Goa to borrow Karnataka's Covid treatment protocol to control cytokine storm in patients

The Health Ministry in Goa will borrow a trick from the Karnataka government's Covid treatment protocol and introduce baricitinib, a drug used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, in order to control the high death rate of Covid-19 patients in the state, many of whom have succumbed to oxygen shortage.

Addressing a press conference late on Saturday, Dr Shivanand Bandekar, dean of the Goa Medical College, the state government's apex health facility, also said that baricitinib, which was introduced in Karnataka's Covid treatment protocol earlier this week, also reduces the requirement of oxygen in patients suffering from severe cytokine storms.

The decision to introduce baricitinib was taken at a meeting of the state health ministry's expert panel, which has been appointed to oversee Covid management in the state.
"The next important thing was decided in a meeting of experts was to adopt a treatment protocol followed by the state of Karnataka. They have found that anyone who gets infected with the double mutant virus, their oxygen requirement is found to be very high. That is why they have changed their protocol and they have added one medicine called baricitinib," Bandekar said.

"4 mg baricitinib is to be given from the fifth day of symptoms. It works fantastic in reducing the cytokine storm and the lungs are protected. This protocol will be adopted soon now. We have already decided to start with patients who are already admitted to hospitals. Oxygen requirement will also be less and lungs will be protected and they will recover fully," Bandekar said.