Treatment options available for COVID-19
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As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread around the world. The viral infection infected millions of people around the world. Doctors, scientists, and governments are collaborating around the world to look for methods to tackle the pandemic.
The Covid-19 belongs to the Coronavirus family that causes illness such as the common cold, SARS, and MERS. The newest strain of Coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China. In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Covid-19 a pandemic.
Covid-19 s extremely infectious and spreads by the respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes or talks. The virus can survive on surfaces and can spread if a person touches his mouth, nose, or eyes after touching a contaminated surface.
Symptoms of Covid-19 are more severe in older adults or those with underlying health conditions. Common symptoms of Covid-19 are:-
Fever
Cough
Breathing difficulty
Fatigue
Other symptoms of Covid-19 may include:-
Body ache
Loss of smell and taste
Headache
Diarrhea
Vomiting
If you have had contact with a Covid-19 patient or have had a recent travel history, book a doctor in Pune immediately.
Most people with Covid-19 will recover at home. No specific treatment for the virus exists as of now and the best doctor in Pune will try to prescribe medication to alleviate your symptoms. Rest, keeping yourself hydrated, and a supplementary source of oxygen may be required sometimes.
Currently, there are no antiviral medications to treat Covid-19. Drugs developed to treat other viral infections are being tested to see if they work against Covid-19. Some options being explored.
Remdesivir was first developed to treat Ebola. Researchers found that using Remdesivir was effective in fighting the Covid-19. Clinical trial in China has been successful. FDA has approved clinical studies to be carried out in the USA. ICMR may use the drug if local drug companies get approval to manufacture it.
Chloroquine is traditionally used to fight malaria and autoimmune diseases like Lupus. Doctors in several countries including India have used Chloroquine effective against severe symptoms of Covid-19. The ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) has been used to treat asymptomatic medical staff treating COVID-19 or asymptomatic households with confirmed cases. Doctors caution patients about using the medication without doctor’s supervision due to the risk of heart rhythm problems.
Lopinavir and ritonavir are used to treat HIV. The medicine is sold under the brand name Kaletra. The WHO indicates that Kaletra has benefits when used in combination with other drugs that have been found to be effective in treating COVID-19.
Flavipir is a Japanese antiviral drug used to treat influenza in Japan. India is starting clinical trials to treat COVID-19. Flavipir is still not part of WHO solidarity trials.
Plasma therapy has shown tremendous promise in treating Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms. When a person has recovered from Covid-19 their blood contains antibodies used to fight the viral infection. We find these antibodies in plasma (a component of the blood). Patients who have recovered can donate their plasma via transfusion. The donor antibodies can help patients fight the disease faster. Plasma therapy has been approved by the ICMR and is being used in several states.
Research is underway to produce a vaccine to treat Covid-19. The Serum Institute in Pune is collaborating with Oxford to produce the vaccine.