As the number of Covid-19 cases rises and patients seek treatment, the Union Health Ministry has developed frequently asked questions (FAQs) to further build the ICU/clinical management capacities of doctors for treatment of the critical patients infected by the virus.
For instance, the Ministry has clarified that drugs like Remdesivir and tocilizumab and plasma therapy are experimental therapies and should not be used as empirical therapy for suspected cases. It has also cautioned the doctors handling the Covid-19 cases to counsel and be empathetic with such patients as they tend to be in depression because of a number of reasons including staying in isolation, anxiety related to disease and social stigma, among others.
“Remdesivir and Tocilizumab should be used only in proven Covid-19 patients, where clinically indicated,” the ministry said, underlining that there is no evidence to support the use of these two drugs in asymptomatic patients with comorbidities.
As far as the role of plasma therapy is concerned, the FAQs said that convalescent plasma collected from ABO matched donors with high neutralizing titers can be given to patients at risk of developing severe Covid in early stages of the disease. However, it should also be considered an experimental therapy and should be used with caution, it stated.
In one of the answers, the ministry said, Tocilizumab is an experimental therapy, has a limited role, and should be used only in patients with cytokine syndrome after ruling out active infections.