The Centre has dropped medicines such as ivermectin, doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine from its guidelines to treat mild Covid-19 cases.
The revised guidelines, issued by the Union health ministry’s Directorate General of Health Services on May 27, recommended only the use of antipyretics (for fever) and antitussives (cold medication) in mild cases.
The health ministry, in Updated Detailed Clinical Management Protocol for adult cases of Covid-19, released on May 24, had suggested that doctors ask mild Covid-19 patients to take ivermectin once a day for three to five days or hydroxychloroquine twice for one day, and once for the next four days.
Now, the updated treatment guidelines state that apart from fever and cold medication, no other Covid-specific medication is required in mild cases.
The guidelines recommended that patients observe Covid-appropriate behaviour like wearing masks, washing hands and maintaining distance from others. They added that patients should tele-consult with their doctors, monitor temperature and oxygen saturation levels and eat a healthy and balanced diet.
For asymptomatic cases, the updated guidelines recommended not taking any medication. “Continue medications for other co-morbid conditions, if any,” the guidelines added.
In case of moderate and severe infection, the guidelines provided detailed protocol for hospital care. They recommended that a Computed tomography or CT scan be done only in case the symptoms worsen.
In its revised document, the Centre also included guidelines for the use of remdesivir. “It is to be used only in select moderate/ severe hospitalised Covid-19 patients on supplemental oxygen within 10 days of onset of disease,” the guidelines stated. “It is not indicated in mild Covid-19 patients who are in home care/ Covid Care Centres. Physicians are advised to exercise extreme caution in using remdesivir as this is only an experimental drug with potential to harm.”
India on Monday registered 1,00,636 new coronavirus cases, pushing the tally of infections to 2,89,09,975 since the pandemic broke out in January last year. This is the lowest number of new cases in 61 days. With 2,427 deaths, India’s toll went up to 3,49,186.
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