(Deepshikha Gautam, Intern Journalist) New Delhi: Indian health authorities have decided to review the protocol to be implemented for the treatment of Covid-19. This decision has been taken after the results of a large trial by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that four out of four commonly used drugs had little or no reduction in deaths in hospitalized patients.
These include the antiviral drug remedevir, the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), the anti-HIV combination lopinavir and ritonavir, and the immunomodulator interferon. The first two drugs are given in the treatment of moderate patients of covid-19. A senior official of the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry said that the protocol would be reviewed at the next joint task force meeting. It will be chaired by Dr. VK Paul, Health Member of NITI Aayog, and Dr. Balram Bhargava, Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Dr. Bhargava said, ‘Yes, we will revisit the clinical management protocol in the light of new evidence.’ Where HCQ was approved by the Drug Controller General of India for off-label use in moderately ill covid-19 patients
is. Remedycivir has been approved under the Emergency Use Authority. The research, named WHO’s Solidarity Trial, states that 405 hospitals in 30 countries now doubt the effectiveness of these drugs. This data has been prepared on the basis of 11,266 adults undergoing treatment for coronavirus. Of this, 2,750 was administered with remedecivir, 954 with HCQ, 1,411 with lopinavir, 651 with interferon plus lopinavir, 1,412 with only interferon, and 4,088 without any studies. India was also a part of the trials and tested these four drugs.
According to ICMR, which coordinated the trials in the country, by October 15, 2020, data were collected from 26 active locations with 937 participants. The ICMR said in a statement that the interim results show that no study drug has definitively reduced mortality.
About Post Author
