The Union Health Ministry on Monday issued revised guidelines for the management of COVID-infected patients and dropped all medicines, except antipyretic and anti-tussive, for asymptomatic and mild cases.
According to reports, the Union Health Ministry has dropped the use of ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, and the anti-viral favipiravir from its COVID-19 treatment guidelines. The guidelines has been issued by the directorate general of health services (DGHS) of the health ministry.
The nine-page guidelines have not mentioned the use of these medicines which have been used widely by doctors to treat Covid-19 patients.
Earlier guidelines given by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has mentioned the use of ivermectin in certain quantity only.
The use of medicines such as zinc, multivitamins, etc. prescribed by the doctors to asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic Covid-19 is also not mentioned except the use of Anti-Pyretic and Anti-tussive for symptomatic relief.
According to reports, the revised guidelines issued on May 27, have dropped all drugs including hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, doxycycline, zinc, multivitamins, etc prescribed by the doctors to asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic Covid-19 patients retaining only antipyretic for fever and antitussive for cold symptoms.
The experimental drug remdesivir is to be used only in select moderate or severe hospitalised COVID-19 patients who are on oxygen within 10 days of disease onset, the guidelines state.
On the use of Tocilizumab - which is in high demand, the DGHS said the drug should be used only in severe and critically ill patients. The guidelines also warns against the unnecessary use of high-resolution CT scans.
Further, the Directorate General of Health's (DGH) COVID-19 guidelines stressed the importance of a monitoring sheet for COVID-19 patients at home and a six-minute simple clinical test to assess cardiopulmonary exercise tolerance. The guidelines have stressed the use of wearing masks, physical distancing and hand hygiene.
