the action. 🔥 But you also have a cold 😔 the kind that looks like it will not go away. What will you do? <<if $ABdose ==0>>\ You have taken ''Zero'' doses of any antibiotics so far <</if>> [[My mother is telling me to take antibiotics->Mom's antibiotics]] [[I will go to the local pharmacist/medical store, they always have a quick fix ready!->Local pharmacist]] [[I will visit our doctor at the local clinic->Local Clinic 1]]

Ah! The Magic dose of antibiotic Amoxycillin that my mom always gets from the local pharmacy! I will be better in no time! But it also seems a little dumb to take really strong medicines without really asking a doctor. What should you do? [[Go to a doctor->Local Clinic 1]] [[No need, I want to get better fast, I am going to take the antibiotic!->Antibiotic Taken][$ABdose+=1]]

I visit the local pharmacist, and I tell them about my predicament. I tell them that I need to get better soon. They click their tongues "I have something that will make you feel better, says the pharmacist "What is it?" I ask He goes to the counter and pulls out a packet of <<linkreplace"antibiotics."tn8>>antibiotics. They are not too expensive, but when you read the fine print closely, it tells you not to take it without a prescription from a doctor. You have second thoughts about this, but the pharmacist is not asking you for any presecription. [[So you buy the antibiotic, go home and take it.->Antibiotic Taken][$ABdose+=1]] <</linkreplace>>

Dr Shivangi is a young recently graduated doctor who has also gone on to do a degree in public health. They have a nice freindly nature and greets you warmly. You tell them that you are sick and have this cold that is not going away. "I also have a headache" you complain "It seems like you have slight fever" Dr Shivangi explains, "But you should be alright in a few days. It is best that you go home and rest and let your body recover" <<linkreplace "A FEW DAYS!" t8n>> "A FEW DAYS!" "I cannot afford to spend that much time in bed! I need to get better quickly!" You explain to them why you cannot take a break and why it is so urgent. "Why can you not give me something that will get me better quickly?" You ask Dr Shivangi. "My mom has these antibiotics at home and the pharmacy also gives them out immediately! I just needed your advice on which one to take. "My advice is to NOT take them." Says Dr Shivangi "If you have time, I can explain." You are tired, you are cranky and you are not feeling too well, you just want the quick fix. What are you going to do? [[Go to the pharmacy/medicine store to pick up some antibiotics->Antibiotic Taken][$ABdose+=1]] [[Go home and just take those pills mom has been telling you to take->Antibiotic Taken][$ABdose+=1]] [[You actually listen to Dr Shivangi->The story of AMR begins]] <</linkreplace>>

You have taken <<print $ABdose>> dose of the antibiotic! The antibiotic is going to go into your system and do you know what will it destroy? It is going to NUKE everything in your gut! The good bacteria and the bad bacteria. But there will be a few that survive. Those are the dangerous ones because they will be stronger the next time. But, you get better quickly. ''Since it is your <<print $ABdose>>st dose, you will get better in <<print $ABdose*2>> days'', which means you will recover in time. [[And you manage to make it to the match!->Cricket Match Attended]]

Dr Shivangi explains to you about AMR and everything. They tell you how resistance manifests in bacteria, they also tell you that if you take antibiotics now, it may be a quick fix but you will get better quicker the next time. <<linkreplace "you remember something then" t8n>> You remember that there is this important meeting that you have to organise in a couple of weeks, and if you do not do a good job on that, your boss will fire you. It is better- practically speaking to spend a bit of time recovering now, instead of risking spending more time in bed next time you get a cold. You are in two minds, what do you do? [[Chuck it, lets live in the moment, I will go to the final match, the meeting is a few months away, I will deal with it when it comes. ->Antibiotic Taken][$ABdose+=1]] [[Its better to be a sensible human being lets not take the antibiocs->Antbiotic NOT taken]] <</linkreplace>>

You do not take the antibiotic, you end up getting too sick to go. You miss the cricket match. Your freinds went, apparently they had the time of their lives. They met this group there that they partied with afterwards. There was this really cute person there, everyone thought she was your type. Looks like you missed out. Well well, things happen, but it is better to do the <<linkreplace"right thing for your health."tn8>>right thing for your health. You get better in a few days, you go to office and work on the big meeting that is happening in a couple of months. One day your freinds ask you to come to church street social, they are meeting the group that they met at the cricket match [[you were too sick to go to.->Church street social]] <</linkreplace>>

The match is great. Virat Kohli wins the Indian Premier League scoring a hundred while chasing a zillion runs while hitting a six off the last ball. You yell yourself hoarse at the stadium. In the stadium you see a girl who is an equally manic fan of Virat Kohli. You meet her again at an after party at the RCB Cafe. <img src="https://i.ibb.co/PWjwRSH/antoine-j-A-0-C42zmz1-Q-unsplash.jpg" alt="antoine-j-A-0-C42zmz1-Q-unsplash" width="150" border="0"> You two hit it off, and a few days later you are on a date with her on church street. ''She has a slight cold,'' but the date goes well. She is going to meet you again in a few days. <<linkreplace "You go to bed happy, dreaming of her smile" t8n>> You wake up, you have a cold and it gets worse over the day. It gets even more worse the next day, you are going to meet her again. You cannot get well soon without medication. [[You take the antibiotics again.->Antibiotic Taken 2][$ABdose+=1]] <</linkreplace>>

