Mild cases of Covid can be managed at home with symptomatic treatment: doctor AIIMS

The doctor insisted that the antiviral pill Molnupiravir is not a magic drug against the disease, saying that there is no specific drug against Covid-19 and that the treatment is always symptomatic.

He underlined the fact that a majority of Covid patients during this wave of infections caused by Omicron, have so far shown mild symptoms.

All that is needed is near surveillance patients, especially those who are at risk such as the elderly with co-morbidities and those still unvaccinated, he said.

Dr Nischal said: “Pandemic does not mean that unless your doctor prescribed several drugs or fancy pills that you are not going to get okay with. Ultimately, patience, a positivity of mind and paracetamol will get a majority of patients out of this. “

The Union government said on Monday that five to 10% of active Covid cases this time around have so far required hospitalization, but the situation is dynamic and could change quickly. The press release further mentioned that during the second wave of Covid infections in the country, the percentage of active cases requiring hospital care was in the order of 20 to 23%.

“The data for this particular molecule is not as strong as it is claimed. More importantly, the population in which the trial was conducted and the type of viral variant that prevailed at that time are totally different from the scenarios of today, “he said.

Molnupiravir works by inducing a mutation in the virus by substituting one of the components also present in human genetic material.

“So besides the theoretical possibility of selecting a mutant virus which might be more dangerous, it can also affect rapidly dividing cells in human beings such as cells of reproductive organs in men, the fetus in pregnant women, bones. and the cartilage of young adults and children, “explained the doctor.

People should remember that this drug has received restricted emergency use authorization in a very selective group of patients who are at risk of developing serious disease and have no other treatment options, he said. .

“Therefore, efforts should be made to restrict the use of this drug, as the known and unknown harm is far more than the limited benefits it can offer. It should not become an over the counter drug and should be prescribed with due diligence. “

The director general of the Indian Council for Medical Research, Dr Balram Bhargava, said last week that molnupiravir had major safety concerns and had not been included in the national protocol for the treatment of Covid-19.

Another drug prescribed to patients is a cocktail of monoclonal antibodies (casirivimab and imdevimab). It should be remembered that this is not effective against Omicron and its use in the previously infected / vaccinated population is also unclear, said Dr Nischal.

So, in the current context, it should not be used irrationally, he stressed.

One needs to remain confident in one’s immune response which can be enhanced through a healthy lifestyle, vaccination and appropriate covid behavior, said Dr Nischal.