As the second wave of Covid-19 rages across India cripplig the healthcare system of several states, people have been advised to undergo home quarantine as states try to ramp up the health infrastrucutre.
In the midst of this, many states are reporting shortage of medicines like Remdesivir, used to help Covid patients recover, with alleged black marketing of the medicine being actively kept in check by some states.
While the government has announced an expansion of the coverage of vaccination across the country to include all people over 18, it has also shared a list of tips on which medicines to take a person contracts Covid-19.
This is what Dr C S Pramesh, Director, Tata Memorial Hospital, had to say on what medicines to take (or not to take) if you have Covid-19:
What medicines should you take if you have Covid-19?
If your oxygen saturation is fine and you have no symptoms other than fever, all you need is Paracetamol.
There is some data that inhaling Budesonide helps you recover faster, but no hard endpoints like reduced mortality. There is no evidence to suggest that anything helps - including Favipiravir/Ivermectin. Don't waste your time desperately trying to procure them.
What about Remdesivir, Tocilizumab and convalescent plasma?
Remdesivir doesn't work in all patients, probably a small subgroup of those requiring oxygen, but not sick enough to require ventilation. And even here, it doesn't reduce mortality, probably helps early recovery.
Tocilizumab also helps only in very specic subgroups - those requiring rapidly increasing levels of oxygen or rapidly deteriorating respiratory parameters. There is even less evidence to support the use of convalescent plasma for Covid-19. Almost all studies done so far have shown that it is of no benefit.
What medicines definitely help Covid-19 patients?
Unfortunately, very few. What definitely works is proning and oxygen (when saturation is low) & steroids (Dexamethasone) for moderate to severe level of the disease.
Dr Pramesh also advises people to allow physicians to prescribe Remdesivir or Tocilizumab, saying there are very limited situtations where they are beneficial. He also asks people to not pressurise physicians to prescribe it, saying that much of the shortage today is due to 'unncecessary prescriptions'.