You get better the next day, you have some loosies but that is fine. <<linkreplace "It takes a little longer than last time..." t8n>>It takes a little longer than last time, since you are on dose number ''<<print $ABdose>>'' you need ''<<print $ABdose*2>> days'' to recover. Still you get better in time to make it to the date. You meet this time at Church Street social, drinks abound, you say something funny, and the entire group bursts out laughing. One person laughs so hard that they sneeze, and blame the cold that is going around. But you ignore the sneeze, right now, life is good. <<linkreplace"In fact it is better than good..." tn8>> Life is great, in fact [[you are going to go for a proper dinner date in a couple of weeks!->Antibiotic Taken 3][$ABdose +=1]] <</linkreplace>> <</linkreplace>>

It is a few days before the dinner date. You have had this nagging cold that has not gone away since the last time you went out. ''You have taken antibiotics again'', you are now on ''dose number <<print $ABdose>>'' and it is going to ''take you <<print $ABdose*2>> days to recover.'' While you are not a 100% there, you are well enough to <<linkreplace"go on the date" tn8>> go on the date. The date goes well, you drop her home, you kiss in the car, she comments on how nice you smell. Salvatore ferragamo signature. The base notes are Sandalwood and Cashmere wood. It was a good pick. You go home deeply in love, and [[go to sleep.->Last antibiotic][$ABdose+=1]] <</linkreplace>>

The cold has come again, and your important meeting is in a 3 days. You have taken the antibiotics <<linkreplace"but you just cannot seem to get better"tn8>>but you just cannot seem to get better. You are on dose number ''<<print $ABdose>>.'' and it is going to take you ''<<print $ABdose*2>> days'' to recover. ''NOT FAST ENOUGH'' You keep on taking the medicine, somehow it gets worse. You are really seriously ill. You have two choices. [[Call in sick for the meeting, which may get you fired.->You get fired]] [[Or tough it out and go to the meeting.->meeting fiasco]] <</linkreplace>>

A few days later, while you are still sick in bed. You get an email from your company. <<linkreplace"It is bad news.">> It is bad news. Your project is cancelled because the meeting went poorly, they are shutting down the entire department. You have two more months on the job and then you will get fired. "You can resign so it can look better" the email says. At that moment that girl you went on a date with calls. [[You are in no mood to receive her calls.->Ending 1]] <</linkreplace>>

You go to the meeting. You are coughing all through, the entire presentation is a disaster. The entire project you are working on gets cancelled on the spot because of this. [[Your team sends you home.->You get fired]]

She stops calling you after a few tries. The market is crashing, you cannot get another job. If only you had recoverd on time, you would have been able to do the meeting properly. <<linkreplace"If that had happened,"tn8>> if that had happened, maybe life would have been better. //If only you had allowed your body to recover, instead of taking antibiotics.// !!! The End! <img src="https://i.ibb.co/cL59WxK/Antimicrobials.webp" alt="Antimicrobials" border="0"> <</linkreplace>>

Its crowded and noisy there is noisy group near the bar, they sound loud enought to be your freinds. <<linkreplace"come over here!">>"come over here! they call out to you! You go over there. It is happy hour, they introduce you to the group they met at the cricket match. They are rabid RCB fans, you get along with them. You crack a joke about how bad the RCB pitch was for bowlers. <<linkreplace"They all laugh a lot."tn8>>They all laugh a lot. On of them laughs really hard, you notice, her name is <<linkreplace"Anushka"tn8>>Anushka No, not the actress, but to you, she might as well be. [[You ask her for her number->Working hard]] <</linkreplace>> <</linkreplace>> <</linkreplace>>

She gives you her number. You are texting her everyday, you want to meet her but you fall a little sick again. You focus on working from home and getting better. She understands, you big meeting draws near. You are working really hard for it and finally the [[big day comes.->big meeting]]

Everything goes well, you have a slight cold in the morning but a bit of paracetamol takes care of that. A couple of your colleagues are sick and do not show up but it does not matter. <<linkreplace"You have prepared well"tn8>>You have prepared well. And your preparation means the presentation is a hit! You get funding for five years and your team is happy. This also means a big promotion. In that surge of confidence you want to ask Anushka out. You do not know if you want to call or text her. What should you do [[Call her you moron! now is your time->Date night: ending 2]] [[No, play it cool, text her->Date night: ending 2]] <</linkreplace>>

It does not really matter! You open the phone and you see a message asking you out! You say yes, obviously. You are going to wear that <<linkreplace"fancy perfume you brought."tn8>> fancy perfume you brought- Salvatore Ferragamo, with base tones of Sandalwood and Cashmerewood.<</linkreplace>> With the help of your bonus you have booked the fanciest rooftop restaurant in town. You get her flowers. She is very impressed. You drop her home. As she says goodbye, she hugs you. "You smell so good" she says. "I am so glad you could make it, there is this cold going around and <<linkreplace"I was afraid you would catch it again..."tn8>>I was afraid you would catch it again." You are so glad you did not take those antibiotics. !! The End! <img src="https://i.ibb.co/cL59WxK/Antimicrobials.webp" alt="Antimicrobials" border="0"> <</linkreplace>>

It is the end of the rains and it has not completely dried out yet. The weather is unpredicatble. It is damp all the time and then all of a sudden it is very hot.

It is one of those days in between two seasons which seems to be the best time to be a bug. Not just the creepy crawly bug, but the kind of bug that can get inside you if someone sneezes too close to you.

The bug could be a Streptococcus species. Or it could be something else altogether.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

That bug has caught you. Congratulations, you have a cold, and also a sore throat for good measure.

You need to get better ASAFP*, because your favourite team is playing in the IPL final!

ASAFP: As Soon As *** Possible :)